PMQs

Question

After a cost of living crisis overseen by the chaotic Conservative Government, many in the tourist industry in Torbay believed that they had weathered the storm, as did those in Devon and Cornwall. However, many in the tourist industry in Torbay fear that the Government’s national insurance contribution hikes and effective jobs tax could be the last nail in the coffin for some of those businesses. In the light of that, will the Prime Minister give me the pleasure of showing him round Paignton zoo this summer, so he can see this outstanding, amazing tourist attraction in Torbay? It is one of many across the west of England that, sadly, are massively impacted by the jobs tax.

Question

The criminal injuries compensation scheme has not been uprated with inflation since 2012, which means that in real terms, compensation for victims of violent crime, including rape and child abuse, is worth less than half of what it was then. The consultation response published before Easter said that there was not the money to look at changing the scope, tariffs or time limits, despite expert advice and the recommendations of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. Will the Prime Minister commit to properly funding the Ministry of Justice to do this vital reform work, so that victims and their needs can become a priority, instead of an afterthought?

Question

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the National Gas operations in Peterborough, where the company was announcing a £350 million investment in the UK, including at least 100 new jobs in my constituency. The investment will make Peterborough the centre of the nation’s core gas and hydrogen network. One of the big challenges faced by infrastructure projects is the lack of available skills and training for young people. What more can the Prime Minister do to boost apprenticeships in places such as my constituency to ensure we create the opportunities this country so desperately needs?

Question

I have previously raised with the Prime Minister the issue of North Devon district hospital. The previous Government promised to rebuild it, as they did hospitals across the south-west, in places such as Torbay and Musgrove Park. Unfortunately, they broke that promise, leaving appalling conditions like sewage leaks and patients being treated in corridors. Will the Prime Minister reconsider his decision to delay further the construction of new hospitals, and ask his MPs to vote for our motion today for new hospitals? Additionally, will the Prime Minister guarantee a vote in this House on any trade deal that he agrees with the United States?

Question

This time last year, train manufacturing at Alstom in Derby was grinding to a halt. On a single day, workers with a combined welding experience of nearly 1,000 years walked out of its doors, but the whole city came together with crucial backing from this Prime Minister. What a difference a year makes, with Alstom saved and set to host the greatest gathering to celebrate 200 years of rail and our railways coming back into public ownership, with the headquarters of Great British Railways in Derby. Does the Prime Minister agree that, with Labour, we are back on track?

Question

Happy St George’s Day, Mr Speaker. May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about Pope Francis? After 14 years of a Conservative Government, too many of my constituents live on low incomes or in real poverty. I very much welcome the employment support proposals in the welfare Green Paper, but the Government have to be clear about the real opportunities they are offering to the more than 3 million families who they say will lose out financially as a result of this package. Before asking MPs to vote, can the Prime Minister confirm that we will see fresh analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility, evidence on who will be affected by the personal independence payments changes, and the Government’s own assessment of the employment impact of their measures? Will he confirm that this policy will not result in increased experience of poverty?

Question

I commend the Prime Minister and his Government for the action taken to reform the NHS in England and make it fit for the modern day, with improved technology, more GPs and appointments, and waiting lists cut for consecutive months. However, it is deeply unfortunate that in Scotland the SNP Government have made the political choice to waste taxpayer money on vanity projects, flawed legislation and failed court cases rather than focus on improving our health service. Does the Prime Minister agree that the people of Airdrie and Shotts, who have been promised a new hospital for almost a decade, deserve far better than to suffer in pain while on waiting lists or to receive treatment in crumbling buildings as a direct consequence of SNP incompetence?

Question

I am sure the Prime Minister will join me in celebrating the opening of the new Brixton blood donation centre in my constituency, which in three months has seen over 3,700 people donate, more than 1,000 of them first-timers and 10% of them black. However, given that sickle cell anaemia is the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK, that is not enough. Demand for the Ro blood subtype—more common in people of African descent—is rising by 10% to 15% annually, and it is crucial for treating sickle cell. Rules around travellers as well as inaccurate iron tests mean that we are seeing willing black donors turned away for four to twelve months.

Question

I am sure the Prime Minister will join me in celebrating the opening of the new Brixton blood donation centre in my constituency, which in three months has seen over 3,700 people donate, more than 1,000 of them first-timers and 10% of them black. However, given that sickle cell anaemia is the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK, that is not enough. Demand for the Ro blood subtype—more common in people of African descent—is rising by 10% to 15% annually, and it is crucial for treating sickle cell. Rules around travellers as well as inaccurate iron tests mean that we are seeing willing black donors turned away for four to twelve months.

Question

My constituent Billy spent months trying to see a GP to investigate his symptoms. It took four months of telephone appointments before he was finally seen in person and got the test that diagnosed stage 4 cancer. That delay in diagnosis has dramatically changed the prognosis, and as someone who has become a friend, it hurts me to see the pain that he is now living in. Does the Prime Minister agree that primary care is a vital part of the healthcare system and that we need wider access to both in-person and telephone appointments?

Question

Proposed changes to personal independence payments mean that people who require various levels of support due to lifelong conditions such as learning disabilities will not meet the new eligibility criteria. However, the Green Paper introduces a group of people with lifelong conditions who will not be subject to reassessment. Can the Prime Minister confirm that people with a learning disability—a lifelong condition that will not change—will be included in the group of claimants who will not be subjected to repeated reassessments?

Question

Through the ages, an innovative and vibrant City of London has underpinned investment and growth in the wider economy, but the main challenge the City currently faces is how to get more capital into capital markets. Like many, I believe that London could gain new momentum if the Government took bold action to challenge and empower those who steward our pension assets to do things in new ways. Following the Chancellor’s decision to offer continuity of leadership at the Financial Conduct Authority, will the Prime Minister convene an urgent No. 10 summit with City leaders and the regulators to provide a reset and to maximise the chances that the City can lead economic growth and recovery in these times of grave uncertainty and turmoil?

Question

Last week, humanitarian law organisations applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar over alleged war crimes in Gaza, including the siege of Kamal Adwan hospital and the torture of its director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya. The Prime Minister is a human rights lawyer, so surely he knows that the UK has a legal duty to uphold international law. Why did he block the arrest of an unindicted war criminal?

Question

His Chancellor’s economic policies started off badly and have headed rapidly downhill from there, his Energy Secretary’s policies ensure that energy-rich Scotland lives under the highest domestic and commercial energy prices in the world, and his Foreign Secretary provides diplomatic cover for the atrocities committed in Gaza by the Israel Defence Forces. Does he understand why the people of Scotland are so dissatisfied with his latest iteration of dysfunctional British rule in Scotland?