Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Grahame Morris

Wednesday 3rd July 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

First, we are very disappointed with Japan’s decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and restart commercial whaling. I have raised my concerns personally with Prime Minister Abe—I did that earlier this year. My right hon. Friend the Environment Secretary has written to his Japanese counterpart on this matter. We will continue to work with the Japanese Government to engage with them and raise our concerns at every level, and we urge them to rethink their decision.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

Q15. The Prime Minister will be aware that the Treasury has taken £4.4 billion from the mineworkers’ pension funds, and she may also be aware of the debate in the House in which support was expressed for a review of the existing pension surplus sharing arrangements. Will she please commission a review of those arrangements? Let us have some justice for the retired miners and their widows.

[The Prime Minister]

Agreements have been reached on the sharing arrangements. Of course, we all have concerns about pensions and the continuing ability of pension funds to provide for pensioners, but one of the biggest challenges to pension funds—one of the biggest hits on pension funds—came when the previous Labour Government took £100 billion out of them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Grahame Morris

Wednesday 16th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My right hon. and learned Friend started by saying that there are a considerable number of views across this House. It is precisely because of that that we will be undertaking the discussions with parliamentarians that I said last night would happen. He talks about the possible extension of article 50. Of course, article 50 cannot be extended by the UK; it has to be extended in consultation and agreement with the European Union. The Government’s policy is that we are leaving the European Union on 29 March. The EU would extend article 50 only if it was clear that there was a plan that was moving toward an agreed deal. The crucial element of ensuring that we deliver on Brexit is being able to get the agreement of this House to the deal that will deliver on the referendum result, lead to the UK leaving the European Union, and recognise what lay behind people voting to leave.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

Q5. In my constituency, there are colliery rows standing derelict in the villages of Easington Colliery, Horden and Blackhall. They are characterised by low demand and high void rates. Many are not fit for human habitation. They are neglected by absentee landlords and a magnet for antisocial behaviour and crime. Will the Prime Minister commit to providing the funding required for the housing masterplan developed by Durham County Council to fix these issues? If she cannot do that, will she please get out of the way and call a general election and let us have a Labour Government who will address them?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Grahame Morris

Wednesday 19th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I recognise the concern that my hon. Friend has expressed about this issue. The question of land reform was one I raised with President Ramaphosa when I visited South Africa in August. We recognise the concern there is and the need there is for land reform, but President Ramaphosa has consistently stated that violent and illegal land seizures will not be tolerated and that the process should be orderly within South African laws and take into consideration both the social and economic impact. We want to see a process that is fair and, while it recognises the need to deliver on land reform, does that in a way that is fair to all South African citizens.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

Q2. It is only a few short months since the Prime Minister promised us an end to austerity. So why, at a time when demands on council resources in deprived areas such as mine are increasing and health inequalities are widening, does she believe it is right to cut the public health budget for County Durham by £19 million and increase the public health budget in affluent Surrey by £14 million?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Grahame Morris

Wednesday 10th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right that we need to continue to look at the national health service and ensure that we continue to improve its performance in a variety of areas. The independent Commonwealth Fund has been clear that the national health service is the best healthcare system in the world, and that it is better than systems such as those in Germany, France and the other countries I listed earlier, but of course we need to look at what more we can do. That is why we are putting more funding into and looking at the better integration of health and social care on the ground. It is about making sure that we are making a change and doing that integration now, because that is when it is going to make a difference to people.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

Q8. The Prime Minister said that she had reshuffled her Ministers so that they look more like the country they seek to represent. I am not sure about that, but in that spirit, will she acknowledge the massive problems in the private rented sector with absentee private landlords? Will she commit to come to visit Easington to gain her own appreciation of the scale of the problems that face many working-class communities? In the spirit of good will, will she support and give free passage to the Bill on homes fit for habitation that my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster North (Ms Buck) is promoting?

[The Prime Minister]

I have many fond memories of the time I spent in the north-east when I was a candidate up there. We do need to ensure that we have a good private rented sector in this country, but the one set of policies that would damage the private rented sector are the policies put forward by the Leader of the Opposition.