Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Wednesday 13th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I recognise my hon. Friend’s comments from the doorstep, and I know that he is an assiduous Member who listens to his constituents and brings their views to this Chamber. It is important that we have made more money available to police forces, and I am pleased to say that the number of people joining police forces as officers is at its highest level for 10 years. We made more money available to police forces—£970 million over the next year—although it is a sadness in this Chamber that the Labour party voted against it.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Q5. What has the Prime Minister got against towns in north Wales? In the week following the loss of a £20 billion Hitachi contract in the region, the Government announced the moving of 380 Wrexham tax office jobs to Liverpool and Cardiff city centre. Is it her view that towns across the UK should not have public sector jobs?

[The Prime Minister]

No it is not. On Hitachi and the Wylfa site, we offered a package of support that no previous Government had been willing to consider of one third equity, all-debt financing and a strike price of no more than £75 per MWh. Ultimately, we could not at that stage reach an agreement among all the parties, and Hitachi decided on a commercial basis to suspend the project, but it has made clear that it wishes to continue discussions with the Government on bringing forward new nuclear at Wylfa, and we will support those discussions.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Wednesday 16th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend has raised an important point. One of the things that the deal we put to Parliament last night did was protect those just-in-time supply chain models, and our position on their importance has not changed. As we look ahead to today’s vote, we should bear in mind that backing the Government today will enable us to find a way forward on Brexit and on the issues that, as my hon. Friend says, matter at home, to ensure that this country has the Government it needs to take that forward, deliver on the referendum and—as my hon. Friend says—protect not just the jobs of her constituents, but jobs throughout the country.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Q15. Wylfa nuclear power station is a £20 billion UK-Japan trade deal that is of vital importance to north Wales, to north-west England and to UK energy policy as a whole. Did the Prime Minister discuss its difficulties with the Prime Minister of Japan last week, and if not, why not?

[The Prime Minister]

We have been working with Hitachi and with the Government of Japan, and yes, I did raise the issue of the Wylfa site with the Prime Minister of Japan last week. Of course, the company involved will be making a commercial decision in relation to this matter. The Government have been in discussion with it for some time and have been providing support. We do want to see new nuclear as part of our energy mix in the future, but we must also ensure that the cost of any energy that is provided by nuclear is at a reasonable level for the consumer.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Wednesday 19th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend and indeed a number of others have raised this question of no deal and not wanting to have no deal. As I said earlier in answer to questions, there is a simple way to ensure that we do not leave with no deal, and that is to back the deal.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Q7. Motor neurone disease is terminal but, under this Government, people who are diagnosed with this dreadful disease have to prove that they have a reasonable expectation of death within six months, or go through a process of assessment. Will the Prime Minister show some empathy, show some compassion and take action with her new Secretary of State to end this dreadful state of affairs which she is presiding over?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important issue about people with motor neurone disease. I note his point and will inquire about these issues with the Department for Work and Pensions. I will look into the issue and respond to the hon. Gentleman in writing.

EU Exit Negotiations

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Thursday 15th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Just to give the hon. Lady an example of one of the issues that she raises, if she looks at the report that the Office for Budget Responsibility produced at the time of the Budget, she will see that it said, well understanding that we were leaving the European Union, that over the next few years 800,000 more jobs would be created.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

On the protocol on Northern Ireland, paragraph 4 of a note about the agreement contains the extraordinary statement that

“the parties should use their best endeavours to seek to facilitate trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”

What assurance does that give this House about the integrity of the United Kingdom?

[The Prime Minister]

We have been working and are very clear, on the issues we have developed, that there will continue to be that trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. I responded a little earlier to another hon. Member in relation to the impact of any regulatory requirements that there are as a result of the UK-EU-wide customs territory. I was also clear about the changes that we have brought about—on approvals, for example, for companies to be able to sell and have business between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was one of the commitments we gave in December, and it is a commitment that continues.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Wednesday 17th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend and the health and the local government Select Committees for their work on this important issue. It is important that we get social care on a sustainable footing for the future and alleviate the short-term pressures on both the social care and health systems. Obviously we have given more money to councils, but we will be publishing a Green Paper later this year setting out proposals for reform. It will look across the board at a number of proposals that have been put forward in this area, and we will certainly consider those put forward by the Committee.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Q4. Pensioners over 75 face having to find an extra £150.50 every year if current proposals to take away free TV licences come to fruition. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this policy, speak to the BBC and find a solution that does not pickpocket pensioners?

Syria

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Monday 16th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend speaks appropriately about the need to ensure, when one is looking at taking action, that that action can be effective, that nothing is done that reduces the effectiveness of that action, that the action is taken on the basis of intelligence—not all intelligence is able to be made available to everyone—and that we respect and recognise the need to maintain the security and safety of our armed forces personnel.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

When last week did the Prime Minister decide not to recall Parliament? Did she discuss that with the Cabinet on Thursday?

[The Prime Minister]

Of course we looked at the timetable for the action we were going to take. The Cabinet considered a number of matters when it met, and it was fully informed of all aspects of this decision.

UK Plans for Leaving the EU

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Monday 9th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is of course right that the EU has a number of trade agreements with countries around the world that enable those countries to deal with the single market on the basis set out in those agreements. As I have set out, we will honour our commitments—that is important for us as a country—and there are some areas, possibly in fields such as security and science, in which we will want to continue to be members of specific projects and programmes. If we do, it will be right that we pay an element of the costs of those projects and programmes. Those are the two elements that I have set out in our financial proposals.

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Has the EU agreed in principle to a transitional arrangement with the UK?

[The Prime Minister]

Having an implementation period will be part of the negotiations. The EU has previously referenced the possibility of there being such a period, but we need to negotiate the length of that period and its implementation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Ian C. Lucas

Wednesday 28th June 2017 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Southern rail passengers have been experiencing unacceptable delays and disruption to their service. An expert report has found that the main cause of widespread disruption was union action, so I say, “For the sake of the passengers, get around the table and solve this dispute.”

[Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Q3. May I thank the Prime Minister for coming to my constituency during the general election campaign and for making her widely welcomed U-turn on the dementia tax? May I invite her back to Wrexham to make another announcement, reversing her appalling cuts to police budgets, which my constituents want to see the back of?

[The Prime Minister]

We are protecting police budgets—[Interruption.] Yes. But we are of course making reforms to policing. That is why I introduced the National Crime Agency to deal with serious and organised crime, which actually relates to crime on the streets. That is why we have put money into a new national cybercrime unit to ensure that the police can deal with the new sorts of crimes they are having to deal with. Yes, we are reforming policing, but the key thing is not the number of police on the streets; the key thing is what happens to crime, and crime has fallen to a record low.