The latest headlines for you from bbc news. President trump tries to calm fears of the coronavirus, telling people the risk remains very low. He has put american Vice President mike pence in charge. He says of the 15 people there diagnosed with the infection, only one is still in hospital. International efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak intensify. More new cases are reported outside of china than inside. The virus has been detected in almost a0 countries, the World Health Organization says it is deeply concerned. Indias Prime Minister calls for calm as at least 27 people were killed in clashes over the citizenship law in delhi. The violence first broke out between people for and against the controversial new citizenship law. Muslim residents have been falling their homes and businesses fleeing. You are up to date on the headlines. Time for wednesday in parliament. Hello again, and welcome to wednesday in parliament as Jeremy Corbyn attacks Boris Johnson over his response to flooding. The mp for calder valley, another of his colleagues, said, its not good enough. How can the Country Trust a Prime Minister a part time Prime Minister . Sajid javid explains why he quit as chancellor rather than accept a job with strings attached. So while i was grateful for the continued trust of the Prime Minister in wanting to reappoint me, im afraid that these were conditions that i could not accept in good conscience. And mps confusion over coronavirus what you need to know. If you are coming back from certain parts of north italy, you must self isolate even if asymptomatic. But if you are coming back from china, you dont need to self isolate. All that to come, and more. But first Jeremy Corbyn has accused borisjohnson of going absent without leave during the floods that have hit large areas of england and wales. The labour leader said even conservative Council Leaders and mps had criticised the governments response. The two men clashed during Prime Ministers questions, as an emergency evacuation took place when rising waters on the river severn overwhelmed the flood defences of ironbridge in shropshire. Residents were earlier evacuated from their homes in bewdley, worcestershire. Severe flood warnings for the river severn had been issued for both ironbridge and shrewsbury following days of heavy rain. Borisjohnson said he was very proud of his governments response, butJeremy Corbyn suggested the Prime Minister should visit flood hit areas
as he himself had done. When i visited pontypridd last week, i saw first hand the damage and destruction that these floods have caused to peoples lives, homes, and businesses. But the Prime Minister was silent, sulking in his grace and favour mansion. After two weeks of flooding after two weeks of flooding, mr speaker, there are now even memes being produced not asking wheres wally, but saying wheres boris . When is the government going to stop hiding and show people that he actually cares, or is he too busy going about some other business . Maybe if hes too busy, he could send his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings im sure hed be very well received in all the flooded areas. Mr speaker, im very proud of the response the government has mounted over the last few days, and we convened the National FloodResponse Centre on the 14th. And since the flooding has began, there has been a constant stream of ministerial activity, led by my right honourable friends the secretary of state for the environment, the secretary of state for communities, and the local government. And never forget that, in spite of the flooding and no one should underestimate the anguish that flooding causes, and of course it is an absolute shock to the households that are affected but it is thanks to the measures this government has put in that 200,000 households have been protected from flooding. And we dont hear that from the honourable member Jeremy Corbyn accused borisjohnson of pretending to care only when votes were at stake, while his government invested less than half what the Environment Agency said was needed for flood protection in england. He said the Prime Minister should try visiting flood victims who couldnt afford to insure their homes. Recent studies have shown that 20,000 homes are not protected by the governments insurance scheme, or are also not protected by flood defences thats 20,000 homes with no insurance and in danger of being flooded imminently. Isnt it time the Prime Minister found a very urgent solution to this problem . Just imagine what its like to live at a home thats in danger of being flooded, you cant get it insured, and if you own it, you cant sell it or cant move you are totally stuck. They are looking for the government to help them out in their time of crisis. Well, mr speaker, hes perfectly right in the sense that there are particular problems to do with the insurance. I think anyone who has visited a flood affected household will know. Floodray, on the other hand, have provided for over 164,000 households since 2018 19. We are now looking since last decembers events, we are now looking at what we can do to protect households that do not have proper insurance. But he also knows there are measures in place to ensure that a household gets £500 and £5,000 to compensate themselves from the worst damage that flooding can do. And that is cash that we can put
in thanks to the investments that we have made in flood defences, which believe me were beyond the capacities of any government led by a corbyn by a government led by the right honourable member. Jeremy corbyn the Welsh Government have done their best to step up to the crisis, despite the underfunding from westminster. The Prime Minister was keen to pose for cameras when there is a crisis on during the election. But he often goes awol. He was late to respond to the london riots because he was on holiday. He was on a private island when the iranian general was assassinated. And last week, he was with his head in the sand in a mansion in kent. The mp for calder valley, another of his colleagues, said, its not good enough. How can the Country Trust a Prime Minister a part time Prime Minister . Last night last night, schmoozing tory party donors
at a very expensive black tie ball, instead of getting out there and supporting the people who are suffering because of the floods. This government needs to step up to the plate and invest in defences, and ensure there is real insurance for people whose homes are being ruined by these floods as we speak mr speaker, the right honourable gentleman asks what this government has been doing in the last few days. Well, let me tell you, not only have we been investing in flood defences and compensating those who suffered from flooding, but weve been stopping terrorists, weve restored the nurses bursary, we are beginning work on 40 new hospitals, recruiting 20,000 more police officers. And we can do that, mr speaker, because we have a strong and dynamic economy and the Prime Minister accused labour of engaging in narcissistic
debate about its own future. Borisjohnson stayed in his place to watch sajid javid who resigned as chancellor in the Cabinet Reshuffle earlier this month make a personal statement about his reasons for stepping down. Mrjavid resigned after borisjohnson told him to sack his advisers to make way for a joint team of advisers for the Prime Minister and the chancellor. In a measured but pointed speech, mrjavid said he couldnt accept the arrangements as they werent in the national interest. Advisers advise. Ministers decide. And ministers decide on their advisers. I couldnt see why the treasury, with the vital role that it plays, should be the exception to that. A chancellor, like all cabinet members, has to be able to give candid advice to a Prime Minister so he is speaking truth to power. I believe that the arrangement proposed would significantly inhibit that, and it would not have been in the national interest. So, while i was grateful for the continued trust of the Prime Minister in wanting to reappoint me, im afraid that these were conditions that i could not accept in good conscience. Now i dont intend to dwell further on all the details and the personalities. Jeering. The cummings and goings, if you will. Much of. Laughter. Mr speaker, much of this commentary was just gossip and distraction. And now, it is in the past. I very much hope that the new chancellor will be given the space to do his job without fear or favour. Laughter. There were also reports of a clash between mrjavid and downing street
over next months budget. You see, im a proud low tax conservative, and i always will be. Already, our tax burden is the highest its been in 50 years. It is fair to say that not everyone at the centre of government always feels the pressure to balance the books. It was ever thus. But the treasury has a job to do. It is the only the only tax cutting ministry. Every other department has an in built incentive to seek and to spend evermore money. Not that i did that when i ran departments, of course. Laughter. But trade offs have to be made somewhere. I see my right honourable friend for maidenhead is agreeing with that. Laughter. At a time when we need to do much more to level up across generations, it would not be right to pass the bill for our day to day consumption to our children
and grandchildren. He said the conservatives had a shot at achieving wholescale renewal. A chance to put people, place, and socialjustice at the heart of a more human capitalism, and to bring our country together as one nation. Mr speaker, i know that this is a shared vision, and i firmly believe that my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has the tenacity, the energy, and the skill to see it through. I want to leave the house in no doubt that he has my full confidence, and the government my full support to get it done. Cheering. Jeering. Point of. Just sit down. Point of order, Prime Minister. Would it be in order for me to thank my right honourable friend for the grace with which he hasjust spoken, for his immense service to his country in several departments, and to remind my right honourable friend that he has friends and admirers on all sides of this house of commons . The Prime Minister. Youre watching wednesday in parliament with me, david cornock. Still to come why are more pupils being excluded from school . Several European Countries had announced their first coronavirus cases, all apparently linked to the growing outbreak in italy. About 700 people at the hotel and the island of tenerife theyve been confined to their rooms and will remain in isolation for 1a days. The hotel was placed in lockdown on tuesday. After an italian doctor staying there, tested positive for the virus. In the commons, the health secretary, matt hancock, said more than 7,000 people have
been tested for coronavirus, and 13 cases have proved positive. He was questioned about the governments plans and advice and whether the outbreak could become a pandemic. The World Health Organization has warned that countries are simply not ready for a pandemic. There has now been significant spread of the virus across the european continent, italy in particular, but other cases have been identified in austria, croatia, and switzerland. This is clearly very, very serious. He moved on to the situation in schools. We have several schools in england and Northern Ireland shut completely at the moment, for a deep clean after students and teachers have returned from skiing trips. I understand his point about schools should check the relevant websites and get local advice, but is he expecting any advice to be sent to schools from the department for education . And if schools have to start shutting is the government looking at putting in place arrangements for alternative schooling provisions
for those affected . We have issued, repeatedly issued, advice to schools from the department for education. Im glad to see the minister of schools in his place. And we issued revised advice to schools this morning. Our goal here is to try to keep schools open wherever we can. So long as that protects the public. In fact, our wider goal is to have a minimum disruption, social and economic, and indeed to the nhs, subject to keeping the public safe. The message that we do not have a blanket policy of School Closures is a really important one. Unless there is specific professional advice, or unless, and until there is certainly a positive test, schools should stay open, should follow the advice on the gov. Uk website and if they have queries should contact their regional schools commissioner. As for the question of a possible pandemic. There are of course plans in place, in case of this virus
becoming a pandemic. But pandemic it is not yet certain that it will become a pandemic, and so we are still in the face of the plan which is contained. When we aim to contain the virus both abroad and here at home. To prevent it from becoming a pandemic whilst of course, ensuring that plans are in place should that happen. Does he recognise the confusion there is now back if you are coming back from certain parts of north italy, you must self isolate even if you are asymptomatic . But if you are coming from china, he do not need to self isolate if you are asymptomatic . I think that is really causing confusion and we may end up behind the curve, when if containment is going to work you have to be ahead of the curve. As the house knows, i was in self isolation last week, harry horton itv, alerted to me to the fact that there had been a confirmed case in the uk
meeting, which i attended. When i rang 111, at the advice was if i had been in contact with the person who had coronavirus, i should self isolate and if i did not have contact i wouldnt. But no agency could confirm or deny whether i had been in contact or not. Some more work on tracking needs to be done. The situation where parents are self isolating while waiting on testing, should the children be going to school until we know the outcome of that test . Because schools being what they are, there is downed to cause some degree of alarm in that school. Shouldnt the children be kept away until such time as the all clear is given . I think it is best here that we follow the clinical advice, which is as i set out. One of the good things compared to other, similar illnesses, about this covid 19, coronavirus is that it seems much, much less impactful in terms of symptoms on children. That is good news, because for a flu is not only the other way around. So that observation outlines the clinical advice and we need to listen to the scientists. Matt hancock. Back to Prime Ministers questions now which, although it was dominated by flooding, also saw the Prime Minister challenged about andrew sabisky, the downing street adviser who resigned after alleged past remarks on race and eugenics. He was born with Cerebral Palsy and was unable to talk, walk or feed himself. He broughtjoy and love to all who knew him. And last week one of the Prime Ministers advisers resigned when a basic check of their internet history revealed that they had promoted eugenicists policy. The sort that would have ended my brothers life before it began. So can i ask the Prime Minister of the united kingdom, to advise the house, and every disabled person in this island, why andrew sabisky, remained part of his government, and was not removed from deposition immediately, when abhorrent views became apparent . Mr speaker, lets be absolutely
clear that i certainly do not share these views nor are they the views of anybody in this government, and that individual no longer works for the government. Borisjohnson. Again. Mps have held theirfirst big debate on the environment bill. The government says the ambitious plan aims to improve air and water quality, tackle plastic pollution, restore wildlife and protect the climate. But opposition and some Government Mps called for tougher measures. The environment secretary, set out the principles behind the bill. The polluters should pay. That harm should be prevented. But if it cannot be prevented but it should be rectified at the source. That the environment should be taken into consideration across government policymaking. And a precautionary approach should be taken. But many mps thought the legislation needed to be strengthened. One of the issues i think for so many of our communities, is actually appreciating just how severe this crisis is. Particularly on air quality as we have heard from many interventions. Does he agree with me that we need to put the power with the people,
and actually increase the investment in monetary stations and even use refuse lorries, have monitors fitted to refuse lorries to go down every street across the land that would give Real Time Data to all of us . The minister said the bill made a commitment to set a legally binding target to drive down pollution, and he turned to the section dealing with waste. It will encourage manufacturers to develop different packaging and strong sustainability policies making them responsible for the entire net cost of disposing of used packaging. And it will stimulate the creation of alternatives to the Single Use Plastics that wre