house of commons. this runs 35 minutes. >> now welcome to prime minister's questions, so agreed. >> number one, mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the murder of three young girls in southport was devastating. a measure of justice has been done, but for the victims injured, we must have fundamental change of how we can protect its citizens and its children. as part of public inquiry, mr.

speaker, we will not let any the flight from their failure. mr. speaker, next monday marks the memorial day. last week only strengthened my resolve to build national hogans memorial and learning center -- holocaust memorial day learning center beside this. the whole house also welcomes the release of emily and other hostages from gaza. the cease-fire deal implemented in full, the release of remaining hostages, and a surge in aid to gaza for citizens. may i also welcome someone whose young daughter olivia was murdered and awful circumstances , to the chamber. i've met them twice could we will change the law. mr. speaker, this morning, i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others in addition to my duties in the house.

i have other such meetings later today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. before christmas, i received nearly 1000 letters from people who have children in secondary school and exeter. each letter strongly advocated support to the mental health challenges young people face, and committed to improving local mental health services to help young people build the resilience they need to live happy and healthy lives. however, mr. speaker, i know these challenges are not unique to my constituency and are being faced by children across our country. can the prime minister please outline what steps his government are taking to announce mental health support to our children nationwide? >> prime minister. p.m. starmer: thank you for raising a huge consent it -- concern in his constituency and all constituencies. far too many young people are not receiving the care that they

need. we will provide access to specialists, mental health professionals in every school, 800 staff or mental health services, and roll out young future hubs. >> davis. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my right honorable friend will understand the importance of my constituency and as a whole, with recent reports of foot and mouth outbreaks in germany and concerns being expressed a transmission for the united kingdom, will be prime minister ensure that how the government is on high alert, particularly at places of injury including airports where control can be lax. we must avoid the disaster that this can bring to u.k. farmers. p.m. starmer: thank you for this question. we will do whatever it takes, mr. speaker, to protect farmers

from hand, foot, and malcolm and that's why we've acted quickly about pigs and sheep from germany to protect farmers. we will not hesitate, mr. speaker, to restrict imports from the additional countries if the disease spreads could we will keep the situation under close and careful review. >> here is the opposition. >> mr. speaker, can i take this opportunity to welcome the release of hostages, including emily, from barbaric captivity? i also know that the thoughts of many will be with the southport killings. between 2009 and 2022, the oecd found children in england raise up in math, reading, and science. conservative government action means english now tops the western world at maths.

the prime minister's schools bill, which is being voted on committee this week, reverses the improvements that have happened. this bill is an act of vandalism. it's a cross party consensus -- it is wrecking a cross party consensus that has lasted for decades. why does the prime minister think so many school leaders are criticizing this bill? >> mr. speaker. p.m. starmer: -- in the first place to drive out. that is what it is about. also in that bill or important provisions for protecting children, including a provision to stop of users taking children out of school, a unique identifier for your whereabouts are all children are known. what does the opposition do? instructed all of them to vote against those measures. >> he did not even bother those

things on that bill, mr. speaker. you talk about safeguarding measures, that's not what the issue is. we have an example of where these reforms were not introduced, wales, which have been under labor consultant for two decades. welsh has tumbled down. poor children in england now do better than wealthier children in wales. this bill denies children the guarantee that their stay in school will be turned into a better academy. it is an attack on excellence, it is an attack on higher standards, it is an attack on aspirations. this bill is the work of socialism, mr. speaker, and it deprives children in england who will pay the price. p.m. starmer: we've introduced

the cabinet. we are committed to them. we are driving it as well. this bill is important, because it also sets up breakfast clubs for the very children who come here. it limits the expense of school uniforms, and it was in place protections for children. you have to ask yourself the question, why do you vote against child protection measures? >> mr. speaker, the prime minister thinks he can distract people from what is wrong with this bill. this is not about breakfast clubs and school uniforms. teachers and parents will be horrified by just how bad this bill is. even his own mp's may not realize it, but the bill will cut teachers pay. because pay for 20,000 teachers. his education secretary said there is not a ceiling, they are all shaking their heads. they clearly have not read the bill.

he has not read the bill, either, because because 45, clause 45 means teacher pay will be cut. this the prime minister knows that the bill as it stands will cut teachers pay. p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, we do need flexibility in our schools. if she pops on social media for a while, she will see the amendment we put down to achieve that end. this bill talks about child -- we had a young child killed who was taken out of a school by an abuser. this bill closes that gap. that is urgently needed. we have children who have not gone back to school since covid. this bill closes that gap. she can make it a point on academies, we can debate academies, but to vote against the bill is a disgrace on all of

them. >> settle down. >> this is nonsense, mr. speaker, and the amendment he talks about is not address this issue. he raises academies. that's exactly what i'm talking about. like every other parent, i believe all our children should have the best teachers. apart from cutting their pay, listen to what the head of 11, mr. speaker, the most successful school in the country, came from the armed forces. the headmistress says that with labour's new rules, she never would have been able to hire him. this bill would have blocked that veteran from teaching. the bill implies that they are not sufficiently qualified to teach biology, that olympic medalists cannot teach p.e. why is the prime minister closing down routes into teaching when he should be opening up more? p.m. starmer: she knows that is

not right. look at the provisions in the bill, but to say that to qualified teachers in our school should not be extraordinary or opposed it we have far too many examples of secondary schools under their watch of teachers missing when we needed mask teachers. they championed masks. we did not have enough mask teachers. i want every single child to have the best possible education. >> the facts speak for themselves. the standards went up under conservative government. what we need to know is who is benefiting, mr. speaker, everyone is asking who is benefiting from these speakers. it's not teachers. their pay is being capped. it is not apparent. their choices are being restricted. it is definitely not children. their outcomes will get worse.

so who is benefiting? it's the trade unions, the national education union, the national education union set out a tick list, proving that after a decade and a half, they are finally getting their way. why is the education secretary allowing trade unions to run her department and ruin children's education? p.m. starmer: the bill benefits the children who need the nourishment of a breakfast club. the bill benefits the families that cannot afford uniforms. the bill benefits the children who are currently out of school, and nobody knows who they are. the bill benefits the children who could be taken out of school by abusers if this bill does not go through. change her mind and support these vital provisions. >> the prime minister needs to

get out more and speak to schools. i was at the academy just this month, and what are they saying? that this bill reverses two decades of progress, and closing labour's new -- imposing labour 's new curriculum on every school, excluding talented outsiders, the pro shop is back, this is pure educational vandalism, and alongside these attacks, removing judgment so parents cannot see the standards. it is the same old labour. bad outcomes for all children, excellent for none. mr. speaker i know what it is like to go to a school that did not care about standards. it is a tragedy in the making. the children in this bill were not in their election manifesto, isn't that because she knew parents and teachers would reject them.

p.m. starmer: parents and children know we are for standards. we are committed to them. they are part of the future. we will continue to focus on standards. she talks about settle, she's got to know they have asked me questions, these prime minister's questions about the appalling situation of special needs under their watch. we are going to fix that mess like we are fixing every other one! >> thank you, mr. speaker. parents should feel confident that when their child is sick, they should take them to the local hospital to treat them as soon as possible. last year when my son was having difficulty breathing, like many parents, i cannot take them to the alexandria hospital, as pediatrics had temporarily closed and never been reinstated. with the prime minister agreed to meet with me to explore ways to enable local integrated care boards to reinstate critical services? p.m. starmer: well, i thank you

for raising this important issue, and i know he has campaigned on and after a very long time. we have a record 25 billion pound investment into nhs as part of that plan for change from a building for the future means places like greenwich will see no waiting list and services that serve their needs. i will ensure we get a meeting with a relevant minister to discuss the issues. >> speaker of the liberal democrats, red davis. mp. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. can i echo the remarks about the southport killings? can i particularly joined him about many letters of the family, let's hope that all the hostages are released as soon as possible, and the cease fire continues. mr. speaker, last week, i urged the prime minister to speed up the social care commission, so

we can get the changes implemented this year. the very next day, the chair of the social care condition would also go to chair another important inquiry. the job is so enormous that it is not possible to keep it within two years, yet he also says that the chair of that commission has enough free time over the next three months to chair another inquiry. can the prime minister explain how both of these things can be true? p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, well played to conduct the audit into grooming given her hard-hitting report on exploitation. it does not invade the issue. it does not impact her work. the push begins in april. as he knows, that report, the first of that report will report

next year, so it can deliver recommendations as we receive them, and he knows already and introduced an agreement of providing more money for the social care funding, putting up the allowance. so we are already taking steps. there is a two-part report. we will act on the recommendations as they arrive, but this needs to be done properly. >> sir ed davey. mp davey: it is urgent, it is going to keep coming back to this and holding him to account. turning now to the united states. can the prime minister guarantee that he will not sell out britain's fantastic farmers to donald trump in a trade deal that undermines our high food and animal welfare standards in the way that conservatives sold them out in the australia and new zealand deals? p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, we will work with the u.s., we will work with other -- other

countries, but we will never lower our standards. >> mr. speaker, thousands of my constituents have had to put up with years of misery because of unsafe fire protection in their own homes, developers dragging their feet and leaseholders having to foot the bill for mistakes they didn't make. does the prime minister agree that enough is enough and it is time for developers to make all home safe, and will he reassure leaseholders about their homes in good faith that this government has their back? p.m. starmer: i thank you for raising this important issue. too many buildings are still unsafe and the speed of delivery has been far too slow. our action plan will fix them faster. my message, mr. speaker, is clear. the funding is there to fix this and there's no excuse not to deliver for residents. >> thank you, mr. speaker. expanding london's airports and

building a third runway at heathrow would be incredibly irresponsible in the midst of a climate emergency, flying in the face of the climate change committee's advice. the prime minister clearly knows is because he and seven cabinet colleagues voted against the third runway at heathrow in 2018. so can the prime minister confirm what is his position now? >> mr. speaker, i'm not going to comment on speculation. he knows that as a government we are committed to growth, we are committed to the aviation sector and to our lyman obligations. but i'm not going to take lectures from those who talk about climate change but oppose vital renewable infrastructure in our own constituency. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in swindon north we have the pennington park development, it's one of the largest employment development in europe and it's got massive potential for growth.

will the prime minister joined me in acknowledging the site or boosting economic growth in not only my region but the country, and really come and visit with me? p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, at the heart of our plan for changes growth. to find our public services, create good jobs and raise living standards across the country. he's right to champion one of the largest brownfield sites in the u.k. which could create over 11,000 jobs on the site and add 1.2 billion pounds to the economy. it underlines the importance of the government, bringing economic stability, creating the national wealth fun and driving up growth. >> recently the prime minister visited epsom hospital where committed to not just paving over the crack's in the nhs after years of conservative lives, yet on monday has government confirmed that our hospital -- will the development

-- people will die and hs staff -- nhs staff will break. so ask the prime minister, willie apologize to my constituents as the way for years for a hospital building, and really visit in-hospital -- the hospital with me to witness firsthand the dire situation our residents face? p.m. starmer: mr. speaker, he is right to raise the concerns of his constituents and i'm not surprised that they're frustrated or even angry at the lack of delivery under the previous government. let me read the infrastructure and project authorities verdict of what we inherited. this is their words. there are major issues. >> mr. phil, i expect better from the front bench and i'm sure you going to show better. >> the verdict on the plan he is talking about was this.

major issues -- this is the record -- they should be chuckling. nature issues of the definition, the schedule, the budget, the quality, and the deliver. it was a fiction, always was. >> think you mr. speaker. alongside greater manchester mps, i recently met constituents who share distressing accounts of malpractice by a spinal sergeant affecting many across the region. they have formed an injured staff and patient group but despite a review, they feel justice hasn't been served and the hospital trust is yet to conduct a full patient recall. will the prime minister arrange a meeting with the group and develop -- and the relevant ministers who to help them get the justice that they deserve? p.m. starmer: thank you for raising this awful case and the stories and accounts that she puts forward our heartbreaking and deeply concerning. and i will make sure that she and the group receive a meeting

with the relevant health minister at the earliest opportunity. >> when it comes to his budget, which raised taxes, raise borrowing, and raise public spending as a strategy for economic growth, when is the prime minister going to accept the words of the labour prime minister in the 1970's who explained to a labor conference that it all candor, that option no longer exist, and that the only way to attain sustained economic growth will be by cutting taxes and cutting regulation? p.m. starmer: he must of missed recent reports. the owen has just said we had the highest investment for 19 years. the peta bc have just said this is the second best place to invest in the world.

the imf just upgraded growth so were predicted to be the fastest growing major european economy. wages are up and inflations down. that's after just six months. >> think you, mr. speaker. kettering general hospital is where i was born and cared for as a premature baby but after 14 years of the conservatives underfunding the nhs, the same maternity ward is partially closed and after giving birth, mothers are transported outside through the car park to receive postnatal care. will the prime minister visit kettering general to discuss how we can support services like the maternity ward while we await our rebuild? p.m. starmer: she has been determined champion of kettering general hospital and rightly so. there are dangers about the delay to the work because that the failure to have a plan on the party opposite. while we implement are affordable and deliverable plan to build a new hospital, i can

reassure her that the wreck identified it kettering general is being mitigated and replaced through national rack program. >> before christmas, lord robinson -- lord robertson came before the defense select committee and told us he could not guarantee that the strategic outcomes from the review would be fully funded. recently we parted media reports that the -- review might be delayed until the autumn, which is a delay of six months. will the prime minister take this opportunity to state categorically to the house that the strategic defense review with its important requirements for the defense of our nation will be fully funded and delivered on time? p.m. starmer: of course we are committed to that because this is a serious review into our defense and we need to make sure we understand the charges -- challenges we face and have the capability to deal with those challenges in the modern era. so that's the exercise that is going through.

we've committed to the path to 2.5%. as he knows, the last time 2.5% was spent on defense was under the last labor government. that is a difference between the approach on this side of the house and the approach on that side of the house. >> will the prime minister join me in paying tribute to nhs staff at my local hospital and will he ensure that the nhs learns from the innovative approaches such as the use of ai for scans and its partnership with woodville university's national health innovation campus, and canals invite him to come and see the transformative work being done? p.m. starmer: can i thank her because the achievements of the hard-working staff have proved that you can bring down waiting times and plan for change. it's important we are applying the best practice and innovation across the nhs.

we must do more. we inherited record waiting lists and we are now bringing them down. >> andrew snowden. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. in what is supposed to be a honeymoon period for new government, the prime minister has sacked his chief of staff and forced his sitting minister of transport secretary to resign while number 10 has been briefing against the pension secretary, home secretary, and education secretary. is it not time that the prime minister excepts at the root causes at the heart of this government all with him, not them? p.m. starmer: we've just got a landslide victory and we got a massive majority. getting on with the job. mr. speaker, i don't think we saw -- look at the sheer number of ministers that they got through on a yearly basis, causing instability in every

conceivable department. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in 2016, i was diagnosed with colon cancer and had excellent treatment at hatfield royal infirmary. i was one of the lucky ones. as a tory government failed in the fight against cancer with over 380,000 patients in england not treated on time. what assurance can the prime minister offer coal valley residents that the reforms and extra investment he's announced will address this issue? p.m. starmer: can i start by wishing him a speedy recovery from his recent treatment, and thank the doctors and nurses who treated him. under the previous government, there was no progress made in diagnosing cancer at stage one and two between 2013 and 2021. that is an appalling inheritance. we're spending 1.5 booth impounds on new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to

ensure cancer patients get the care that they need. thank you. >> mr. speaker, eating disorders are the mental health disorder with the highest mortality rate privy we have one point to at least. some are being told there now too ill to be treated, yet eating disorders are entirely treatable. today the eating disorder apg is publishing his report on how to make eating disorder services fit for purpose. canasta prime minister to pay very close attention to that report? p.m. starmer: can i start by recognizing her dedicated work and campaigning on this issue for many years. nhs england is expanding eating disorder treatment services including crisis care and intensive home treatment and as she knows, the online safety act will prevent children from encountering harmful product content that promotes eating disorders to services. we will look very carefully at the report that is being published and consider its recommendations.

>> in the past few days luton has suffered two stabbings as well as one woman murdered, another seriously injured, and a manhunt is currently underway for the suspect. this january along come there has been at least 12 reported violent offenses in luton, after decades of being funded as a rural police force, bedfordshire has had to make do with special grants to tackles serious and violent crime. does a prime minister agree that proper police funding is essential for keeping people in luton north safe and will he ensure bedford police receive the grants we need to fight crime on our streets? p.m. starmer: the fact that they're raising this case, she and i have met far too many families devastated by the senseless violence. we are taking urgent action to ban zombie style knives and regulate online sale of nice. it is unacceptable that these

murder weapons can be bought with two clicks. technology is there to stop it and were going to take action. on the resources, or putting an additional 13,000 police into neighborhood roles in allocating 85 million pounds to bedfordshire police and funding to keep our constituents safe. >> mr. speaker, may associate with my remarks from the prime minister regarding the cease-fire in the release of hostages and let's all pray that the remaining hostages on both sides are released as soon as possible. since the cease-fire in gaza came into effect, israeli forces have placed all of the west bank under strict military inspection as part of the armed wall operation. the idf has launched a large offensive operation in the city of june in with numerous drone strikes and at least nine people have been killed by known israeli forces and 40 people injured including several

health-care workers. what steps is a government taking to urgently protect palestinians including health-care workers enter prevent atrocities in the west bank, and will he outline the uk's response to the icj advisory opinion on israel's unlawful occupation? p.m. starmer: i'm deeply concerned by what's happening in the west bank and we raised it a number of times in the various exchanges. i'm deeply concerned and were doing everything we can to alleviate the situation. >> tamworth castle boasting on thousand years of history was recently added to the heritage i risk register following my campaign about its future. despite needing repairs, he provides a unique and valuable learning environment, welcoming both the public in schools to learn about tamworth rich history. will the prime minister come and visit tamworth castle to see how an 11th-century castle is providing 21st century learning opportunities while promoting local heritage? p.m. starmer: can i thank her

for her kind invitation. i particularly enjoyed tamworth's recent her broke against tottenham, albeit they didn't quite win. mr. speaker, we are committed to protecting our most vulnerable heritage and i know historic inland is working with tamworth bar counsel to -- preserve this local treasure for future generations. it's particularly important to continue school visit programs to give every child the best opportunities in life. >> across england there are 95,000 students who attend non-catamites six form colleges. of those colleges, 32 are currently on strike because the government didn't settle the funding for them back in last summer. i wonder, could the prime minister tell me whether he intended to create a two-tier education system six form students who are the victims of the covid crisis?

p.m. starmer: we have put more money into colleges and it's really for them to deal with these disputes, as she knows. >> thank you, mr. speaker. from stafford to loggerheads, my constituents are sick and tired of having their properties and businesses devastated by flooding. the last conservative government did not invest enough in flood prevention measures to stop this from happening. can the prime minister is sure me and my constituents that he will prioritize led prevention investment for the homes and businesses on standen road in stafford disappear completely into sandiford brook? p.m. starmer: my sympathies go to her constituents. far too many are experiencing terrible flooding and i visited there last year and met with them and they took me through the misery of their experience. we inherited flood defenses in the worst condition on record. we are now investing 2.4 million

pounds in flood defenses to better protect communities and committed 60 million pounds to support farmers impacted by the extreme weather. >> rebecca smith. >> two your mortgages have hit 5%, borrowing is million forecast, retail sales have slumped. does a prime minister still believe the chancellor is doing a good job? p.m. starmer: i thought she was just reading out there last record. >> final question. >> thank you, mr. speaker. before the last election, the conservatives baselessly promised a fully funded scheme to deliver a new watford hospital, something they have failed to achieve in 14 years. does the prime minister share my frustration and that of my constituents that they unforgivably failed to budget for its construction and watford

will only get its new hospital built and paid for thanks to the properly planned approach of this labor government? p.m. starmer: i'm not surprised his constituents are frustrated. there was never a plan. the funding only ever existed in boris johnson's imagination. it was pure fiction, and they know it. we have an affordable and delivery plan to build these new hospitals and that includes watford general. >>