The world has reached the point of Climate Change crisis, Sir David Attenborough has told the bbc. He said countries had been dodging their commitments for too long. Sir david added that it is palpable nonsense for politicians to suggest the australian fires are nothing to do with global warming. The impeachment of donald] trump has formally begun in the us senate, with democrats setting out nine pages of allegations against him. The president is accused of violating the constitution by pressing ukraine to investigate a political rival. Opening statements are due to take place on tuesday. Prince harry has appeared at his first royal engagement since he and his wife meghan announced they would be stepping back from their roles as senior royals. The prince was at Buckingham Palace to host the draw for next years Rugby League World cup. Now on bbc news,
thursday in parliament. Welcome to thursday in parliament. A new dealfor Northern Ireland but mps say, show us the money what we cannot now do is see this process frustrated by the penny pinching attitude by the chancellor. The Northern Ireland secretary hails the extra cash. This is the best financial deal of any Northern Ireland talk settlement, £2 billion. Also in this programme, will big ben long for brexit . Spoiler alert. There has been a suggestion
that the cost of striking the bell could be covered by donations from the public. This would be an unprecedented approach. All that to come and more. But first, the Northern Ireland executive is back in business. Devolution has been restored after three years of deadlock. On monday, the Prime Minister visited stormont to mark the return of power sharing after a deal that ended the stand off between the dup and sinn fein. But, when the Northern Ireland secretary made a statement to mps, he faced questions about the details of the deal, its funding, and whether it would last. Rejecting allegations of penny pinching, he defended the settlement, but also warned the local parties about the stringent conditions attached to the financial package. We will be providing the restored executive with a £2 billion financial package that delivers for the people of Northern Ireland and supports this deal. The uk government financial commitment represents the biggest
injection of new money in a Northern Ireland talks deal in well over a decade. This funding has already allowed the executive this morning to pledge to deliver pay parity for nurses in Northern Ireland, the first such intervention in the devolved area, and which has ended a nurses strike. But his labour shadow said both the first minister and deputy first minister had written to say the funding was not adequate. This is a really important moment in the history of our two islands. It really is important. The restoration of the executive, the secretary of state tells us, is something he deserves enormous credit for. What we cannot now do is see this process frustrated by the penny pinching attitude by the chancellor and the Prime Minister who will not accept the consequences. Secretary of state, i have to say directly to you, youve got to do better, youve got to go back to other government ministers and say, we now need to see the resources made available. This is the best financial deal of any Northern Ireland talk settlement, £2 billion. The right honourable gentleman refers to a letter that has been written by the two first ministers. Ive seen the letter and ive seen the reply, and that reply points out that this is an injection for this talks process, i billion of new money, i billion of funding up front, a guarantee. We then have the annual budget, in march, uk budget, and we have a dealfor brexit. So the key task for this executive now is to focus on its priorities. Mr speaker, the government is committed to no hard border between Northern Ireland and the republic of ireland. It also says in this document, this plan that has been put forward in the annex, that the uk government will legislate to guarantee
unfettered access to Northern Irelands businesses to the whole of the uk internal market. On the assumption that that unfettered access is as unfettered as it is today, what are the implications of these commitments for the future trade deal between the uk and the European Union . This deal above all is guaranteeing the executive a seat at the table as we implement our brexit deal. It also underscores our commitment to ensuring in law unfettered access of goods from ni to gb. And it also reconfirms the fact that all arrangements for Northern Ireland in our brexit deal are subject to the consent of the Northern Ireland assembly. In the agreement and in the secretary of states statement today, the uk government commits to a new deal for Northern Ireland in the context of it being dragged out of the eu against its will. So i wonder if the secretary of state is able to detail for the house now a bit more fully what this new deal will involve . When the executive comes forward with its programme for government, as it works through the course of the coming months, we need to stand ready to assist them. The executive, though, needs to take a different approach than it has historically. It needs to reform. Were setting up a board, as i said, were looking at how we encourage greater productivity. I was disappointed to hear this week that rates have been ruled out, water rates have been ruled out. The executive needs to look at his own revenue raising measures, as well as coming to the uk exchequerfor cash. The dup welcomed the deal, but questioned their finances. The funding issue has already been raised by the opposition frontbench, and we are concerned that if this deal is to work and devolution is to be effective in Northern Ireland, then the resources need to be there in order to ensure sustainability. Julia smith said Northern Ireland received 20 more funding than the rest of the uk,
but another party now in government in belfast had questions too. Many people are sceptical that the reforms do not go far enough, but nonetheless are prepared to give it a go. Can you give us a reassurance that if things do not work out correctly the government will look at this again and also to recognise that our society transforms most people there are no longer identifies as either unionist or nationalist, and that has to be recognised in the institutions . Mps wanted to know how the settlement would be made sustainable. Now that we have the executive re established, it is important it remains there, that it continues to serve the people of Northern Ireland, that we have that local decision making. Can my right honourable friend comment on the steps that are being taken and will be taken in the future to ensure that the executive, that the devolved government in Northern Ireland, remains, and remains serving its people . By way of analogy, if parties do not turn up to this house, or if people resign or if there is a disagreement,
we do not collapse parliament. So will he look at how it might be in Northern Ireland that changes are introduced, working with local parties, to ensure that regardless of what agreements may be, we cannot see the institutions collapse again . There are a series of commitments, mr speaker, in this deal agreed by the parties which will require certain bits of legislation in the assembly that will ensure, in my view, that we should never have to have the loss of the assembly and the executive as we have had in the last three years again. Julian smith. Now for culture questions, without the culture secretary. Its not unheard of for a secretary of state to miss his or her departmental question time, but rarely is it because the minister is no longer actually a member of the commons . Nicky morgan is the culture secretary, but she stood down at the last election as mp for loughborough. She is now lady morgan of cotes, and she will carry out her role from the house of lords. Her absence was noted. Can i also use this opportunity
to congratulate my former right honourable friend for loughborough for her elevation to the other place . We continue to work can i say we do continue to work very closely. She is still the secretary of state, and its good to see her watching over us with a beady eye here this morning. Lady morgan was sitting in the gallery above the chamber. Could the minister confirm that press reports are correct and the government will imminently respond to the online harms white paper, and we can expect to see a government bill in this parliament as well . I would be happy to accept the answer at the box, or a positive hand gesture in the gallery. You will have to settle for an answer from the box. We are committed to making the uk the safest place to be online, and the best Digital Economy in the world. As the Prime Minister said,
we are developing proposals at pace and we will bring forward a bill as soon as possible. On thursday, the head of Mental Health services in england wrote to five major Gambling Companies demanding urgent action on tackling gambling addiction. My father used to enjoy a weekly ten bob yankee down at the bookies, but he would have been appalled at the sheer volume of advertising, the dodgy practices that are going on in picking on Vulnerable People in relation to gambling. Yet the government seems to be following rather than leading events, with todays intervention from the nhs leadership to add to that. When is the government actually going to introduce a new gambling bill that is so long overdue . Can he tell us right now . Im slightly surprised by the tone of the honourable gentlemans question. The government has been taking
steady steps to increase protections to make sure that people can gamble safely, unlike, actually, previous labour administrations which oversaw huge liberalisation of gambling. As he is im sure well aware, as we committed to in our manifesto, we will be launching a review of the gambling act, and work is going on right now to identify the scope and timeframe of that review. The snp wanted to ask about President Trumps threats to attack irans cultural sites. Any attack on one of these sites is an attack on our shared global history, but when we have President Trump tweeting one thing and his advisers saying the opposite, can we really trust the assurances that these sites will not be targeted in conflict . The targeting of cultural sites is in contravention of severalInternational Conventions to which the us is party, including the World Heritage convention and the 1954 hague convention. The foreign secretary was very clear that we expect these conventions to be adhered to. I am sure we are all very comforted to know that the secretary of state is watching us from the gallery. But next time the minister of state sees the secretary of state, now elevated to the lords and beyond the reach of elected members down here, to follow on from the questions from my colleagues, will he ask if she has had a Firm Guarantee from President Trump that he has withdrawn this threat . Has he withdrew under threat . Its not enough to condemn. Has he withdrawn that threat . Well, this feels slightly repetitive in the questions from the Scottish National party. I think the United States can speak for themselves on their policy towards heritage sites, but as i have said,
the foreign secretary was very clear that we expect the International Conventions to be adhered to. But there were still rumblings about the fact that mps would not be able to question the secretary of state directly. Later, the leader of the commons was taken to task on the matter. Its not common but the secretary of state at departmental questions to be in a position where she can be seen but not heard. While the select committees will be able to question her, i wonder if his office has given consideration as to what to do in a situation like this, whether it would be possible to have a special session, and if you would allow time for the house to debate that to see if that is an innovation you would support. Thank you, mr speaker. There was a report by the Procedure Committee on this matter a few years ago. It is perfectly normal to have departmental ministers in the house of lords. It is something that both houses have coped with over many centuries. I think in terms of reforming any procedures, its a matter for the Procedure Committee to look into again. But there are many means of Holding Ministers in the government to account, in this house yes, absolutely in this house. You watching thursday in parliament. Dont be embarrassed. If you miss our daily round up, you can always catch up on the day in parliament on the bbc iplayer. Labour has challenged the government over social care, asking when ministers plans for the future of services for the elderly and other groups will actually be unveiled. Boris johnson promised before, during and after the election to solve the problems in social care. Debating what the queens speech had to say about health and social Care Services in england, the Shadow Health secretary said the Prime Minister claimed to want consensus. The labour party has proposed free personal care. We have a version of this in scotland and a similar versionNorthern Ireland. A version of wales. The house of Lords Committee which concludes thatcherites along with the former minister, propose free social care. There is a consensus, as the secretary of state and Prime Minister who stand outside that political consensus. If he wants to engage with us on that basis, then my honourable friend the member is happy to engage the secretary of state on that basis but theres already a political consensus. Im very grateful and on that point ijust wanted to ask him, given that his party is undergoing a leadership election, and that will clearly mean no, im trying to say this helpfully. It was really whether the secretary of state has made a commitment to start the process for cross party talks in the next 100 days. Just before that leadership election is concluded. So my serious point is, if we wish to engage in a cross party basis with each implement
the deal proposes is my right honourable friends that were on the basis of the honourable gentleman has just said, is he in a position to start that engagement with the support of his Current Party leader, so that we can make progress urgently, because the social care problems in the country are not going to wait, frankly, for another leader of the opposition, and thats a serious cross party point. Of course we are very happy to engage. My honourable friend who sits shadow cabinet is happy to sit down with ministers at any point. When the Health Secretary said that he too hoped a broad consensus can be reached, he was interrupted. He will know ive raised with him on the october queens speech would be willing to sit down and talk about this, three months have been lost with nothing happening, will be here for the Prime Minister is something will happen in this parliament. What does it use this chance
to say where is the plan . Where is his plan, when is he going to produce it . Well, my honourable friend the care minister wrote to the honourable lady wrote to the lady after the election and we are up for this conversation, as the Prime Minister has been absolutely clear. Matt hancock was questioned by tory mp, who was also nhs hospital doctor. We have a duty in this parliament to resolve that issue that for many decades now has been in the long grass. Will my honourable friend also agreed that its notjust about funding but about what service we want to deliver for people, and the discussions about the future of social care should also be about this delivery and actually
putting together, notjust funding models but a model of delivery that is driven by integration with the Health Service and the social Care Services which we often talk about but has not been delivered for patients even on the ground. Putting social care on a sustainable footing where everyone is treated with dignity and respect is one of the Biggest Challenges we face as a society. And the Prime Minister has said that he will bring, that we will bring forward a plan for social care this year. And the point that he raised is very, very fortunate. Matt hancock promising a social care plan this year. The attorney general came to answer questions for the First Time Since the election and was tackled over the removal in the eu withdrawal bill of a protection to allow the company Child Migrants in the