the connect to compete program. bridging the digital divide one connected and engaged student at a time. cox, bringing us closer -- cox, supports c-span as a public service. along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> coming up next, british prime minister boris johnson fields questions from members of the house of commons. this marks the first question time in the new legislative session. this is just under 40 minutes

>> the state report reveals, mr. speaker, that last year in this country people over the age of 60 died because their homes were too cold. will the prime minister give a guarantee that figure will be lower and not higher this time next year? prime minister johnson: i think everybody has every sympathy with people who are facing difficulties with the cost of heating. that is why the government has stepped up an extra 9.1 billion pounds, in addition to what we are doing with the cold weather payments and the warm homes allowance, mr. speaker.

we will continue as the support people. just as we did throughout the pandemic. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the department of education showed that last year once again, the council became the highest rejector of children applying for education, health, and care assessment in the country. nearly half of children were rejected compared to the national average of just 23%. can the prime minister outline how this will help children and their families get access to the education that they deserve? prime minister johnson: i thank him very much for his campaign. he's right. that's why we have a review. we will ensure send children and young people can get access to the right support at the right place and right time across the

country. >> the leader of the opposition -- mr. speaker, i shift to range. an extraordinary story the last few years. mr. speaker, attacks on huge oil and tax profits raised billions of pounds, cutting energy bills across the country. the chancellor rightly says there are two, you're either for it or against it. which down council does the chancellor put himself in? he says neither. i'm in favor of it. the question for the prime minister is is he for it? is he against it? or is he sitting on the fence like his chancellor? the speaker pro tempore: prime minister. prime minister johnson: mr. speaker, the right honorable gentleman struggled to define what a woman was.

he couldn't make up his mind on that point, mr. speaker. heaven help us. look, this government is not in principle in favor of higher taxation. of course not. but what we want to do -- they love it, mr. speaker. they love putting up taxes. labour puts up taxes. what we want to do is take a sensible approach governed by the impact on investments and jobs, mr. speaker. that is the test of a strong economy. by having a strong economy that we'll be able to look after people as we have done during covid and as we will do in the aftershocks of covid. this week it was revealed that unemployment has come down to the lowest level since 1974.

when i was 10 years old, mr. speaker. i don't know how old he was. but i was 10 years old. >> mr. speaker, hang on. last week he said we'll have a look at it. yesterday he voted against it. anyone picking out the places today would think they are for it now he says he's against it again. clear as mud. just to be fair it's not like the rest -- the same day the chancellor said it was something he was looking at, the justice sector said it would be disastrous. the business sector called it a bad idea. but also said it considered spanish-style windfall tax. one minute they are rolling it in. the next they are rolling it out. when will he stop the hokie pokey and just back labour's

plan for windfall tax to cut our bills? prime minister johnson: labour plans are always and everywhere to raise plans on business. that's what -- remember them campaigning, 2019, mr. speaker, on the biggest taxes for business that this country has ever seen. that's their instant. this country anti-world faces problems in the cost of energy driven partly by covid, and partly by putin's war of choice in ukraine. and we know, we always knew there would be a short-term cost in weaning ourselves off putin's hydrocarbons and in sanctioning the russian economy. everybody in this house voted for those sanctions. we knew that it would be tough. but i just want to tell the right honorable gentleman that giving in, giving in, not sticking the course would

ultimately been a far greater economic risk. yes, of course, mr. speaker, we will look at measures, all the measures that we need to take, mr. speaker, to get people through to the other side. mr. speaker, the only reason we can do that is because we took the tough decision that is were necessary during the pandemic. which would not have been possible if we listened to him >> he just doesn't get it, does he? he doesn't actually understand what working families are going through in this country. struggling how they are going to pay their bills. while he tk*euters, british households are flat with an extra 53 million pounds on their energy bills every single day. meanwhile, every single day oil

and gas rake in 32 million pounds in unexpected profits. doesn't he see that every single day he delays his inevitable u-turn is going to do it, he's choosing to let people struggle when they don't need to. prime minister johnson: mr. speaker, he says the government has no sympathy for people who are struggling. let me tell you, it is preciselu what we are already doing. we are already helping people in any way we can, mr. speaker. the reason we can do that is because we took the tough decisions to get this country through covid and make sure we came out of lockdown in the way that was necessary. and to have a strong economy with robust employment growth, mr. speaker. and we will continue -- he talks

about -- in july we'll have the biggest tax cut after 10 years, 350 -- 335, for 30 million people paying national insurance contributions. the reason we can do that, mr. speaker, is because we have a strong and robust economy. i'm going to look at all measures in the future to support, of course i am. but the only reason we can do that, the only reason our companies are in such robust health is because of the decision this government has taken -- mr. speaker, still pretending the economy is booming, still head in the sand in the middle of an economic crisis. the prime minister keeps saying more help is coming. but we have heard it all before. may 13, he stood there and said, we will do more right now. a week has passed. there's been nothing. april 19 he stood there, and said we will do more as soon as

we can. a month has passed. still nothing. the chancellor said wait until the autumn. at least he's honest. the plan is to do nothing. but doesn't the prime minister realize the working people across the country can't afford to wait while he vast late -- vascillates, it's time to make his mind up. prime minister johnson: i'll tell you what's happened in the last month. we have got 300,000 more people off welfare and into work on our way to work program, mr. speaker. it is because we get people into work those families, those people, 6,000 pounds a year better off. by get getting people into work. we fix the long-term problems of this economy. his answer, mr. speaker, his answer in addition to putting up taxes, his answer is to brother more. we heard it from the chancellor this morning. he said he wants to borrow almost another 30 billion pounds. you know what that means? it means more pressure on

interest rates. it means pressure ons. pressure on every family, man, woman, child in this country, mr. speaker. that's labour economic policy. that's why there's never been a labour government. that's the reality. >> spraoeblg -- mr. speaker, on the day when inflation went to 9%, highest in 40 years, the watching public, the least they can expect the prime minister concentrate on the cost of living crisis. clearly he just can't make his mind up. so let's have a look at who is for it and who is against it. on one side, the chair of lewis, the chair of the treasury select committee, the chair of the education select committee, lord brown, the all support a windfall tax. even the current boss of b.p. said it wouldn't discourage investment. and on the other side, the

member from northeast somerset. when he's not sticking tphoelgts on people's desk like an overgrown preeffect, when is he finally going to get a grip, stand up for the people of britbritain and get on the right side of the argument? prime minister johnson: nothing could be more transparent from this exchange than their hruft -- lust to raise taxes. mr. speaker, we don't relish it. we don't want to do it. we don't want to do it. of course we don't. we believe in jobs. we believe in investments and growth. as it happens the oil companies are on track to invest about 70 billion pounds into our economy on the next few years. they are already taxed at a rate of 40%. what we want to see is

investment in the long-term energy provision. which they failed to do. canceling our nuclear power. the people who are suffering from high energy prices today, mr. speaker, had previous labour governments to blame for that mistake. of course we will look at all sensible measures so we will be driven by considerations of growth, investment, and employment. i just remind you, mr. speaker, that unemployment's hit a record low. for 50 years. and employment is now half a million people more now in paid employment, payroll employment than there were before the pandemic began. >> he's on the side of excess profits for oil and gas companies. we are on the side of working people. and there you have it. very clearly doesn't like me pushing him on this. the reason i keep coming back to this subject, why it's so frustrating he hasn't acted, is

because so many people are living through this nightmare, and they feel totally abandoned by their government. this week, i spoke to phoenix honeywell, a rare kid any condition -- kidney condition means phoenix has to do treatment from home just so he could take his dr. to school. his diialcies is lifesaving. he can't turn it off. even though his wife, who is a midwife in n.h.s., works extra shifts, during the winter they had to turn their central heating off and phoenix skipped meals to make ends meet. but their energy bill has still doubled. phoenix says he feels like he's being priced out of existence. and it's not just him. millions of our disabled, elderly, and vulnerable neighbors are at the sharp end of this crisis.

they simply can't afford to live with dignity. the decisions we make here matter. the cost of indecision is enormous. people across the country need action now. the plans are already there. the prime minister, stop the delay. work with us to put them in place. do it for households. and do it for phoenix who simply can't afford to wait. prime minister johnson: send me the details of the because the n.h.s. does cover the cost of those who are on dialysis, mr. speaker. by the way, of course, they voted against the vital investment in the n.h.s. that this country needs. i just remind him in the house of the key points. none of this is possible, the investment in n.h.s. is i am impossible, the 22 billion we

already put in, the further investment we'll put in is impossible without the strong economy that this government has delivered. it's because we took the tough decisions that i have mentioned, that we have record low unemployment. it's record low for the last 50 years, mr. speaker. and this queen speech that we have been debating is about putting in the infrastructure, the skills, the technology that will build, continue to build the platform for growth in jobs in this country. that's what this government is committed to doing. that is the best way out of economic -- i think it's fantastic yesterday to see her majesty the queen open crossrow. 72,000 jobs already delivered. 90 billion it will produce for the whole of the u.k. economy. let me just ask the right honorable gentleman, who was the mayor of london when crossrow started to be built? who was the prime minister who

completed it, mr. speaker? we get the big things done, mr. speaker. there's never been a labour government that left office with unemployment lower than when they began. >> mr. speaker, as the prime minister knows, a couple weeks ago, they go knocking on doors, social behavior is an issue for people locally. part of the problem is the local police when calls are required, now lancaster are -- we need to use some of those to get police response opened, will you work with me, the fabulous local police and police crime commissioner to make that happen? prime minister johnson: i thank my honorable friend.

what we are doing is recruiting more police officers. 300 more in lancaster, 13,576 more across the whole of the country. of course be very happy to arrange the relevant meeting so that we can continue to drive neighborhood crime already down 33%, drive neighborhood crime down further. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will want to join me in wishing glass g.a.o.'s -- gas cao's football club all the best. it's always a joy to see scottish club get to the finals of european competition. mr. speaker, people didn't need to see this morning's official -- to now we have seen the highest inflation in 40 years. they know it because they are living with it. families can't afford food. they can't pay their bills. and we are only at the beginning.

it's all with the tories, the poorest are punished the most. for months people have been trying out for support. month after month, as downing street has failed to lift a finger to help, does the foreign minister sill support his chancellor's insulting statement that acting knows and this cost of living emergency would just be silly? prime minister johnson: mr. speaker, i support the chancellor's work in lifting the living wage by a record amount, mr. speaker. by making sure people on universal credit pay 1,000 pounds less in tax. by making sure -- putting another 22 billion pounds 23450 supporting people with the cost of living. 9.1 billion already on -- to help people with the cost of energy. above all i support what he's done to deliver a strong economic foundation which makes all that possible, mr. speaker

>> the chancellor, the chancellor who thinks it would be silly to act now. this is the cost of living crisis from westminster. for weeks the prime minister has been briefing, blame for blocking financial support for strapping families. the prime minister has to stop snipping from the sidelines. if this chancellor wants to live

on an emergency budget budget, it's fine for the prime minister to sack the chancellor and put somebody else in office. prime minister johnson: the right honorable -- we have been through covid. we are facing a spike in global energy prices which has been greatly exacerbated by what putin is doing in ukraine. to deal with it of course what we are doing is putting billions and billions already, 9.1 billion into supporting people with the cost of energy. helping elderly people in all sorts of ways, not the least through local council. of course, mr. speaker, everybody in the country knows that we are not through this yet. everybody can see that. they all know that the government is going to do more. they also know the only reason

we can do that is because we have a strong economy with massively high employment. that is the crucial thing. it would not have been possible if we listened to the members. >> is the prime minister aware my campaign have digitally altered images carried a label. last week was mental health awareness week. there are 1.5 million people with eating disorders. 84 members of this house from seven parties signed my open letter to companies to pledge not to a*lter their images in their adverts, would the prime minister support that pledge? for those not taking that pledge, would he vow to make sure that we consider labeling digitally altered images where proportions are affected? prime minister johnson: i thank my honorable friend for his fantastic campaign. we have talked about it at length. i do think there is a risk to

mental health as young people are given unrealistic expectations about how they should look because of the stuff that they see. the suggestion that he's brought forward is extremely useful. i'll make sure we follow it up as far as mental health plan. >> can i join other new fans of rangers. and wish them good luck in see sreul -- seeville responsibilite tonight. british farmers are the best in the world. they could pay a big part in the odds how families and pensioners put food on the table during the cost of living emergency. but from cambria, to devon, farmers' own costs are spiraling upwards. animal feed up 60%, mr. speaker. fertilizer prices more than double.

yet instead of helping, britain's own food producers, the government is slashing the support payments that farmers rely on, sometimes up to 50% of their income, even before a new scheme is in place. will the prime minister meet with farming leaders and myself to understand the extreme challenges they are facing so our farmers can do their bit to help families and pensioners afford to put food on the table during this economic crisis? prime minister johnson: i thank the right honorable gentleman. i can tell him that yes, i do recognize the challenges that farmers are paying, with the cost of their input in fuel and fertilizer. that's why we are working so hard to abate those costs. what we have also got to do not

just cutting -- everything else we can do to ensure we fix the energy crisis. what we are also doing, mr. speaker, is championing u.k. food and farming which has fantastic export markets around the world. and now has 73 trade deals to exploit in a world avid, avid, as he rightly said, for delicious wholesome nutritious u.k. food and drink. i would be very happy to organize the relevant meeting with the right honorable gentleman. >> thank you, mr. speaker. would my right honorable friend join me in thanking my constituents in hat ford, who were offering help and refuge to ukrainians suffering from and fleeing the russian invasion. and can he set out how his visit to sweden and finland ensured closer cooperation with our allies to secure the long-term stability and security of europe as my constituents are rightly

concerned about ongoing russian aggression. >> i thank her prefp. prime minister johnson: i want to thank her constituents very much for what they are doing to help ukrainians fleeing war and aggression. i know members up and down the country have constituents who have been incredibly generous. you'll be proud of the u.k.'s efforts. yes, mr. speaker, it's true that the u.k. signed historic declarations the other day with sweden and finland to re-enforce our security, our mutual security and to fortify europe's de-- defenses. i think it's been a good thing and driven, mr. speaker, in the cases of both sweden and finland, by the people themselves who see the logic of nato membership. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the whole market has an others now regularly take six months to

respond to -- patients wait years to hear anything at all. but instead of putting this into fixing this unacceptable problem, the prime minister is choosing to fire civil servants and his ministers wonder around white hall putting post-it notes on desks. would the prime minister personally look into this issue and instruct his ministers and civil servants to the attention it deserves. prime minister johnson: i thank him very much. i have to say, mr. speaker, i must respectfully disagree with the implication that -- for the civil service working from home is everywhere as productive as being in the office. and returning. i simply don't accept that. i do think that we will become more productive, more efficient

if -- on the whole we find ways to get back to the desk -- thank you very much, indeed, mr. speaker. following my campaign, now being granted 350 for improvement works. the only time this has happened is now after labour lost control of the council. the first time in over 100 years. villarrial school, are also going to be applying for the condition improvement funds. can i urge my honorable friend to ensure that those cases are taken as seriously as possible? would my right honorable friend more broadly agree with me that education is the cornerstone of leveling up and ensuring more good jobs are veilable locally in county durham, too. more than just a place to bring friends for a social evening. and a place to live and work and raise a family.

>> i have a real problem. we have seen the time now. we are only on question 16. i want everybody to help each other so we can speed up. prime minister. prime minister johnson: i thank my honorable friend a massive champion for his city in the northwest. i'm delighted he's been a supporter of county durham culture. widest interpretation and support him. >> i'm sure the prime minister knows, i'm proud the ininns taout calls wales home. in 2019 the man festo promised to double funding to the research for the researchers are still waiting -- researchers are still waiting for the money. in this action week when the moon shot will be delivered? prime minister johnson: mr. speaker, we intend fully to

deliver dementia moon shot. this was the party that voted against 13 billion pounds a year extra for the n.h.s. >> mr. speaker, many constituents facing delays to renewing their driving licenses. there have been cases of family reunions in jeopardy and drivers having job offers withdrawn draws of delays. is everything being done, possibly to be done to address this problem. to get back on the road for the holidays? prime minister johnson: mr. speaker, i'm told that the driving licenses are now being issued faster than they were. i'm told there are no delays. successful online driving applications. the customers should receive them within a few days. if i've been misinformed about that, mr. speaker, i trust my honorable friend will let me

know. >> thank you, mr. speaker. prime minister, food prices are going up. rents are going up. energy costs are going up. every day i have more and more constituents coming to me to say they thought the day would never come. things just cost too much. at the same time people are anchored to minimum wage, working two, three, four, five jobs on low wages. with no benefits. they can't afford it. at the same time we have the pheubster -- minister, take on more hours or get a better job. does the prime minister go to his minister or agree with me we should have an emergency budget? prime minister johnson: i accept that of course the economic pressures on our country now caused by the factors we mentioned. that's why we already increased the living wage by 1,000 pounds a year. already increased universal credit by 1,000 pounds. all the other -- billions and

billions of tax put into supporting incomes. the reason we can do that because we have strong economic fundamentals with unemployment -- i don't know when he was born, mr. speaker, unemployment is the lowest it's been since 1974. that is giving us the foundation to take our country forward -- thank you, mr. speaker. the airdale hospital submitted its bid to be one of the government's new hospitals. this is because they have an extremely high structural bold, 83% of the building being constructed from air raid concrete. the hospital is now over 20 years beyond its original life expectiancy can the prime minister personally assure me we will be able to deliver a new hospital which is fit for the future? prime minister johnson: there is pressure on me to dish out yet another hospital. i can tell him we are reviewing

all applications for the next eight hospitals in our program. which is the biggest in a generation. only possible because of a strong economy, mr. speaker. a final decision will be later this year -- thank you, mr. speaker. on the 26th of february a private charter flight to moscow was allowed to take off from the airport. and the u.k. ban on flights in nature hi which had come into effect the night before. it traffic control transcripts published in the press and the newspaper are revealed despite being informed of the intended flight, no attempt was 345eud by the u.k. government or agencies to prevent the plane from taking off. will the prime minister commit to informing the house at the earliest opportunity who was traveling on that flight, why despite being informed in advance of the flight no attempt made by the u.k. government to keep the plane on the ground. when will the prime minister personally do to prevent any

similar breaches of sanctions happening in the future? prime minister john con: -- prime minister johnson: i thank him very much. as soon as we get information about that, mr. speaker, i'll make sure the house is properly informed -- thank you -- >> earlier this week the planning inspector waved through a decision by labour to build a massive logistics hub in south warrenton. the entirely in the green belt, that have been approved despite more than 1,000 objections. does the prime minister agree with me that listening to local communities and protecting our precious green belt must be at the heart of planning policy? will he meet with me to see how local residents can have their voices heard? prime minister johnson: local residents can have no more power points than that of my right honorable friend.

the house will have heard him loud and clear. i know the ministry will have heard him loud and clear. will i make sure he gets the relevant meeting. >> no actual or perceived conflicts of interest. the precious principles of public life enshrined in this document must be honored at all times. those, mr. speaker, are the prime minister's own words. can the prime minister tell me on a scale of one to 10 how's he doing with keeping to those principles? prime minister johnson: what we believe -- we believe in this government, in this hearing to the principles of the ministerial code, and by the way, it's an important point, mr. speaker, a lot of attacks on m.p.'s, on what goes on in this place. it is always worth stressing that the vast majority of people

who work in the house of commons and members of parliament are doing a very good job and working very hard and are not -- >> thank you, mr. speaker. . the government's plans just announced from the 31st of may to the start of what will be up to 1,500 nondetained young single males from different parts of the world, asylum seekers. on a base that will be the center of a small rural village, children through elderly residents, without streetlights, without police presence, it will devastate the community, it will devastate house prices which will plummet and the rest of the village will not feel safe to leave their homes alone.

will my right honorable friend please, please stop these plans. prime minister johnson: i hear loud and clear what my friend is saying. i understand the strength of feeling in his constituency and i'm sure that there'll be further meetings between him and the home office about what we can do.

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krit c-span.org to connect any time. >> c-span has unfiltered coverage of ukraine. the pentagon and the state department. as well as congress. we also have international perspectives from the united nations and statements from foreign leaders. all on the c-span networks. the c-span now free mobile app. and c-span.org/ukraine. our web resource page where you can watch the latest videos on demand and follow tweets from journalists on the ground. go to c-span.org/ukraine. >> the finnish president and the swedish prime minister join president biden at the white house to talk about their bid to join the nato alliance amid russia's invasion of ukraine. president biden said the two countries have the complete backing of the u.s. in joining nato. this is about 25 minutes.