Transcripts For BBCNEWS Thursday In Parliament 20170331

The main news from westminster fears of a Government Power Grab as ministers set about Disentangling The Uk from European Union law. It has been suggested that the government is looking at henry viii clauses to take this through. So much for parliamentary sovereignty. Scotlands aspirations for a voice also seem to be given the henry viii treatment with a rough wooing clearly taking place right now. Will Security Cooperation be used as a Bargaining Chip in brexit talks . A former police chief thinks an implied threat has been issued. That the uk will withhold Security Cooperation with the eu if it does not get the trade deal that it wants was insensitive, reckless, or an empty threat, or all three . And calls to increase the jail sentences imposed, in england, on people who are cruel to animals. These individuals are Practising Cruelty, basically, on animals which they will then transfer on to humans. Now that article 50 has been activated, work begins on what to do with the vast body of regulations generated by the European Union and enshrined in uk law over 45 years. The government will be introducing a great repeal bill which, among other things, will get rid of The European Communities Act Or Eca of 1972. Repealing the eca on the day we leave the eu enables a return to this parliament of the sovereignty we ceded in 1972 and ends the Supremacy Of Eu Law in this country. It is entirely necessary to deliver on the result of the referendum. But repealing the eca alone is not enough. A simple repeal of the eca would leave holes in our statute book. The eu regulations that apply directly to the uk would no longer have any effect and many of the domestic regulations we have made to implement our eu obligations would fall away. Therefore to provide the maximum possible certainty, the great repeal bill will convert eu law into domestic law on the day we leave the eu. This means, for example, that the workers rights, Environmental Protection and Consumer Rights enjoyed under Eu Law In The Uk will continue in uk law after we have left the eu. And he said that, as far as possible, power taken back from the eu would be devolved to Northern Ireland, scotland and wales. It is the expectation of the government that outcome of this process will be a significant increase in the Decision Making power of each devolved administration. But we must also ensure that, as we leave the eu, no new barriers to living and doing business within our own union are created. Mr speaker, nobody underestimates the task of converting eu law into domestic law but the question is how is it done and what is done . The white paper on the question of how gives sweeping powers to the executive. Sweeping because it proposes a power to use delegated legislation to correct and thus change primary legislation, and also devolved legislation by delegated legislation. Sweeping because of the sheer scale of the exercise. On these benches, we think the triggering of article 50 yesterday was a sad day for everybody in europe, including everybody in these islands, and an eu which for years has brought us peace, stability, security and prosperity. We are turning the clock back a0 years and i am glad that the minister reminded his own front benches devolution existed now in a way it didnt exist a0 years ago. It has been suggested the government is looking at henry viii clauses to take this through. So much for parliamentary sovereignty. Scotlands aspirations for a voice also seem to be given their henry viii treatment with a rough wooing clearly taking place right now. Id like to commend the Secretary Of State for ignoring some of the more over excitable demands from parts of the brexit press and some of his backbenchers, and to confirm as he has today that he will incorporate into british law some of the eu jewels in the crown such as the habitats directive, the working time directive, the Green Renewable Energy directive, which we can all agree upon. Although he will know there is a fork in the road. The government will either have to keep those provisions in domestic legislations, in which case they will reasonably say, what on earth was the point of leaving the eu in the first place . Or they will remove those provisions, in which case the eu will need exacting safeguards to ensure we are not undercutting eu standards. The governments aim that eu law, with all its rights and protections, will remain in place is a pragmatic approach and we need to find a way of making that happen but the Secretary Of State will be aware of concerns that others might try and use this process to get rid of eu laws they have never liked or use these powers to make changes beyond the minimum necessary. This is really a great transfer bill, thats what it really is. Could the Secretary Of State give an unequivocal undertaking that workers rights, Environmental Protections and Consumer Protections will be in no way changed as a result of this bill and indeed Anything Else that is taken. . The Prime Minister has already given those undertakings. I thank my right honourable friend for making it clear that two years from today our Sovereign Parliament will indeed have the power to amend, repeal or improve all this ghastly eu legislation. I will pass on the assessment of the legislation but i will of course reinforce the point i have already made, which is the aim of this bill at the end of the day is to bring the decisions back to this house. Theres speculation, generated by theresa mays Farewell Letter to the European Union, that Security Cooperation may be used as a Bargaining Chip during brexit negotiations. Some peers are worried about the implications. Less than a week after four people died as a result of terrorism on our doorstep, does the noble lady, the minister think that the implied threat made by the Prime Minister in her article 50 letter, backed up yesterday. Hear, hear. Backed up yesterday by the Home Secretary that the uk will withhold Security Cooperation with the eu if it does not get the trade deal that wants was insensitive, reckless, or an empty threat, or all three . My lords, may i also pay tribute to the people who lost their lives last week and who still lie in Hospital Injured . But i do take exception to what the noble lord says. My lords, the letter says both sides would cope but our cooperation would be weakened. We want and we believe that the eu wants security to be part of a new partnership so that is why it is part of the negotiation. The threat was not a threat at all, it was a matter of fact. Would the minister, for the service of the house, read the two sentences in the letter before the one that she selectively read out . Because those sentences make it absolutely clear that the governments intention and the implied threat is that unless there is agreement on trade, a comprehensive agreement as they call it, there will not be an agreement on security. And by that means they would imperil not only our economic capability but also, even more seriously, our security capability. The noble lord is actually quite wrong in what he says. The letter says both sides would cope but our cooperation would be weakened. That is what the letter says. And we want and we believe the eu wants security to be part of the new partnership and that is why it will be part of the negotiation. That is the right way forward. My lords, does my noble friend realise that the appropriate reply to the noble lord kinnock lies in the gospel according to Saint Matthew . Chapter six, verse 19. Laughter. Ask the bishop. Yes. Perhaps the right reverend prelate would like to comment . Would the noble baroness, the minister not agree with me the best way of answering lord paddicks question is to ensure the government arranges with our European Partners to deal with Security Issues first and foremost and separately from trade to make sure there is no moment when we fall off a Security Cliff . The noble lord is quite right in the sense that the Prime Minister put these aspects of negotiation right at the forefront. I have been in debates in the last few weeks talking about how that cooperation. We have been World Leaders in those areas. It is so important as we go forward. But it is all part of the whole deal and that is bearing in mind the context in which we operate. With what the noble lord just said, would my noble friend agree that as we begin this long and difficult process, intemperate remarks are hardly helpful . Well, it depends which intemperate remarks my noble friend is referring to that, yes, i think we all have to be very careful about what we say. Back in the commons, the Transport Secretary was accused of pursuing a Little Britain strategy in his approach to brexit, which could damage the uk aviation industry. The ramifications of leaving the eu dominated transport question time from the off. The Open Skies Agreement has provided great opportunities for eu registered airlines, including uk companies such as easyjet, who fly largely unrestricted between Member States and within Member States as well as from the eu to the us, but brexit could change all that, so can the Secretary Of State reassure the industry and passengers that the uk will remain part of open skies arrangements . Mr speaker, as i said a moment ago, we will of course be reaching that agreement in due course. It is our intention across the sectors, whether it is haulage or aviation, to secure the best possible agreement for the future that will benefit those who seek to do business in the uk from elsewhere in the eu and those who seek to do business elsewhere in the eu from the uk. Sir desmond swayne. How important is it to make arrangements for the worst Case Scenario just to show how serious our Negotiating Intent is . Well, mr speaker, you will not be surprised to learn that the government of course takes steps to prepare for all eventualities but we enter the negotiations with good faith and intention to secure a deal because we believe very strongly it is in everyones interests both here in the uk and across the eu. Can the Secretary Of State confirm that the worst Case Scenario is no arrangement at all . Can he also confirm that for airlines they have to schedule 12 18 months in advance and therefore can he confirm that he has to resolve this within the next six months . I never speculate on these things but what i would say is i have detailed discussions with the aviation industry, have had over the past few weeks, well aware of the challenges they face around their Business Models and, of course, the government listens very carefully to them about how best to approach this important sector in the context of the negotiations. The Prime Minister told the house yesterday that she will, her words, deliver certainty to uk businesses about the position they will be in post brexit. But without agreement on the principles behind cabotage, Trucking Companies are already warning that new customs checks will gridlock roads leading to the channel ports. Uk based airlines are already warning that they may need to relocate their bases across the channel if the uk falls out of the common aviation area. So just how and when the minister is going to deliver the certainty that those Companies Need now rather than a kind of ministerial aspiration that everything is going to be all right on the night . Of course, mr speaker, this is not simply about uk companies because the vast majority of haulage based cabotage that takes place in the United Kingdom is international hauliers operating in the uk, so they themselves have a vested interest in ensuring that their politicians work with us to ensure we have the best possible arrangement for the future. That is what we will do and i am confident other european governments will want to do the same. The Prime Minister flippantly said in her article 50 speech that we will be leaving eu institutions but not europe, as if that was a good thing. The Aviation Safety Agency plays a crucial role in excluding any aircraft or company that have poor Safety Records from european airspace, safeguarding the security and well being of people right across the continent. Now that negotiations are underway, this government has a duty to passengers in the Aviation Sector to tell us if the uk will be a participant or are they happy to compromise our economy and passenger well being to achieve their Little Britain hard brexit . In the friendliest possible spirit, there is no danger of her suffering ill health as a result of excessive hurry. Secretary of state. Well, that may be, mr speaker, but the honourable lady does speak an awful lot of nonsense. Laughter. We do not pursue, we do not and are not pursuing a Little Britain strategy. We are looking to build our role in the world. Aviation will be an important part of that which is why we are expanding heathrow airport, seeking to expand heathrow airport, subject to the consultation happening at the moment, and we will, of course, bring forward to this house and to this country our proposals in due course. Many of these International Bodies went beyond the eu, he added, and the uk would continue to play a role in them. Last year, the speaker announced a new initiative called the speakers democracy award. It enables the commons to recognise individuals who have championed democracy in some way. John bercow has announced the first winner of the award. Im pleased to be able to tell the house that marvi memon mp is the winner in this, the inaugural year of the award. Ms memon is a pakistani politician who is the current chairperson of the government of pakistans benazir income support programme, the bisp, and an elected member of the National Assembly of pakistan. Ms memon has prompted a substantial and impressive programme of empowerment through her bisp work by giving over 5. 3 million of the poorest women a modest stipend for essentials such as food, clothing, health care and education. Its hoped that marvi memon will visit parliament to collect the award in person. Youre watching thursday in parliament, with me, kristiina cooper. There have been distressing stories of Animal Cruelty in the commons as mp5 called for an increase in penalties for offenders in england. They want the maximum sentence for offences to be increased to five years. Its currently six months. There were examples of what some people have done to animals and what punishment they received. A young fox had a habit of going to the large supermarket every night to hunt for food. The fox was caught by a gang of boys from my own constituency. They caught it by the tail, hurled it round and round, smashed its head against the wall several times and then stamped on its head. The punishment for that, well, it was hardly punishment at all, so i think its absolutely necessary to increase the penalties for people who impose that kind of cruelty on animals. A small dog named scamp was found buried alive in the woods near redcar on the 19th Of October with a nail hammered into its head. In february Michael Heathcock and Richard Finch pleaded guilty to offences under the Animal Welfare act and they were sentenced to four months, meaning they will probably serve just eight weeks in prison. Not enough time for reflection, punishment or rehabilitation. The people of my constituency have been horrified by these cases and its important for me to pay tribute to their response. After hearing of the incident and others, they held vigils with hundreds of people coming to light candles and send their messages loudly and defiantly. There are also plans for a dog park to be built in their memory. The perpetrators do not represent our community. People in redcar are decent and kind. I know passionate Animal Lovers and i meet many dog lovers as i walk my own dog but my constituents are angry. They feel the Criminaljustice System has let them down and that is why i am standing here today. The current penalties for Animal Welfare in england are too low, far too low. The maximum sentence of Animal Cruelty is six months in prison and an unlimited fine. Will he take an intervention from me . I will. I agree with him and his motion but part of the problem is persuading courts even to impose those minimum sentences that are far too low. I thank him for his intervention. He is right. I feel if we had a larger sentence and there was more flexibility in the courts when you have the worst of cases, the magistrates would have that ability to make that sentence but hes right, sometimes there is not enough sentencing, a long enough sentence even in the amount at the moment. I know from working in psychology that there is certainly a link between cruelty to animals and psychopathy and cruelty to humans, so this must be taken seriously in terms of Animal Welfare but also in thinking of the impact on other victims of cruelty because these individuals are Practising Cruelty on animals which they will then transfer on to humans. At present the maximum penalty for such offences is six months in prison or an unlimited fine or both, and the unlimited fine was only raised from £20,000 in 2015. In Addition Offenders can be disqualified from owning animals or having influence over the way an animal is kept for as long as the court sees fit and this is an important point and moves on from owning an animal to things like transport. Lord gardner, i know, is in regular contact with the Ministry Ofjustice to discuss maximum sentences. Current sentencing for such offences does not suggest the courts are Finding Sentencing powers inadequate, which is to say that changing the maximum sentence will not make a difference if courts consider a lower sentence appropriate, but i can inform the house that the Sentencing Council has recently reviewed the Magistrates Court sentencing guidelines, including those in relation to Animal Cruelty, and the Sentencing Councils revised guidance, published on their website, which will become effective from may, will allow magistrates more flexibility as regards imposing penalties towards the upper end of the scale. To the lords now, where the statement made earlier by the brexit secretary, david davis, on the great repeal bill was read out to peers. One remark thats often made about the great repeal bill is that it doesnt do anything of the sort because it actually turns all eu laws into british law. The former diplomat lord hannay made the point in his own way. Would it not have been better to adopt the byline of the prince of lampedusas famous remark in the leopard when he gave a definition of revolution which was everything must change so that everything may stay the same . I think that is probably more the title and i think the daily telegraphs regulatory bonfire may be a bit short of dry kindling. Labour thought that mixed messages were coming out of the government about eu law. Weve heard from the Secretary Of State for International Trade arguing that to restore britains competitiveness we must begin by deregulating the Labour Market whilst the Foreign Secretary wants to use the opportunity to axe needless regulations that have accreted since britain joined the eu. How do those comments chime with the Prime Ministers introduction to the white paper and indeed the governments long standing promise that the same rules and laws will apply on the day after exit as on the day before . So will the minister confirm that it is the Prime Minister who is the boss and that despite the words of the others, there is no intention to repeal those madcap ideas within the repeal bill . I know hell be on his feet for hours on end in the complexities of these and other bills. The advantage this bill has is that although the detail may be difficult, the objective couldnt possibly be simpler. It is to ensure that this parliament, and were all parliamentarians, makes the laws, changes the laws, amends the laws which the people of this country expect this parliament to perform, and thats the duty that in all my experience as an mp, they expect this parliament to be able to make the decisions on their behalf, so all of us who are keen parliamentarians and value the priceless authority we have in either house, but principally in the commons, should bear in mind that this is a wholly desirable piece of legislation. Im delighted the noble lord sees it this way and i agree that although it is complex, the challenge ahead, we need to proceed with some simple principles and as simple an approach as possible. My lords, i confess to an irresistible urge to return to full time practice at the bar because this is a legal minefield. It was the last sitting day for the commons before the easter break. Labours valerie vaz, the shadow commons leader, put aside brexit tensions and tried to introduce some end of term levity. And so to r r, mr speaker. Rock and roll. Recently we had the death of the creator of the genre, chuck berry, and it is as though he had some songs just for the government, so we have maybellene, why cant you be true . Reeling and rocking the government has had some u turns on National Insurance contributions, disquiet about school funding, special deals with Tory Councils and, mr speaker, one for you johnny b goode. Finally, i want to say thank you to all our Civil Servants for all the work they have done when we were part of the eu and all the ambassadors and all the ministers for europe, including the leader of the house, who was an outstanding minister for europe and its because he was so good that i hope the goodwill will come back when we finish our negotiations. And i also want to say goodbye and thank you to david beamish, the clerk of parliament, who is sadly retiring after 42 years. Hes done a fantasticjob, is a great Public Servant and worked closely with our own clerk, and also russell tatum, one of the unsung heroes, a Backroom Person whos worked for both sides, the labour and conservative opposition whips. Hes kept us all going. We wish him well in his new post at the Department Of Health and hope he can sort them out too. And finally can i repeat again, can i thank everyone for everything they did in the last week, and for everyone connected with the house, a very happy and peaceful easter. Goodbyes and gratitude from valerie vaz there, bringing us to the end of thursday in parliament. Ill be back at the same time tomorrow for a round up of the week in parliament. Until then, from me, kristiina cooper, goodbye. Hi there. It was the warmest day of the year so far yesterday, with temperatures reaching 22 degrees celsius in the east, and 72 degrees fahrenheit. It wasnt warm and sunny everywhere. Pulses of Rain Affecting North and western parts of the uk. The rain affecting this part of the country in the next 12 hours. The front very weak, though, as it goes south east. The wettest weather will always be in the north and western parts. However, wherever you are in the morning, it is going to be a mild start to the day. Temperatures around 11 12 degrees for many of us. But there will be some rain around. I think it will be a wet start to the day across South West England and wales. Fairly heavy rain. A few spots getting across the midlands and hampshire. But not amounting to much, and east of this line it will probably be largely dry. The front will be very weak as it moves on later during the morning. Northern ireland, a cloudy and wet note. The rain moves through quickly. Skies will brighten up. A different story here in scotland. Heavier as the day goes by, with some strengthening winds in the north. North west england, some wet weather around lancashire and cumbria, though the rain rather patchy. Cheshire and merseyside as well. As the Weather Front goes across south east england, it will be so weak in the south east it will bring little rain. The weather will brighten up with sunshine. And there will be some sunshine for a time in Northern Ireland. Temperatures on the mild side, 22 degrees. Then, during the night time, well, low pressure will be swinging towards the south west approaches, bringing a number of showers across wales and South West England overnight. Quite a bit of cloud elsewhere. Damp for Northern Ireland in scotland. Now, this weekend, mixed fortunes. Saturday is a day of sunny spells and showers. They clear through overnight. Quite chilly. Then a fine day will follow, so sunday the better of the two days for getting out and about. Low pressure towards South West England and wales. That is where we will see the most frequent of showers on saturday. The showers will be slow moving showers, not much wind to push them through. Similar temperatures ranging from ten in the north to 17 towards the south east. Thats your latest weather forecast. Bye for now. A very warm welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to our viewers in North America and around the globe. My names lebo diseko. 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