Speaker, we know how well, mr speaker, we know how vital bus services are for communities right across the country. That is why we are providing devon with £17 million to deliver better bus services. And we introduced the £2 fair bus cap. But i know my honourable friend, the secretary of state for transport, was recently visiting my honourable friend, seeing the benefits of reopening barnstaple bus station. And its clear that the local liberal democrats should just get on and do it. We now come to the leader of the opposition, keir starmer. Can i too welcome the postmasters in the gallery in their quest for justice . And, mr speaken their quest for justice . And, mr speaker, this week we marked 35 years since the disaster at hillsborough and the enduring courage and determination of the families must be marked by the passing of a hillsborough law. Yes. Mr speaker, we also lost lord richard rosser, a lifelong member of the labour party. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his wife, sheena. His family and friends. Mr speaker, i am privileged to be the proud owner of a copy of the former Prime Ministers new book. Its a rare unsigned copy. Its quite that. Its the only unsigned copy. Its quite the read, she claims the tory partys disastrous kamikaze budget that triggered chaos for millions was her words , the millions was her words, the happiest moment of her premiership . Has the prime premiership . Has the Prime Minister met anyone with a mortgage who agrees . Mortgage who agrees . Well, mr speaker, all id say is he ought to spend a bit less time reading that book and a bit and a bit more and a bit more time reading the deputy leaders tax advice. Oh i think well have less knocking. Oh. Oh. I want to get through. Pmqs. I want to get through. Pmqs. Keir starmer. I want to get through. Pmqs. Keir starmer. Mr speaker. Mr keir starmer. Mr speaker. Mr speaker , weve got a billionaire speaker, weve got a billionaire Prime Minister and a billionaire promised both, both of whose families have used schemes to avoid millions of pounds of tax smearing. Smearing. A working class woman i know. A working class woman i know. And the Prime Minister the former Prime Minister has a long list of people to blame for the economic misery. They dont want to hear it. They made her Prime Minister a millions of people are paying the price. Shes got are paying the price. Shes got a long list of people to blame. She blames the governor of the bank of england , the treasury, bank of england, the treasury, the office for budget responsibility and the american president is blamed. At one president is blamed. At one point, we even learn that the poor old lettuce was part of the deep state. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that its actually much simpler than that . It was the tories unfunded tax cuts , tens of billions of pounds cuts, tens of billions of pounds of unfunded tax cuts that crashed the economy and left millions paying more on their mortgages. Wasnt it . Mortgages. Wasnt it . Mr mr speaker, everyone knows that two years ago, i wasnt afraid to repeatedly warn about what her economic policies would lead to, even if it wasnt what people wanted to hear at the time. Mr speaker , i was right. Time. Mr speaker, i was right. I was right then. But im also right now when i say that his economic policies would be a disaster for britain, he would send inflation up, mortgages up, and taxes up , send inflation up, mortgages up, and taxes up, and working people would pay the price. This would pay the price. This appreciate the Prime Minister having the stomach to say it out loud , but everyone knows its loud, but everyone knows its the tory partys obsession with wild, unfunded tax cuts that crashed the economy. We know it. He knows it. They know it, and the whole country is living it. So know it, and the whole country is living it. So when know it, and the whole country is living it. So when is he is living it. So when is he finally going to learn the lesson from his predecessors mistakes and explain where the money is coming from for his own completely unfunded £46 billion promise to scrap National Insurance . Mr insurance . Mr mr speaker, mr speaker, when my predecessor was running for leader, to use his words , i did leader, to use his words, i did have the stomach to argue out loud about her economic policies, had the conviction to say that they were wrong, but not once, but twice. He tried to not once, but twice. He tried to make his predecessor, Prime Minister despite despite him opposing nato and trident, ignonng opposing nato and trident, ignoring anti semitism and siding with our enemies. Its clear what he did. He put his own interests ahead of. Britains. I think actually, when he was running for Prime Minister for leader, he was explaining how he was funnelling money from poor areas pay it into richer areas to pay it into richer areas. We know what his record is , but i notice hes not is, but i notice hes not denying the £46 billion promise to scrap the National Insurance , to scrap the National Insurance, but is refusing to say where the money will come from. And weve been trying for months to get to the bottom of this, so now is his chance. No more spin , no his chance. No more spin, no more waffle, no more diversion. I know that will be difficult. I know that will be difficult. He can either. Mr speaker , this he can either. Mr speaker, this is the choice. He can either cut state pension or the nhs that National Insurance funds. That National Insurance funds. That is route one. Or he can put up income tax. Which one is it, Prime Minister . Mr speaker , mr speaker, weve mr speaker, mr speaker, weve just cut taxes by £900 for a typical worker. Weve delivered the biggest tax cut for businesses since the 1980s. But while were cutting taxes , while were cutting taxes, labouris while were cutting taxes, labour is already putting them up in wales , putting up taxes up in wales, putting up taxes right now for Small Businesses in birmingham, putting up council tax by 21 and in london in london, his mayor has put up taxes by 70. Mr speaker, and this is just a glimpse of what they do if they got in power a few weeks ago, he finally admitted it to the sun. What would he say he would do . I quote he said we would put up taxes. Its always the same , mr taxes. Its always the same, mr speaken taxes. Its always the same, mr speaker. Higher taxes and working people paying the price. Working people paying the price. No single politician has ever put tax up more times than he has. But, but but, put tax up more times than he has. But, but but, mr put tax up more times than he has. But, but but, mr speaker, has. But, but but, mr speaker, just hang on. Because he was given the chance. He was no , he given the chance. He was no, he was just given the chance to rule out cutting the nhs or state pensions to pay for scrapping nicola sturgeon. No, hes i was a lawyer long enough to know when someones avoiding the question. So im going to give him another chance. Will he now rule out cuts to the nhs, cuts the state pension or putting up taxes to pay for his unfunny £46 billion promise to scrap National Insurance . Which is it, mr speaker . Ill make absolutely no apology about wanting to end the unfairness of the double taxation on work. Mr speaker, the nhs is receiving record funding under this conservative government pensioners have just received a £900 increase under this government. But if he wants to talk about tax, lets have a look at what labours brand newly appointed tax adviser has to say. This adviser this adviser thinks that supporting pensioners is a complete disgrace. Mr speaker, he believes their free tv licences are ridiculous. And if it wasnt are ridiculous. And if it wasnt bad enough, this adviser has called for increased in income tax in National Insurance and vat. Yeah, it all makes sense vat. Yeah, it all makes sense now. Thats who the shadow chancellor has been copying and pasting from. So this is genuinely extraordinary. Two chances two extraordinary. Two chances two chances to rule out, mr speaker , chances to rule out, mr speaker, two chances to rule out cuts to state pension cuts to the nhs or income tax rises to fund his promise to abolish National Insurance. Order, order, order mr holden, i want you to set a good example. Not a bad one. Keir starmer. Mr speaker , this really mr speaker, this really matters. Hes had two chances to rule out these cuts. Cuts to rule out these cuts. Cuts to nhs, cuts to tax or pensions or tax rises. This matters to millions of people watching who will want to know whats going to happen to their nhs and pensions. It really does matter to millions of people who are watching. So i will be really generous now and give him one last very simple, very last chance. Very simple, very clear his £46 billion promise clear is his £46 billion promise to abolish National Insurance, being paid for by cuts to the nhs and cuts to the state pension, or yet another tory tax rise. Rise. Mr speaker, hes really got to keep up. Mr speaker. Right. Its this its this government thats just delivered a £900 increase to the state pension. Its this government thats already committed to the triple lock for the next parliament. He had six opportunities. I didnt think i heard him say that, mr speaken think i heard him say that, mr speaker. And when it comes to the nhs, youd much rather be treated in conservative run nhs in england, not the labour on nhs in wales. Mr speaker , but nhs in wales. Mr speaker, but its another week where all we heard is political sniping. Mr heard is political sniping. Mr speaken heard is political sniping. Mr speaker, not a word about their plans for the country. Speaker, not a word about their plans for the country. Hes failed to acknowledge that since we last met, taxes have been cut by £900, state pensions gone up Free Childcare has been expanded, wages have risen for nine months in a row, mr speaken nine months in a row, mr speaker, and just today, inflation down again to 3. 2. Our plan is working and the conservatives are delivering a Brighter Future for britain. So Brighter Future for britain. So thank you mr speaker. Mr speaker, you will not be surprised to learn that i very much welcome the £20 million allocated to carlton in my gedung allocated to carlton in my gedling constituency as part of the Long Term Plan for towns. But am eager to see that but i am very eager to see that this money is spent according to local. Know will local wishes. I know there will be consultations following the setting towns ball. Setting up of the towns ball. So will my right friend join will my right hon. Friend join me urging carlton residents me in urging carlton residents to in those to take part in those forthcoming consultations to make are make sure their voices are heard, and to ensure that this money is spent where the people want here. Can thank my hon. Friend can i thank my hon. Friend for his tireless campaigning on behalf of the residents of carlton. Our long tum plan for towns means that 75 towns across the country, including carlton, will benefit from £20 million each to invest in their local area. But crucially, as he said, that will be in the hands of local people deciding on their priorities for the place that we live. Whether its regenerating local high streets, investing in parks and green spaces or tackling anti social behaviour were levelling up across the country and he deserves enormous praise for his role in securing that investment. Snp leader Stephen Flint thank you, mr speaker. This week a former Prime Minister who oversaw a financial crash before being unceremoniously turfed from office, told the public the truth and im not referring to that one, mr speaker, because on monday , gordon brown told the monday, gordon brown told the people of these isles that the forces pulling britain apart are greater than the forces holding it together. So maybe the Prime Minister can find some time this afternoon to perhaps agree with just one of his predecessors. Just one of his predecessors. But, mr speaker, where i do agree with my predecessor very strongly is that scotland would be far stronger inside the united kingdom. Stephen flynn. United kingdom. Stephen flynn. Mr speaker, of course, were gordon brown was also correct in stating that Scottish Independence is not simply off the agenda. And indeed, those remarks were echoed just yesterday by the general secretary of the Scottish Trade Union congress, who stated that it remains an unresolved issue. Mr speaker , unresolved issue. Mr speaker, before going on to state and i confirm and they may laugh at her, but she said that can be a very dangerous place to end up in when you are not allowing people to express their wishes in a democratic manner. So may i ask . Sir, may i ask the sir . May ask . Sir, may i ask the sir . May i ask the Prime Minister . Does he welcome the fulsome , he welcome the fulsome, wholehearted and warm support of the labour party in denying the people of scotland that opportunity to have a say over their own future . Their own future . Well, mr speaker, we did have a democratic vote on that topic. But what i would suggest to the snp is that rather than obsessing about independence and indeed wasting time cracking down on free speech and trying to lock up jk rowling, he should focus on what the people of scotland actually care about schools, hospitals, jobs and our new tax cuts. Him Andrea Jenkins thank you, mr speaker. I abhor a two tier policing system and we must ensure that everyone is treated equally under the rule of law. The Labour Police and crime commissioner, who investigated the bg8 scandal, handed their police chief constable a new three contract whilst the three Year Contract whilst the investigation into the Labour Party Leader and Deputy Deputy leader was ongoing. Now two former labour mps are overseeing the force due to investigate. The opposition deputy leader. The opposition deputy leader. Does the Prime Minister agree with that complete transfer with me that complete transfer apparency throughout this investigation is of the utmost importance . Yes, very important that my honourable friend, makes an important point. A key principle of our country is that there are the same rules for everyone. And when it comes to this topic, i do think the labour leader should show leadership to should show some leadership to avoid. The legal avoid. Stop reading the legal advice, simply just publish it and a grip of the situation. And get a grip of the situation. And it says a lot about his priorities that when comes to priorities that when it comes to his famed legal expertise, he is more to help defend more than happy to help defend hizb ut tahrir, but refuses to help his own deputy leader column. Eastwood. Thank you, mr speaker. Thank you, mr speaker. The recently published conover report makes it absolutely clear that the ira was riddled with british agents from top to bottom. Those agents were involved in abduction, torture and murder of british and irish citizens. The british and irish citizens. The british government, successive british government, successive british governments knew all about it and did nothing. The report also calls for an apology from the government to those victims. Will the will the Prime Minister take this opportunity now to make that apology . Well, mr speaker, as the honourable gentleman will know, this is an interim report. As the secretary of state has laid out, we cant comment on the findings until we get the final report. But we would never condone wrongdoing. Where there is evidence of this. But i will say this also because its not said enough. The overwhelming majority the police , armed majority of the police, armed forces and Intelligence Services serve with great distinction. They defended democracy in the face of some horrendous violence, and without their service and their sacrifice , service and their sacrifice, there would have been no peace process. They helped ensure that the future of Northern Ireland will never be decided by violence, but by the consent of its people. So simon clarke. Yeah thank you, mr speaker. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me . We dont agree on agree with me . We dont agree on everything, but we do agree on this that if anyone wants to see why this government is introducing measures, why this government is intro need; measures, why this government is intro need; nto sures, why this government is intro need; nto ben;, they need only look to ben houchen valley. From houchen in the tees valley. From saving our airport to introducing our freeport to bringing steelmaking back, ben delivers and does my right hon. Friend agree with me that the best thing that ben has done is do this without charging any mayoral tax, which his labour opponent would need do to opponent would need to do to fund unfunny Spending Plans . Fund his unfunny Spending Plans . Well, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the great work of ben houchen, and i share his concerns about the pledges of the labour candidate. Over £130 million of unfunded spending showing that labour cant be trusted. And we all see the results of this. Mr speaker, in labour run birmingham taxes going up by 20. And that is the story of what labour in local government means working people paying government means working people paying the price. And its exactly why he and i completely agree on this. The people of agre