Questions to the Prime Minister. Mr. Speaker. I am sure members will want to join me in wishing people across the uk and around the world a happy st. Patricks day thiscoming friday. Mr. Speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others in addition to my duties in this house. I shall have future such meetings later today. Heu merriman. I welcome the announcement that well abide by the letter of the manifesto and also the spirit. Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister agree with me that, as we move towards balancing the books we must ensure we have a fair and Sustainable Tax system in place . I thank my honorable friend for the question. We made a commitment not to raise tax and we put our commitment into the tax law. The measures we put forward in the budget last week were consistent with those laws. As a number as a number of my parliamentary colleagues have been pointing out in recent days, there is. Order. This is intolerable. The Prime Minister i take you want the importance of hearing the questions and the answers. The Prime Minister. As a number of my parliamentary colleagues have been pointing out, the trend towards greater selfemployment does create a structural issue on the tax base on which well have to act. We want to ensure that we maintain as theyve said, fairness in the tax system. We are going to await the report from Matthew Taylor on the future of employment. Well consider the governments overall approach to Employment Status and rights to tax and entitlements. We will bring forward further proposals. But we will not bring forward increases to nix later in this parliament. Jeremy corbyn. Thank you, mr. Speaker. First of all, can i wish everyone a very happy st. Patricks day for the 17th. In my constituency, in ireland and around the world. Mr. Speaker, weve heard the Prime Minister is about to drop the National Insurance hike announced only a week ago. Seems to me like a government in a bit of chaos here. A budget that unravels in seven days, a conservative manifesto with a very pensive Prime Minister on the front page saying there would be no increase a week ago, an increase was announced. If they are to drop this increase as theyre indicating, then this is a time that she should thank the federation of Small Businesses and all of those that have pointed out just how infair thunfair this increa be and also how big business invades a not of National Insurance through bogus selfemployment. Prime minister. I have to say to the gentleman, i dont think he actually listened the answer i actually gave to my honorable friend. I normally stand here and say i wont take lectures from the gentleman. When it comes to lectures on chaos he would be the first person i would turn to. Jeremy corbyn. Mr. Speaker, i do, i think i think the Prime Minister should offer an apology for the chaos that her government has caused during the past week and the stress its caused to the 4. 8 million selfemployed people in this country. Will she offer that apology . Her friend, the member conway, said so a week ago. Its time that she joined in and said that as well. This measure, if carried through, will create a black hole in the budget. What is she going to do to fill that black hole . Prime minister. If the right honorable gentleman is to concerned about balancing the books. Why is it Labor Party Policy to bankrupt britain . Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, coming from a coming from a government that proposes to borrow more between now and 2020 than the entire borrowing of all labor governments put together, we dont need lectures from them on this. I hope that in his statement later today the chancellor will address the question of injustice of many people forced into bogus selfemployment by unscrupulous companies. Because many of them force their workers to become selfemployed, thus avoiding employers National Insurance contributions. It is a grossly unfair system where those in selfemployment pay some National Insurance, employers do not and benefit from it. That is a gross injustice that has to be addressed. Prime minister the honorable gentleman obviously hadnt noticed that one of the first things i did when i became Prime Minister was to commission Matthew Taylor from rsa to conduct a review to look at the employment market and employments rights and status precisely because we recognize that the employment market is changing. He talks about the self employed. Look at what weve done for the selfemployed. Our increase in personal allowance means they now keep more of their earnings. Theyll have access to both tax free child care and 30 hours of free child care just like employees and now they have access to the new state pension worth over 1800 pounds more a year. What we know from the labor partys policies is that their policies would bankrupt britain, put firms out of business and people out of jobs. Mr. Corbyn. We have a government uturn, no apalology and a government tt falls most heavily on those with the least broad shoulders, cuts to schools, cuts to social care and cuts to people with disabilities that is the agenda of her government. And Everybody Knows it. Prime minister. I am not sure i dont think i dont think the right honorable gentleman has quite got the hang of this. He is supposed to ask a question to me when he stands up and says lets lets lets talk okay. Order lets hear the answer. Prime minister. He talks he talks about schools. What have we done . Weve protected the core schools budget. We introduced the premium. The budget delivers money for over 100 new schools, delivering on good School Places for every child. This budget delivers on skills for young people. We want them to be equipped for the jobs of the future. The budget delivers 500 Million Pounds for Technical Education. On social care, we recognize the pressure on social care. This budget delivers 2 billion pounds more funding for social care. Funding that wouldnt be available with labors economic policies. Jeremy corbyn. Mr. Speaker, it would be a good idea if the Prime Minister listened to head teachers all over the country desperately trying to work out how to balance the books in their schools, losing teachers, losing teaching assistants, losing support for their children because the schools budgets are being cut. She knows that. We all know that. Everybody out there knows that. They also know that according to figures average working families will be 1,400 pounds worse off as a result of her budget thats been produced last week. Can she say what she is doing to help the worst off and poorest in our society rather than continuing cutting local government expenditure, schools expenditure and underfunding social care . Ill tell the right honorable gentleman what we delivered for low paid. Frozen v. A. T. , frozen fuel duty and every basic rate. Taxpayers had a cut and weve taken 3 Million People out of paying income tax altogether. Thats what weve done for the low paid. On schools we see 1. 8 more children in good or outstanding schools. I want a good school place for each child. Weve done it with free schools and academies and the changes we brought forward in education all opposed by the labor party. What do we know about the labor partys policies . Lets see what the former shadow chancellor, the member from nottingham east said. Labors policies would mean doubling National Insurance, double v. A. T. And doubling council tax as well. That wouldnt help the low paid or ordinary working families. Jeremy corbyn mr. Speaker, the difference is, we want a good school and a good place for every child in every school, in every community. Selective education, reinterdougs reintroduction of grammar schools does not achieve that. We want a staircase for all, not a ladder for the few which is what the conservative policies actually are. What she hasnt addressed also is the unfairness of a budget that cuts tax at the top end, continues to reduce corporation tax, encourages bogus selfemployment. What she has to do is address the issues of injustice and inequality in our society and a government dedicated towards widening the gap, not helping the hardup or those who are working selfemployed to try and make ends meet and not getting access to any benefits at the same time. Prime minister inequality has gone down under this government. This budget shows the top 1 of earners will be contributing 27 in terms of the income they are providing. Let me address the issue also of schools. You see, the problem with what the right honorable gentleman says is that on every single education policy that this government brought forward thats been delivering more good School Places for children, the labor party has opposed it. And they continue to oppose it because the labor partys approach is that parents shall take what theyre given, good or bad. We we believe in listening to parents. And is he if he looks ahead to what his policies would produce for this country, half a trillion pounds of borrowing. 500 billion pounds more borrowing under the labor party. More taxes, more spending, more borrowing, a bankrupt britain. That wouldnt give money for public services, it wouldnt help ordinary working families. Its the conservative party thats helping ordinary working families. The labor party is failing to address the needs of the people of this country. He is just sitting there and going on protest marches. Jeremy quin. Thank you, mr. Speaker. As the facts change, i change my question. May i congratulate my right honorable friend on proposing the most radical reform of Technical Education most radical reform of Technical Education in our generation. And also delivering fair funding for all our schools. But may i ask her, as part of that consultation, does your minimum level of appropriate funding for all schools . Thank you. Prime minister he has raised an important point. Its one of the issues weve addressed in the budget, to put more money into skills training, into further education, Technical Education for young people. I think thats one of the most important things we can do, equip young people for their futures for the jobs of the futures so they can get on in life. Investing an extra half billion pounds in englands Technical Education system to do this. He referred to the issue of a minimum funding level. My right honorable friend the education secretary confirmed the dfe heard representations on the issue and are considering these issues but on relation to the funding formula it is a complex issue, its been an issue thats been needing addressing for some time and well look at it carefully. Angus robertson. We once had a Prime Minister who said that the lady is not for turning. My goodness. Isnt it welcome that the Prime Minister has admitted she is for turning with her screeching, embarrassing uturning on national education. Mr. Speaker, only days only days remain until the Prime Minister is going to invoke article 50 on leaving the European Union. And last july she promised to secure a ukwide approach, an agreement between the devolved administrations of scotland, wales, Northern Ireland and the uk government before triggering article 50. So when will the Prime Minister announce the details of the agreement . Prime minister. As i said yesterday and to others asking me questions yesterday well trigger article 50 by the end of march. There will be an opportunity for further discussions with the devolved administrations over that period. When the right honorable gentleman looks at the issue of membership of the European Union and his view of scotland not being a member of the United Kingdom, he is comparing membership of an organization weve been a member of for 40 years with our country. We have been one country for over 300 years. We have fought together, weve worked together. We have achieved together. And constitutional gameplaying must not be allowed to break the deep bonds of our shared history and our future together. Angus robertson. Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister can wag her finger as much as she likes. Last year she made a promise, she promised an agreement. I asked her about it yesterday. She didnt answer. I asked her about it now. She hasnt answered. When will she reach an agreement not discussions an agreement with the Scottish Government before triggering article 50 . Order. I recognize the passions. Calm yourself. I am perfectly capable of doing that without your assistance. The right honorable gentleman will be heard, however long it takes. Hell continue, yes, he will, however long it takes. Carry on. The Prime Minister promised an agreement. There is not an agreement. When will there be an agreement . Does she not understand that, if she does not secure an agreement before triggering article 50, if she is not prepared to negotiate on behalf of the Scottish Government and secure membership of the single European Market people in scotland will have a referendum, and we will have Prime Minister we have been in discussions with the Scottish Government and with the other devolved administrations about the interests that they have as we prepare, as the United Kingdom government, to negotiate a deal on behalf of the whole of the United Kingdom. A deal which will be a good deal, not just for england, wales and Northern Ireland but for the people of scotland as well. And as we go forward in negotiating that deal, i think the right honorable gentleman should remember this. Scotland will be leaving the European Union. It will leave the European Union either as a member of the United Kingdom or where it independent its clear with the borozo document it would not be a member of the European Union. What we need now is to unite, come together as a country and ensure that we can get the best deal for the whole of the United Kingdom. [ cheers ] mr. Andrew turner. Mr. Speaker, this this government is working with counsels and other partners to grow the economy, but despite being in the prosperous southeast the isle of white is 339th out of 379 in the uk competitive index. Will my right honorable friend ensure that more growth funding is targeted at rural areas like the island with many small and microbusinesses to deliver a country that works for all . Prime minister. My honorable friend speaks well on behalf of his quint constituents. He is right to do that. Hes put forward the characteristics of the isle of white. Weve supported the economy for the local growth deal of 300 Million Pounds and the rural sme program. My honorable friend particularly referred to rural funding. I want to make sure that we make the best of the diverse strengths of all britain cities, regions and islands. I am sure that on the island the Business Community and council will Work Together to create the best possible conditions for growth and competitiveness. Stephen doughty. Mr. Speaker, its our two Single Markets that are the backbone of our economy. Yet, the Prime Minister wants to rip us away from one and they want to break up the other. Can she tell me, is it really a price worth paying . The risky and reckless approach she is taking to brexit to foster the breakup of britain . Prime minister the honorable gentleman is wrong when he uses the term that i want to rip the United Kingdom away from the Single Market. What we want to do this is this is im sorry to say to honorable members on the labor benches, this is the same answer that i have given consistently in this house. We want to ensure that we get a good Free Trade Agreement which gives us the maximum possible access to the Single Market to enable us to trade with the Single Market and operate within the Single Market. Teresa villers. Would the Prime Minister agree we can give more help to Small Businesses if we secure the International Agreement we need to ensure that all big businesses pay their taxes . Prime minister. This is a very important issue. Its one on which i think this government has a record on which we can be proud. There is more to do, of course. We have since 2010 in the work weve done on tackling tax evasion, avoidance and noncomplia