Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts
Wednesday 8th February 2017

(7 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Neil Parish Portrait Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)
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1. Whether he plans to implement the proposals made in the “Securing the ballot” review of electoral fraud.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I call Minister Robin Walker.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I do beg the hon. Gentleman’s pardon. There is a minor likeness.

Chris Skidmore Portrait Chris Skidmore
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It is a mistake commonly made.

The Government published on 27 December their response to the review of electoral fraud by my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Sir Eric Pickles). The response sets out clearly the action that the Government intend to take on each recommendation and proposes a comprehensive programme for reforming our electoral system and making our democracy more secure.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am not sure which of the two of you is the more offended, but my apologies to the both of you.

Neil Parish Portrait Neil Parish
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In December 2008, I was an election observer in Bangladesh. Because of previous voter fraud, photographs were taken of 80 million people, and people were clearly identifiable from those photographs when they went to vote. Have the Government considered doing that? A democracy needs as many people to vote as possible, but we do not want identity fraud when people vote.

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Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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The right hon.—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. It is bad enough when Members who are within the curtilage of the Chamber shout; those who are not absolutely should not do so. It is a discourtesy to the House of Commons—nothing more, nothing less. Please do not do it.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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The right hon. Gentleman referred at an early stage of his question to Blackburn. I am happy to say that compared to 2010 there are 129 more hospital doctors and 413 more nurses in Blackburn’s East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. He then went on to talk about waiting times. Waiting times can be an issue. Where is it that you wait a week longer for pneumonia treatment, a week longer for heart disease treatment, seven weeks longer for cataract treatment, 11 weeks longer for hernia treatment, and 21 weeks longer for a hip operation? It is not in England—it is in Wales. Who is in power in Wales? Labour.

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Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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What we have given all councils is the opportunity to raise a 3% precept on council tax, to go into social care. The right hon. Gentleman talks about understanding. What the Labour party fails to understand—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. There is far too much noise. Mr Pound, calm yourself—you are supposed to be a senior statesman—and Mr Rotheram, you should reserve your shouting for the stands at Anfield.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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As I say, all councils have the opportunity to raise the 3% precept, to put that funding into the provision of social care. What the Labour party fails to understand is that this is not just a question of looking at money; it is a question of looking at spreading best practice and finding a sustainable solution. I have to say to the right hon. Gentleman that if we look at social care provision across the entire country, we will see that the last thing that social care providers need is another one of Labour’s bouncing cheques.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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I have made clear to the right hon. Gentleman what has been made available to every council, which is the ability to raise the precept. I have to say to him—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. As colleagues know, I never mind how long Prime Minister’s questions take. The questions and the answers must be heard.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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The right hon. Gentleman comes to the Dispatch Box making all sorts of claims. Yet again, what we get from Labour is alternative facts; what it really needs is an alternative leader.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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The deal that is on offer to all councils is the one that I have already set out. Let me be very clear with the right hon. Gentleman. As ever, he stands up and consistently asks for more spending, more money, more funding. What he always fails to recognise is that you can spend money on social care and the national health service only if you have a strong economy to deliver the wealth that you need. There is a fundamental difference between us. When I talk—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am sorry, but there is still too much noise in the Chamber. People observing our proceedings, both here and outside, want the questions heard and the answers heard, and they will be.

Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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There is a difference between us. When I talk about half a trillion pounds, it is about the money we will be spending on the NHS this Parliament. When Labour Members talk about half a trillion pounds, it is about the money they want to borrow: Conservatives investing in the NHS; Labour bankrupting Britain.

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Theresa May Portrait The Prime Minister
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I find that a rather curious question from the hon. Gentleman. As it happens, last night I was out of the House between the two votes. I switched on the BBC parliamentary channel and I saw the hon. Gentleman speaking. I turned over to something else. I switched back to the parliamentary channel and he was still speaking. I switched over to something else. I switched back and he was still speaking. He is the last person to complain about filibustering in this House. [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. Mr Docherty-Hughes, you seem to be in a state of permanent over-excitement. Calm yourself, man. Take some sort of medicament and it will soothe you. We must hear Mrs Villiers.

Theresa Villiers Portrait Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)
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Q6. As we prepare in this House to take back control over our laws on agriculture, will the Prime Minister agree to use Brexit as an opportunity to strengthen, not weaken, the rules that safeguard the welfare of animals?

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I welcome the hon. Gentleman back again to the Chamber.

Ronnie Campbell Portrait Mr Campbell
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I’m looking pretty slim as well, Mr Speaker!

I had five months of NHS treatment at the Newcastle Royal Victoria infirmary under the auspices of Professor Griffin, a marvellous surgeon. Seeing as I might have come out with palliative care, I think he has just about saved my life. That is the best side of the NHS. The service I received was absolutely wonderful, but there is a flip side. What we have today is what are called “corridor nurses”, who look after patients on trolleys in corridors. Quite honestly, Prime Minister, that is not the way we want the health service to be run. We want it to be run in the way it saved me. Get your purse open and give them the money they want.

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Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)
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Q12. In the spirit of neutrality, Speaker, the Prime Minister’s Lancaster House speech last month was a rallying call to put the divisions of the referendum behind us and to unite behind a bold vision for a stronger, fairer more global Britain. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that this is a vision that every Member should support, because the more united we are, the stronger our negotiating hand will be—[Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order, I apologise for interrupting, but the hon. Gentleman must be heard.

Karl McCartney Portrait Karl MᶜCartney
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Thank you, Speaker.

Finally, does my right hon. Friend share my surprise that certain Opposition Front Benchers have not learned that disagreeing with their current party leader can cause headaches?