PMQs 2020-10-21

2020-10-21

TAGS
Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Partial Answer
Catherine West Lab
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Context
The UK economy has contracted by 9% since March this year. Haringey's joblessness is the highest in London, and a congestion tax could further burden Londoners.
My constituents are reeling from the 9% contraction of the economy since March this year. Unemployment has sky-rocketed and joblessness in Haringey is the highest in the capital. Unfortunately, we are at the same time facing the idea that there could be a congestion tax forced on an extra 4 million Londoners by this Government. These Londoners are already facing the double whammy of covid and financial ruin. Will the Prime Minister please immediately stop the imposition of this dreadful plan? I look forward to his answer.
I must respectfully inform the hon. Lady that the current Mayor of London had effectively bankrupted TfL before coronavirus had even hit and left a massive black hole in its finances. Any need to make up that deficit is entirely down to him.
Assessment & feedback
The question asked about stopping a congestion tax, but the answer focused on criticising the current Mayor of London.
Changed Subject
Response accuracy
Q2 Partial Answer
Context
Buckinghamshire may soon enter tier 2 restrictions due to rising infection rates. Local businesses are concerned about the impact.
People the length and breadth of the country have made many sacrifices over the last few months to try to suppress covid-19, but infection rates are increasing fast and Buckinghamshire may soon find itself in tier 2. Can my right hon. Friend tell the people of my Aylesbury constituency how long we would be expected to stay there, what additional help there would be for local businesses, and, crucially, what the route out would be?
I hope I can reassure my hon. Friend by telling him that the incidence in the Vale of Aylesbury is in fact less than half the England average. The way forward for constituents in the Vale of Aylesbury and everywhere else is for everyone to keep following the guidance, observing the new restrictions and, obviously, washing hands, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces and keeping a sensible distance.
Assessment & feedback
The question asked about specific help for businesses and duration of tier 2, but the answer was generic advice to follow guidance.
No Specifics
Response accuracy
Q3 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
Areas entering tier 3 are facing significant economic harm without a clear path out.
Prime Minister, how does an area which goes into tier 3 restrictions get out of those restrictions?
The simplest and most effective way for areas to get out of those restrictions is, of course, to get the R down to 1 or below, and I am very pleased to say that some areas are already having a considerable effect with the measures that they are taking.
Assessment & feedback
The question asked for specifics on how an area can exit tier 3 but received only general advice to reduce R rate.
No Specific Timeline Generic Guidance
Response accuracy
Q4 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
There is confusion about the criteria for exiting tier 3, especially if R rate does not drop below 1.
If the infection rate, R, in a tier 3 area has not come below 1, will it be possible in any circumstances for that area to come out of tier 3—if the R has not come below 1?
Obviously, the R is one of the measures that we look at. We take a decision based on a number of things including the R—also, of course, rates of infection, rates of admission to hospital and other data. But the most important thing is for areas that do go into tier 3—and I am very grateful to local leadership in the areas that have gone into tier 3, because it is the right thing for them to do, the right thing for their constituents, the right thing to save lives —when they are able to make progress, then, of course, they will come out of tier 3. As the right hon. and learned Gentleman knows full well, the measures that are put in place are reviewed every 28 days.
Assessment & feedback
The question asked if an area can exit tier 3 without R rate dropping below 1 but received vague response about multiple factors including R rate and 28-day reviews.
Vague References Generic Timelines
Response accuracy
Q5 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
Tier 3 is seen as ineffective without a clear exit strategy.
I am now confused by the Prime Minister's answer. If it is not the R rate under 1, what is it? Millions of people want to know the answer to that question. Millions of them are in tier 3 and millions more are likely to go into tier 3. They really need to know. On Friday, the chief scientific officer said that tier 3 on its own certainly is not enough to get the R rate below 1. On the same day, the Prime Minister himself said that there was only a chance of getting infection rates down. That goes to the heart of the issue in Greater Manchester and elsewhere. The widespread fear is that tier 3 is the worst of all worlds: it brings significant economic harm without getting the virus sufficiently under control to exit tier 3. So instead of being a solution, tier 3 is a gateway to weeks and weeks, or more likely months and months, of agony from which there is no likely exit. Can the Prime Minister not see the problem if there is not a clear exit?
I am sorry, but I have made it absolutely clear that a part of the country going into tier 3 is in there only for 28 days; we will review it after 28 days. Areas that have gone into tier 3 are, I believe, already making progress, and areas where there are restrictions in place are also showing signs of progress. We are pursuing a local—a regional—approach, which is the sensible approach for this country. That is what the epidemiology supports. It is what the deputy chief medical officer supported last night.
Assessment & feedback
The question asked about clear exit criteria but received only general comments on 28-day reviews and progress being made without specifics.
No Specific Criteria Generic Timelines
Response accuracy
Q6 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
Greater Manchester is under Tier 3 restrictions with rising infection rates, causing financial hardship for local businesses and individuals. The government has provided some support but is not offering additional funds despite the worsening situation.
I am concerned about the current situation in Greater Manchester where the R rate remains above 1, leading to increased infections, hospital admissions, and deaths. With thousands of people facing job losses or reduced incomes next Friday, why can't the Prime Minister provide more support instead of dividing communities?
This Government has provided £1.1 billion in business support, £200 million in extra funding, £50 million to tackle infections in care homes, £20 million for Test and Trace, and another £22 million for the local response in Greater Manchester. The Mayor of Greater Manchester turned down an offer of £60 million.
Assessment & feedback
The Prime Minister did not directly address the financial support request but listed existing provisions without offering additional aid.
Response accuracy
Q7 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
The government is criticized for the limited financial aid provided to Greater Manchester despite ample funding for other ventures. This has led to public distrust due to perceived unfairness in local deals.
This Prime Minister can allocate millions for consultants, a garden bridge that was never built, but cannot find £5 million for Greater Manchester's workers and businesses facing hardships under Tier 3 restrictions. Why not support Labour's motion for clear national criteria and proper job support?
The Government has provided £200 billion in economic support, £9.9 billion for a job support scheme, cut VAT for businesses, and deferred business rates. The UK is among Europe's leaders in supporting the population through this crisis.
Assessment & feedback
The Prime Minister acknowledged national support but did not commit to Labour's motion or address local funding issues directly.
Response accuracy
Q8 Partial Answer
Keir Starmer Lab
Holborn and St Pancras
Context
The government's tier system has shown limited effectiveness, particularly in moving areas to higher tiers without clear exit strategies. This contrasts with other regions that have opted for short-term lock downs.
With all age groups seeing rising infection rates across the country and no confidence in R rate reductions under current measures, there is a need for a circuit breaker approach. Why not implement this before half term to avoid prolonged hardship?
We will do whatever it takes to manage through the crisis, but our approach involves local and regional measures, keeping schools open and businesses operating. A full lockdown would damage the economy and people's mental health.
Assessment & feedback
The Prime Minister outlined his opposition to a circuit breaker without addressing the specific ask for its implementation.
Response accuracy
Q9 Partial Answer
Context
Covid has disproportionately affected participation levels in female sports, leading to concerns about recovery. There is a proposed £70 million project for a women's and girls' football national centre of excellence.
After recent positive progress, covid has disproportionately and adversely affected participation levels in female sport and physical activity. To help to reverse that, will my right hon. Friend lend his support to the development of the first ever women's and girls' football national centre of excellence in Winsford in my constituency—a £70 million project that he has previously expressed enthusiasm for—and help to build female grass-roots sport back better?
This is a very exciting project, and I welcome Cheshire FA's commitment to providing a new world-class facility for women's and girls' football. I look forward to the proposed opening of the centre in Winsford.
Assessment & feedback
Did not commit specific support or funding for the £70 million project, only expressed enthusiasm
Response accuracy
Q10 Partial Answer
Context
The furlough scheme is being scrapped next week amidst rising unemployment. The Prime Minister's salary was mentioned in comparison to low wages during the pandemic.
My thoughts are very much with the hon. Member for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi). I hope she makes a speedy recovery. Next week, just as the pandemic is worsening, the Tory Government will scrap the furlough scheme in a move that will cause a wave of mass redundancies across the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, behind closed doors the Prime Minister is complaining that he cannot get by on his £150,000 salary. If the Prime Minister is finding life such a struggle, how on earth does he expect many workers to get by on just £5.84 an hour when the Tory cuts to furlough sink in?
Actually, I am proud of what we have done to support people on low incomes throughout this period and, indeed, before. It was this Government who raised the living wage by record amounts, and we have just increased universal credit by around £1,000 a year. The right hon. Gentleman makes the point about furlough; as he knows, if universal credit is combined with the job support scheme that we have just announced, workers will be getting 80% of their existing salary.
Assessment & feedback
Did not address how to prevent mass redundancies directly
Response accuracy
Q11 Partial Answer
Context
The furlough scheme is being scrapped next week amidst rising unemployment. The Prime Minister's salary was mentioned in comparison to low wages during the pandemic.
I am afraid the Prime Minister just does not get it. Yesterday, we saw his total disregard for the people of Greater Manchester—a Tory attitude that people in Scotland are all too familiar with. Millions of families are struggling to get by and this Tory Government want to cut their incomes in the middle of a pandemic. It is clear that the Prime Minister has made a deliberate decision to let unemployment soar, just like Thatcher did in the 1980s. Time is running out. With one week left, will the Prime Minister finally U-turn on his cuts to the furlough scheme and invest in our communities? Or will he leave millions of people on the scrap heap?
I really must reject what the right hon. Gentleman has just said, because it bears no relation to the facts or the reality of what the Government are doing to support people throughout the country. It is not just the £200 billion investment in jobs and livelihoods; we are also engaged in and will continue to deliver a colossal investment in education, health, housing and infrastructure that will deliver jobs and growth throughout this United Kingdom for a generation.
Assessment & feedback
Did not address the specific ask about reversing furlough cuts or providing more support for struggling families
Disagreement With Premise
Response accuracy
Q12 Partial Answer
Context
There are concerns about the EU's position on fishing rights and European Court of Justice, suggesting a lack of good faith in negotiations. The Government is considering leaving the withdrawal agreement due to this.
I congratulate the Prime Minister and his negotiating team on their strong stance in the negotiations with the EU. Does he agree that the EU's position on fishing and the European Court of Justice demonstrates that it is not treating us as an independent state, that it is not acting in good faith to deliver a free trade agreement and that, in international law, the UK is therefore entitled to leave the withdrawal agreement and make its own arrangements regarding the UK's internal market?
Whatever the effect of the withdrawal agreement, I can certainly assure my hon. Friend that the UK's internal market, which I think everybody on both sides of the House values, is protected and upheld and by the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, which is currently going through the other place. It also, of course, protects the Good Friday agreement.
Assessment & feedback
Did not address leaving the withdrawal agreement directly
Response accuracy
Q13 Partial Answer
Edward Davey Lib Dem
Kingston and Surbiton
Context
Mikey, a severely disabled young man, cannot access his matured child trust fund due to government rules that require expensive legal fees. His parents also cannot access it on Mikey's behalf.
Mikey is severely disabled. He turned 18 last month, so he is one of the first to see his child trust fund mature, but Mikey's disabilities mean that he cannot manage his own finances, so he cannot access the savings. Government rules on child trust funds mean that his parents cannot access them either without paying expensive legal fees. This is Mikey's own money. He wants to use it to buy a specially adapted tricycle. Will the Prime Minister look at the proposals that Mikey's father has shown me to end this injustice for disabled young people and let Mikey buy this trike?
Of course I will do whatever I can to help in the particular case that the right hon. Gentleman raises. I do not know whether the tricycle he mentions is eligible for a number of the schemes that I can immediately call to mind, but if he cares to write to me, I will of course answer immediately.
Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to examining proposals to amend child trust fund rules
Response accuracy
Q14 Partial Answer
Bob Blackman Con
Harrow East
Context
The current Mayor of London is demanding £5.65 billion to keep TfL running for the next 18 months but refuses to accept any economies, citing union paymasters.
Thank you, ground control. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will be well aware of the negotiations going on between the Department for Transport and the current Mayor of London on a further bail-out for Transport for London. The current Mayor is demanding an eye-watering £5.65 billion to keep TfL running for the next 18 months, yet he refuses to accept any economies because that would offend his union paymasters. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government have not required the current Mayor of London to expand the congestion charge to the north and south circular roads?
What I can certainly confirm, as I said in my answer to the first question, is that the black hole in TfL's finances of TfL, the bankruptcy of TfL, which, by the way, was left in robust financial health by the previous Mayor—it certainly was—is entirely the fault of the current Labour Mayor of London, with his grossly irresponsible demagogic fare policies, which, I may say, were never pursued by the previous Mayor of London, and the fault lies entirely with him.
Assessment & feedback
Did not address whether the Government required expansion of congestion charge
Blame Shifting
Response accuracy
Q15 Partial Answer
Rupa Huq Lab
Ealing Central and Acton
Context
Three million self-employed people are set to face destitution when the minimum income floor ends next month. School dinners for 3,272 kids in the Prime Minister's constituency and 2,016 in Ealing Central and Acton are in jeopardy due to financial support package terminations.
Financial support packages, tackling homelessness, rail nationalisation and honouring Marcus Rashford—there is plenty that this Government have done on covid that I applaud, but with winter set to bite and no end to the virus in sight, may I ask the Prime Minister to reconsider the arbitrary end to many of his schemes, which were set months ago when we knew so little? Three million self-employed people were completely left out of all of these measures, a number of whom are now set to face destitution when the minimum income floor ends next month. Furthermore, school dinners for 3,272 kids in his own seat and 2,016 in mine are in the balance.
The hon. Lady is quite right to call attention to the difficulties facing many families right now because of the crisis that we have been in. The most important thing—and I hope that this is common ground—is to keep kids in school if we possibly can. That would be vitiated by the series of lockdowns that are being proposed. I do not want to go down that route. What I want to do is to ensure that we continue to support families throughout the crisis so that they have the cash available to feed their kids as they need to do.
Assessment & feedback
The Prime Minister did not address the specific ask about voting on financial support measures and continued schemes.
Keep Kids In School If We Possibly Can
Response accuracy