Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Wednesday 12th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

This is an important issue. We are concerned about the potential effects of these proposals—particularly, obviously, given the large number of British citizens in Hong Kong. It is vital that the extradition arrangements in Hong Kong are in line with the rights and freedoms that were set down in the Sino-British joint declaration. We have been unequivocal in our views. We have been very clear, from the outset, in engaging with the Hong Kong Government and with the members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and Executive Council—at all levels—about our view on this issue. As I say, it is vital that those extradition arrangements are in line with the rights and freedoms that were set down in the Sino-British joint declaration.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Q4. The Prime Minister has always said that she believes in fairness, so can I ask her: would it be fair to have a taxation policy that massively benefits the top and richest 10% in our country by introducing tax cuts for them? Does she think that is fair?

[The Prime Minister]

What I think is fair is what this Government are doing: under this Government, we have seen the top 1% paying more in income tax than they ever did under a Labour Government. What is more, we have been delivering tax cuts, with over 3 million people taken out of paying income tax altogether and over 30 million people with a tax cut. That is what is fair: more money in people’s pockets. That is what we, as Conservatives, have done for people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Wednesday 10th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. I am very happy to congratulate Ruth Cairnie on achieving that role as chairman of Babcock. The Government have been working and have done a lot since 2010 to see more women on the boards of companies, as that is very important. The greater the diversity we have on those boards, the better those companies will do.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Q12. Before the Prime Minister’s visit to Brussels, I have a little light reading for her. It is a graph of police funding from the Government, in Gwent. It shows clearly that police funding is going down, not up. Will she study this carefully, and come back to the House with an accurate statement about what is really happening to police funding in this country?

[The Prime Minister]

We have been protecting police funding since 2015. This financial year, nearly £1 billion extra is available to police, and we have indeed put extra money into police. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the £100 million extra that is going into key areas in relation to dealing with knife crime, and we have been protecting police funding since 2015.

Leaving the European Union

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Monday 21st January 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. I have always said that I believe that the desire to bring an end to free movement was one of the things that led to many people voting to leave the European Union. This Government will deliver on that—there will be an end to free movement.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

In a radio interview yesterday, the Solicitor General said that he thought that agreement on a customs union would provide a way to unify this House. What is the Prime Minister’s response to her Solicitor General?

[The Prime Minister]

My response is that the discussions we have been having across the House suggest that opinions on this matter and on what to drive forward are more varied than a simple solution such as the one that the hon. Gentleman suggests.

European Council

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Monday 17th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The only way to rule out no deal is to ensure that there is a deal that enables us to leave the European Union.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

The Prime Minister has used a mantra ad nauseam: it is her deal or no deal—she almost repeated it again just then—but she must be aware that The Economist magazine, among many, many others, has said that a no-deal Brexit would wreck the economy. Why is she prepared to wreck the economy and can she justify that to the British people?

[The Prime Minister]

I believe that the best route forward for the United Kingdom is to leave the European Union with a good deal, and I believe that this is a good deal.

Progress on EU Negotiations

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Thursday 22nd November 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am very happy to give my hon. Friend that absolute commitment. Indeed, it is the United Kingdom within the European Union that has been arguing against the creation of a European army. We are very clear that the bedrock of defence for Europe is NATO. There may be ways in which the European Union can act on the defence field that complements NATO, but there is no question of any British personnel joining the European army.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Earlier this afternoon, the Prime Minister admitted to this House that she had failed to negotiate Britain’s continued involvement in the Galileo satellite project. Will she tell the House how much it will cost this country to develop an alternative because of her failure?

[The Prime Minister]

In any negotiation, there are two sides. There were reasons why the European Union did not want the United Kingdom to be part of Galileo on the basis on which we felt that it was right for us to participate. At that point, a decision has to be taken. I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that the real failure would have been to say that we would remain in Galileo on a basis that did not permit us to have guarantees in relation to our security. It is better for us to say that we would do it ourselves and ensure that security.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Wayne David

Wednesday 12th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to recognise the beauty of the area she represents, Cumbria and the Lake District, and the important role farmers play in that part of the country, as indeed our farmers do elsewhere. When we leave the European Union, we are looking to ensure we have trade deals that enable our farmers to continue to be able to export their very important product, which is enjoyed by people elsewhere. By leaving the European Union, we are able to do something else: come out of the common agricultural policy and develop a policy for farming in this country that is right for our farmers, not for others’.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Q14. Last year, 183 people were returned to this country to face justice because of the European arrest warrant. If we leave the EU without a deal, the European arrest warrant will not be available to us. Would the Prime Minister be happy with that?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman will know full well that as Home Secretary I stood at this Dispatch Box and led a debate in which we ensured that when we exercised the powers available under protocol 36 we went back into the European arrest warrant. The European arrest warrant is one of those instruments that we have identified in our Chequers plan as one that we wish to discuss with the European Union, with a view to being able to continue to use it.