Live Debate: Commons Chamber

Q7. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement on Welsh farmers. (908014)

Here we go. Minister. are working closely with the Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure Welsh farmers benefit from reduced costs and bureaucracy when exporting their produce to the EU.

12:00

Anna McMorrin MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Cardiff North, Labour)

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Ben Lake speaker. Doctor Amanda. >> Gibson. >> And a team of scientists at Aberystwyth University, a leading research into how the BCG vaccine might be used to help control might be used to help control tuberculosis in cattle. I know the Minister will agree that this is essential work, but could she help ensure that the research is also considered as part of the UK's negotiations with the EU, so we can ensure that we don't have a choice ensure that we don't have a choice between animal health and export? Yes Minister.

12:01

Ben Lake MP (Ceredigion Preseli, Plaid Cymru)

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I was at Aberystwyth University just a few weeks ago. They are doing some excellent work and it's fantastic. They're leading the way on a vaccine for TB in cattle. I know how devastating the impact of TB can be on farms and on cattle. We've begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement. He wouldn't expect me to comment on those negotiations, but I will raise his negotiations, but I will raise his question and these issues with the relevant colleagues.

12:01

Anna McMorrin MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Cardiff North, Labour)

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No question. our recent trade deals with the EU, the UK, India and South Korea will reduce bureaucracy whilst giving us significant benefits to our constituents to these markets. Can my hon. Friend outline what other benefits and other agreements we can see we will benefit from in the near future?

12:01

Mr Alex Barros-Curtis MP (Cardiff West, Labour)

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Shipley this. prioritising deals that deliver real impact for Wales and businesses right across Wales and the rest of the country. This is only possible because this Labour government has achieved economic government has achieved economic stability, repaired our reputation on the world stage after the Tories opposite made a complete mockery of it.

12:02

Anna McMorrin MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Cardiff North, Labour)

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Well before I come to Prime Minister's Questions.

12:02

Speaker's statement Mr Speaker

And in light of recent exchanges in the chamber, I'd like to remind members of the need for good temper and moderation in the language that they use in this. Chamber. As speaker. As speaker, I am not responsible for the specific questions asked by individual members or for the answer given by Ministers. So I encourage all members to engage in respectful debate as our constituents would expect. We now come to Prime Minister's Questions Josh Fenton-Glynn.

12:03

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Number one, please, Mr. Speaker. >> Prime Minister. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The situation in the Middle East remains serious and volatile. This government will be resolute in our government will be resolute in our focus, protecting British lives, bringing our people home and safeguarding our national interest. Mr. speaker, today my thoughts are with the family and friends of Sarah Everard on this very painful anniversary. Five years ago, I said her death had to be a turning point and this government is committed to halving violence against women and girls.

We are acting in our schools, our police forces, online and offline to keep women and girls safe, to prevent boys and men becoming abusers and supporting victims, to get justice and closure. Mr. speaker, this morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House. I shall have further such meetings later today.

12:04

Josh Fenton-Glynn MP (Calder Valley, Labour)

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Josh Fenton-Glynn thank you, Mr. >> Josh Fenton-Glynn thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to echo the Prime Minister's comments on Sarah Everard and the situation in the Middle East. From the sound mixing Middle East. From the sound mixing desks made by Calrec in Hebden Bridge to the which brought the world's Winter Olympics coverage to world's Winter Olympics coverage to the valves made by Blackhall Engineering in Brighouse, which bring water to New York City. Calder Valley specialist manufacturing is recognised the world over.

It brings good jobs and sustainable work, but with one third of engineers over 60, the last government left our manufacturing workforce facing an existential crisis. Will the Prime Minister please work with me to make sure that the new Growth and Skills Levy will support good quality manufacturing jobs in country?

12:04

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Minister. >> Well, my hon. Friend is right to champion brilliant manufacturers. Our modern industrial strategy is driving up standards, investment, driving up standards, investment, jobs and growth and our growth and skills levy ensures we have the skills we need, supporting more skills we need, supporting more short courses in critical sectors including engineering. We are investing over £700 million to support thousands more young people into apprenticeships. In stark contrast to the 40% fall in apprenticeships starts under the party opposite.

12:05

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition. >> Mr. speaker, can I pay tribute to our brave servicemen and women in the Middle East during this very in the Middle East during this very difficult period? Our bases in Cyprus and Bahrain have now been attacked. The US has taken offensive action to destroy missile launch sites to defend British territory. Why will the Prime Minister not allow the RAF to do the same?

12:05

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Prime Minister. this is obviously an extremely serious situation, and I know, I know the whole country, the whole know the whole country, the whole country is worried about the potential for escalation. They're worried about the impact on their lives, particularly when they see what's happening with energy. The family and friends of those who are caught in the region will be worried sick about them. And of course, we've got civilians and military personnel risk in the region. We need to act, therefore, with clarity, with purpose and with a cool head.

The protection, the protection of UK nationals is our number one priority and we're taking action to reduce the threat. With planes in the sky in the region, intercepting incoming strikes, deploying more capability to Cyprus and allowing US planes to use UK bases to take out Iran's capability to strike. What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war, unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable thought through plan.

That remains my position.

12:07

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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Kemi Badenoch that wasn't the question I asked him. Nobody wants to see an escalation. The fact is. to see an escalation. The fact is. Yeah. Yes. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, our bases, in case they don't realise, our bases have already been attacked. Iran is trying to kill our servicemen and women. He is catching arrows rather than stopping the archer. That's what we're talking about. Why is he asking our allies to do what we should be doing ourselves? We are, I would say to Labour MPs, we are in this war, whether they like it or not.

What is the Prime Minister waiting for?

12:07

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Prime Minister? >> Prime Minister? >> Mr. speaker, let me give a little more detail, because for a number of weeks now, we've been redeploying our capabilities to the redeploying our capabilities to the region. It in doing so. In doing so, we've been liaising very closely with the United States as the House would have expected. Therefore, radar systems were pre-deployed. Ground based air defence was pre-deployed, Counter-drone systems were pre-deployed and F-35 jets were pre-deployed. Mr. speaker, that is why since Saturday morning, multiple F-35s and typhoons have been in operation, not just in the Middle East but across Cyprus.

Further missions were flown overnight. Typhoons defending in particular Qatar, and F-35s defending other regional parties with resupplying our air defence missiles. Today, Wildcat helicopters with Anti-drone capabilities will be in Cyprus this week and HMS Dragon will be deployed to the Mediterranean. And of course, in agreement with the US, they're using our bases to conduct the operations to strike Iranian missiles and launchers. Mr. speaker, that is the action that we are taking. That is the agreement that we've reached with the United States to protect our nationals.

12:09

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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12:11

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Philp, you've moved from there to there. You're even louder here. So I think twice, Prime Minister. >> Not only did they cut the defence Budget, they missed Army recruitment targets every year for 14 years. They left morale in our armed forces an all time low and our forces hollowed out. That's the words of Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary. Labour, by contrast, is delivering the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War. £270 billion over this parliament.

And we're doing that because we are focussed on what matters. And she's right. The war is of course happening now. We have to focus on that. Across the country, people are worried about those that are trapped in the region. Mr. speaker, that is why we are taking action and I can update the House. I can update the House that yesterday, more than 1000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the UAE. A further eight flights are due to leave the UAE to the UK today.

I can confirm, Mr. Speaker, that the first charter flight is expected to leave Oman later today and two more will come in the coming days. I can the country really does want to know this.

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I'm sorry.

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I'm sorry. Family and friends are worried sick about people who are. Caught out.

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Caught out. I will not be put off. I can announce, Mr. Speaker, we will lay on additional charter flights in on additional charter flights in coming days. British Airways are now laying on an extra flight from Oman, and the Foreign Secretary Oman, and the Foreign Secretary will have further discussions today. And can I urge all those in the House who have constituents who are caught in this to make sure that they do register their presence so that we can do whatever we can to help them get home safely.

12:13

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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Kemi Badenoch Mr. speaker, I wasn't asking about evacuations. I was asking about defence spending. He needs to focus on the question He needs to focus on the question he's being asked, not the statement that was prepared in the bunker. He stands there. He stands there telling us that he's spending more money on defence. They're saying it. No, no he isn't. In fact, they are cutting defence spending by £2.6 billion from the Mod Budget this year. And that's why there are no Royal Navy warships in the Middle East.

Mr. speaker, in June last year, in June last year, he should ask his he should ask his defence secretary for the numbers, because that is what's happening in June last year. Mr. speaker, the government promised that its plan for funding our armed forces would be ready by autumn. In autumn, they promised it would be ready by the end of 2025. It is March 2026 and still nothing. So can the Prime

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Minister tell the House when his defence investment plan will finally be published. Prime Minister?

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Prime Minister? Well, I'm sorry, she's not interested in how people caught in the region are going to get home.

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the region are going to get home. Exactly, exactly. I think for the vast majority of

12:14

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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>> I think for the vast majority of people watching this PMQs, that will be the single most important thing on their mind. They cut thing on their mind. They cut defence spending, we're increasing defence spending and we're doing that, Mr. Speaker, because we've stabilised the economy. Yesterday the Chancellor announced inflation was down, interest rates down, borrowing down, debt down, investment living standards growth up. Now, I know the Leader of the Opposition doesn't understand that. The shadow Chancellor clearly doesn't understand that.

Although I do have to thank him that in what's been a very difficult week, he provided some excellent unintended stand up comedy. In his response to the Chancellor yesterday.

12:15

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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Kemi Badenoch Mr. speaker, he doesn't want to talk about the doesn't want to talk about the defence investment plan because he doesn't know. He doesn't know what is going on on any policy. So he is going on on any policy. So he reads statements that are pre-prepared irrespective of the question, and the whole country can speak to it. The truth is that because they spent money on welfare, there is no defence investment plan because there is no defence investment plan, they are not ordering enough missiles.

The fact is that this crisis goes beyond defence spending. They can chant as much as they like. They are pathetic spending money on welfare instead of defence spending. Sorry, sorry, Mr. Speaker. Mr. speaker, they're not just pathetic. They are all so weak. This crisis goes beyond defence spending. It is also about the cost of living. This war is interrupting the supply of oil and gas that is driving up the cost of petrol and making it more expensive to heat our homes.

Yet he is stopping drilling in the North Sea while importing the same oil and gas from Norway. Does he think that at a time of geopolitical crisis, it makes sense to kill our oil and gas industry and give up that ready supply of energy?

12:16

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Well, the question of the energy supply right now is a serious question. We are doing all we can question. We are doing all we can with allies to make sure that that is preserved. And it's vital that is preserved. And it's vital that we keep trade flowing through the Straits of Hormuz. Mr. speaker, the Energy Secretary met the International Energy Agency yesterday, and the Chancellor is meeting oil and gas companies today. We're keeping we're keeping in close contact with our allies and key industry players.

Again, I think the country wants to know what we're doing now in relation to what's happening in coming days. Mr. speaker, oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for many years to come. But if. You if Ukraine and the last few days have taught us anything, it is that all the time we are on the international market, we are vulnerable to these changes. That is why renewable energy, where we have our independence and security, would take us off those markets and give us the security that we need.

12:17

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP (North West Essex, Conservative)

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12:19

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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the national interest and show that they're fit to be Prime Minister, or they can expose their utter

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irrelevance. She has.

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Chosen the second. Uma Kumaran. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership and his call on the situation in Iran? East the situation in Iran? East Hampshire Prime Minister the leasehold system is legalised extortion. Last week I met with

12:20

Uma Kumaran MP (Stratford and Bow, Labour)

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dozens of my constituents, their leaseholders and their tenants residents associations. They're all telling me the same story every single month. They're paying hundreds of pounds while their service charges keep skyrocketing. They're trapped between bad managing agents and a system that is broken. Can the Prime Minister tell me what this Labour government is doing to right this wrong once and for all?

12:20

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Prime Minister, my hon. Friend has been fighting for her has been fighting for her constituents and holding management companies to account. Our reform bill will end the broken, outdated leasehold system and make the dream of home ownership real. Mr. speaker, we are capping ground rents, delivering transparency on service charges and scrapping the presumption that leaseholders pay landlords legal costs. Our focus is on saving people money and giving them more control of their home and creating a fairer housing system.

12:20

Rt Hon Ed Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)

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Sir Ed Davey, leader of the >> Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I associate myself with the Prime associate myself with the Prime Minister's remarks on Sarah Everard and the need to do far more to tackle violence against women and tackle violence against women and girls? And can I also associate myself with the Prime Minister's remarks on Iran? As we rightly debate how to make tax exiles pay their fair share, it is absolutely right that the government does everything it can to get all British citizens to safety.

Mr. speaker, experts are warning that families could see their energy bills rise by £500 a year as a result of Trump's illegal war. But millions of families and pensioners are already struggling to keep their heads above water, thanks to years of a cost of living crisis. When Putin invaded Ukraine, he and I campaigned for months to get the Conservatives to act on energy bills. This time, will the Prime Minister save families that anxiety and give a cast iron guarantee today that he will not let energy bills rise by £500 this year?

12:22

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Prime Minister. Because I know this will be a concern to the public who are watching what's going on and very concerned about the impact it will have on their lives. It is important that I emphasise the actions we have been taking urgently this week with our allies, with the energy agencies across the world and the work we're doing to ensure the safe passage for energy across the world. We will continue to do that. I was glad that we were able to bring energy bills down by £150, announced just the other day.

We will keep a very close eye on this. I do know how important it is for the British public.

12:22

Rt Hon Ed Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)

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Sir Ed Davey. >> Well, I think the Prime Minister for his reply, but I hope he will act if energy bills do go up by £500, Mr. speaker. Donald Trump's £500, Mr. speaker. Donald Trump's war on Iran has not only brought more chaos across the Middle East, it has increased the threat to our national security here at home. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has previously plotted several failed terrorist attacks in the UK, targeting Iranian journalists, British Jews and members of this House.

Now they are more desperate and dangerous than ever. We've called for the IRGC to be prescribed as terrorists for years. The last government failed to do it, and so has his. So will the Prime Minister. Table emergency legislation to better protect our country from Iranian terrorists. Will he do it this week?

12:23

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Prime Minister. raising this. It is very important, I say to the House that as he would and the House would expect, we are working 24 over seven on dealing working 24 over seven on dealing with any threats to this country. And I spoke on Monday about the 20 Iran backed threats that we had successfully dealt with. And we continue to do so, and we're working on it 24 over seven. So it's important that I say that in relation to the IRGC, obviously, we've put in place a number of sanctions already.

We don't comment on prescription, but we have made the case that there needs to be legislation to deal with state backed terrorist groups, and we're looking into that.

12:24

Sam Rushworth MP (Bishop Auckland, Labour)

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Sam Rushworth thank you, Mr. Speaker. >> Global cost of. >> Oil and gas has the risk of pushing up food and energy prices, pushing up food and energy prices, which is a real concern for my constituents in Bishop Auckland, just as we're turning a corner on the cost of living crisis, doesn't this show the importance of ignoring the parties opposite and investing in secure renewable energy that we control, and backing our farmers to produce the food for our nation, such as those that I'm hosting here today from County Durham? Mr.

speaker, and will the Prime Minister ensure that both energy and food security are a core mission of this Labour government? Prime Minister.

12:25

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Well, energy security is >> Well, energy security is critical to food security, and the sprint to clean energy is the only way to get off the volatile way to get off the volatile international fossil fuel markets, cut bills and deliver energy security. Mr. speaker, since we came into office, over £90 billion of investment into clean energy industry has come in powering millions of homes. Tories and reformers throw all that away and cling to the failed policy that put everyone's bills up throughout their reign.

12:25

Rt Hon Gavin Robinson MP (Belfast East, Democratic Unionist Party)

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Gavin Robinson Mr. speaker, can >> Gavin Robinson Mr. speaker, can I associate myself and my colleagues with the Prime Minister and his remarks around Sarah and his remarks around Sarah Everard and Iran? Mr. speaker, my colleagues and I support our armed colleagues and I support our armed forces, but we lament how diminished the UK appears over the last week amongst our allies and within the Middle East. The Prime Minister is not responsible for our armed forces being able to squeeze into Wembley Park and to Ibrox, but he is responsible for our posture.

He is responsible for ignoring the request to deploy a type 45 destroyer two weeks ago into the region, and we now learn that HMS Dragon will not leave, hasn't left and won't be in to defend Cyprus for over a week. Will the Prime Minister understand that I welcome the commitment for increased defence spending? But if we're only planning to get to 2.5% by 2027, it's not enough. It needs to be reconsidered. He needs to go faster where others before him did not.

And he needs to take these steps not just for protection of our values across the world, but also for the protection of our consumers who are impacted by this conflict today.

12:26

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour)

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Minister. >> Minister. >> Well, he'd have had me set out what we did by way of pre-deployment, working in conjunction with and liaising with conjunction with and liaising with the US so that he understands the context in which those deployments were put in place. And I think they were put in place. And I think they speak for themselves as to why they were put in place in the places that they were in relation to defence spend. Obviously, we're increasing it to 2.6% of GDP.

That's £270 billion over the parliament. But as I said in the speech I gave in Munich just a couple of weeks ago, we're going to have to spend more and faster. After the years of underinvestment and troop cuts, that they were the ones that hollowed this out. They were the ones that reduced the size of the army. They were the ones that didn't spend what was necessary on defence. Like everything else, they left in such a mess. We're clearing it up through our strategic Defence review.

We'll make Britain safer.

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