In full Sir Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister s Questions

Discussions are underway with the Treasury to secure transformative funding that will enable us to overhaul our health service ensuring cancer wait times and medical pathways are improved once and for all Well I share the Honourable Member's wish as does the entire House to improve cancer treatment and reduce cancer waiting times for those currently waiting too long There is the Public Services Transformation Fund The first phase of projects was funded last year Decisions regarding the second phase of funding are about to be made but there are also ongoing needs as my Honourable Friend has highlighted As mentioned earlier the reform of how the health service operates is underway We are seeing progress under Mike Nesbitt's leadership but we need to see more Shall the Minister welcome this Thank you Mr Speaker The rise in national insurance contributions is now having a devastating impact on the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland with over a quarter of businesses reporting losses and another 20% barely breaking even So how is the Northern Ireland Executive expected to achieve its goal of doubling tourism within the next decade Is the Chancellor of the Exchequer driving pubs restaurants and hotels out of business The rise in national insurance was a decision the Government made to address the legacy left by the previous administration That is a fact and no one can dispute it e case to put the economy on a stable footing The fact that the Northern Ireland economy overall is growing as it is the fact that it has the lowest unemployment in the The United Kingdom's continued stability is a sign of the fundamental strength of the economy in Northern Ireland Sir Rahal With your permission Mr Speaker I'll address questions 5 and 10 together life's opportunities are established early Although education in Northern Ireland is devolved we must work together That is why it was my privilege to bring the Minister for Early Years to Belfast Recently I visited schools and presented to Northern Ireland Ministers at the East West Council discussing the school twinning programme theme of which is reading for It's been a pleasure and as a new dad I'm currently reading quite a few baby books Thank you Mr Speaker As Chair of the APPG on Inclusion and Nurturing Education I welcome the independent research by Northern Ireland's Department for Education demonstrating that nurture The provision delivers measurable improvements in pupils' behaviour attendance and attainment What discussions are underway to share this successful approach to inclusive education with the e rest of the UK including officials in England as the government seeks to enhance inclusion and educational outcomes for everyone Just last month with the Early Years Minister I visited schools that are truly committed to being inclusive and nurturing for their students My honourable friend is absolutely right o emphasize the profound positive impact this work can have on the children in our schools Judge Southwell Thank you Mr Speaker Does the Minister agree with me on the importance of the Northern Ireland Executive and the government sharing knowledge expertise and best practices How can we all work together to enhance outcomes for children in every school I absolutely do Mr Speaker I've always maintained that this is not a matter of writing a cheque and walking away There is work we can do with the Northern Ireland Executive and we continue to share best practices In fact just this week I wrote to the Minister for Early Years to explore further opportunities for collaboration Greg Reucker Mr Speaker last year's spending review announced by the NIO allocated £2 million to support the integrated education sector Given the variety of schools w Northern Ireland which has long provided an integrated educational ethos will it review that policy to support integrated education in general across a number of schools in Northern Ireland Minister We support integrated education and integrated schools are a vital part of that I recently visited some shared education schools at the Minister's request I was impressed by some of the work being done there but I don't think it's just one path for schools in Northern Ireland Oh Jim Shum Mr Speaker I thank the Minister for his response Minister the Education Minister in Northern Ireland Paul Gibbon has been eager to introduce the measures outlined in the statement The schools have implemented a smartphone restriction on students He has a pilot scheme in place Government here are happy to do the same thing Has the Minister had an opportunity o encourage the Minister in Northern Ireland to introduce a smartphone ban in schools while there remains one member of the Executive and one party in the coalitio I want to put a stop to that The people's will is to ensure it happens I was with the Minister for Education recently This topic didn't come up Naturally these matters are devolved and fall under the jurisdiction of the Northern Ireland Executive But I would obviously be happy to speak to Minister Gibbon as he suggests Sir David Davies Mr Speaker there are currently six Republican paramilitaries facing prosecution for killings related to the Troubles The Commission is already investigating a number of IRA atrocities cluding the M62 coach bombing the Guildford pub bombing and the Warren Point massacre Under the Troubles Bill the Commission will benefit from information sharing by the Irish authorities 2 058 people lost their lives at the hands of Republican paramilitaries during the Troubles Despite That fact only 19 IRA members are currently in prison The Secretary of State laughably claims there was no amnesty under the Good Friday Agreement and he gives us these few e's just talked about Can he tell the House how many prosecutions of IRA members he expects to arise under his Troubles Bill and how many families of people murdered by the IRA will What happened to their relatives Well the answer to his first question is that it will depend as he well knows on the evidence In any individual case that decision will be made by public prosecutors through the standard procedure Secondly he will be aware that between 25 000 and 35 000 paramilitaries were imprisoned during e Troubles for a range offences including murder and the purpose of the reform is to ensure that more families are able to find answers to the questions they still have asking about what happened to their loved ones On the issue of violence during the Troubles era this week my Committee published a unanimous report calling on the Government to formally identify Agent Steakknife The Government have stated tha The Supreme Court's ruling in the Thomson case has implications for their decision but lead officers have stated it does not So what is preventing the Government Naming Steakknife and when do they intend to do so Well of course I've seen the report published by the Select Committee There are ongoing civil proceedings and as I mentioned earlier the Government is considering the implications of the Thomson Supreme Court judgment in relation to this decision I have promised the House that I will return once the Government have made a decision on the request submitted by Sir Ian Livingstone and I intend to keep that promise That concludes the questions A point of order regarding the question you raised Given the insufficient response I received from the Secretary of State for question 7 I hereby notify you that I plan to raise this issue during the adjournment What I would say is—since the hon Gentleman has made it clear on the record—his decision but I would emphasize that I am not going to extend questions regarding Northern Ireland So I’m now moving on to Prime Minister’s Questions but before I do I’d like to welcome the President of Parliament the Speaker himself And I must thank his delegation for joining us today from Estonia Now first of all we turn to Toby Perkins for Prime Minister's Questions Number one sir Prime Minister I just have to say I had no idea the Prime Minister was this popular over here Mr Speaker may I begin by saying this Our thoughts and I am certain those of the entire House are with the two children who were stabbed at Kingsbury High School in Brent My heart goes out to everyone affected by this appalling attack We thank the police for their swift response It's crucial now that we give them the space to carry out their investigation And Mr Speaker this morning I conveyed the UK's deepest condolences to Prime Minister Carney and the people of Canada for the devastating shooting in Tumbler Ridge Mr Speaker I am determined to fix the broken SEND system No parent should have to fight for the support their child needs Today we announced a 10-year plan to repair the deteriorating school infrastructure we inherited delivering more modern and inclusive classrooms that meet the needs of every child Mr Speaker this morning I met with my ministerial colleagues —there have been quite a few such meetings this week In addition to my responsibilities here today I will have further meetings later this afternoon Thank you I'd like to associate myself with the Prime Minister's remarks there The Prime Minister's commitment to 1.5 million more homes will require 48 000 new entrants to the construction industry every year In Chesterfield we're doing our part—the Construction Skills Hub has brought in 70 new entrants into the construction sector and we did see a welcome increase in numbers across the country last year But we need a step change—we need numbers to double So can the Prime Minister tell the House what steps he is taking to encourage more people to pursue careers in the construction industry and increase those numbers to meet the targets needed to deliver on his housing ambitions My Honourable Friend is correct—the task of rebuilding our country presents a tremendous opportunity to provide young people with outstanding careers—and we are supporting apprentices with a record £3 billion budget and we're ensuring that companies bidding for major contracts commit to high-quality apprenticeships here in the United Kingdom and Mr Speaker we're creating 13 000 new opportunities for young people becoming plumbers engineers and bricklayers securing their future and rebuilding this country We turn to the Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch Thank you Mr Speaker I would like to associate my side of the House with the Prime Minister’s remarks regarding the horrific stabbing in North London yesterday as well as the shooting in Canada When he was Leader of the Opposition the Prime Minister said and I quote "But let me say this Mr Speaker let me say this " Morgan McSweeney helped me transform our party helped me secure a landslide election victory delivering the smallest Conservative party in over a century And what's her big accomplishment Making it even smaller The whips have done an excellent job today—this is like the 37th time they’ve successfully gotten the crowd cheering Oh you’re right exactly—they’ve done a great job today We all know they've been unwell for the past week Because let's remember Mr Speaker just last week He told us he had full confidence in his Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney On Sunday he fired Morgan McSweeney Last week he resigned Last week Mr Speaker he was defending the Cabinet Secretary now he is dismissing him What changed The Prime Minister in January she said she had full confidence 100% confident she said with no further defections from her party Hours later the Shadow Foreign Minister defected Eight days after that the former Home Secretary defected The only question now is who's next She needs to wake up—her party is falling apart Mr Speaker the Prime Minister is displaying delusions of grandeur if he believes the issue lies on this side of the House And he didn’t say anything about why the Cabinet Secretary is leaving We know the truth—he’s abandoning everyone else while saving himself Mr Speaker the Mandelson affair was not an isolated incident A few weeks ago he announced a peerage for Matthew Doyle his former Director of Communications Immediately afterward the Sunday Times ran on its front page a story claiming Doyle had campaigned on behalf of a man charged with child sexual offences Yet despite the Prime Minister being aware of this He secured Doyle a lifetime position in the House of Lords regardless Why Prime Minister Mr Speaker Matthew Doyle did not provide a full account of his actions And yesterday I stripped Matthew Doyle of his wit Let me tell you about another step we've taken Mr Speaker Alongside the Safeguarding Minister I and this Government have introduced the most far-reaching reforms and I'll tell you what else we've done—this Government has delivered a pay rise for millions of working-class women What did the Leader of the Opposition do She opposed it This Government is introducing greater protection for women at work And let me tell you what else she’s against—this government getting rid of the repulsive rape clause they enacted Mr Speaker the Prime Minister pretends not to know about Matthew Doyle It was on the front page of the Sunday Times He cannot explain why he granted this man a peerage And I think they should be questioning why they're still cheering for him after that And the Prime Minister you know sometimes likes to claim—just as he did a moment ago—that he cares about violence against women The truth is he only cares about the victims when it's about saving himself They can shake their heads We saw it with grooming gangs We saw it with Mandelson And now we see it with Doyle Isn't that what a former prosecutor would call an established pattern of behavior Prime Minister Mr Speaker I' m not going to take any lectures from the Tories In both her professional and public life she defended Partygate for month after month after month and even now claims it was greatly exaggerated The shadow Foreign Secretary breached the ministerial code through bullying Boris Johnson kept her The Leader of the Opposition promoted her She sits on her front bench Her former shadow Justice Secretary complained about not seeing enough white faces in Birmingham And she was too weak to fire him over racism Nobody believes it Mr Speaker Not even the Labour women Because they know he always puts the Downing Street Boys Club first And how dare he criticize us We weren't the ones filling government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists He can't build a team Mr Speaker He has no plan He can't even manage his own office let alone the country He is now facing a new scandal involving the appointment of someone who campaigned for a man convicted of possessing indecent images of girls as young as ten Isn't the Prime Minister ashamed that this will be his legacy Prime Minister Mr Speaker my legacy is transforming my party and winning a general election And I'll tell you this—I ousted my former leader from the party Her former leader Liz Truss wrecked the economy and has spiraled into outlandish conspiracy theories I removed her from Parliament but she's too weak to expel her from their party Mr Speaker he hasn’t apologized for appointing Matthew Doyle because he refuses to take responsibility — he never does and they know it The Prime Minister is now telling everyone he's never lost a fight That's because he refuses to step into the ring He's never lost a fight He's walked away from welfare reform He won't stand up to the unions He won't stand up to China He can't even stand up to Mauritius He's had Mr Speaker three cabinet secretaries and four chiefs of staff and five directors of communications all within just 18 months And now he's entangled in yet another scandal Does he ever look in the mirror and ask himself is the real problem staring him right in the face Mr Speaker only four people have ever led the Labour Party to victory in a general election I am one of them And she talks about numbers Let us remember Mr Speaker five prime ministers seven chancellors eight home secretaries eight foreign secretaries and sixteen housing secretaries—none of them of any use at all All fail Britain And this prime minister is cleaning up the mess She comes here every week desperately fighting to save her dying party I'm fighting to change our country Interest rates down Inflation Waiting lists Child poverty And here's something else that 's down—the number of Tory MPs Thank you Mr Speaker The government has delivered the funding needed to rebuild the new Frimley Park hospital after the opposition party made empty unfunded promises to my constituents We now urgently need to announce the preferred site along with the investment required to enhance public transport road access and parking Will the Prime Minister urge NHS England to make this a priority and help provide much-needed clarity to residents of Bracknell Forest Prime Minister Mr Speaker delivering the new Frimley Park hospital is a top priority Under the opposing party his constituents were handed empty promises They let down patients and they let down staff We've put forward a proper plan backed by the necessary funding and the trust are making real progress on the business case and I want to see spades in the ground as quickly as possible Sir David leader of the Liberal Democrats Mr Speaker may I join the Prime Minister in condemning the tragic stabbing of two children in Brent and the horrifying shootings in British Columbia Our thoughts and prayers are with the children's parents and the people of Canada especially those mourning the loss of their loved ones Mr Speaker appointing one supporter of paedophiles cannot be excused as mere misfortune appointing two reveals a catastrophic failure of judgment The right honourable gentleman once told this House tha when a Prime Minister refuses to take responsibility and I quote it only serves to convince people that things cannot get better that governments cannot improve people's lives And that progress is impossible because politics isn't working Does he still agree with himself And does he share my fear that this is precisely what's happening right now People in this country millions of them have been let down year after year after year one reason being austerity which his party backed for the damage he has caused this nation Mr Speaker I believe I struck a nerve But I believe the entire house will agree that the Manson scandal has once again demonstrated why a duty of candour is essential for everyone in public office Mr Speaker there must be no further delays in enacting the Hillsborough law into statute following the prolonged campaign by the bereaved families and so many others including the Mayor of Greater Manchester The Prime Minister once said it would be one of the first things he did upon moving into Number 10 Will he finally do it now even if it's the very last thing he ever does The panel report on the Hillsborough case was when I began working on the Hillsborough case That was in 2012 when his party was in power They could have enacted this law long ago and spared countless people a great deal of pain I'm proud that this Labour government is introducing the Hillsborough law Something I've dedicated myself to for an incredibly long time Thank you Mr Speaker As the Prime Minister will have heard me say the Isle of Wight is a fantastic place to live work and learn Despite the Leader of the Opposition trying to hand us over to China he will also be aware of some of the challenges we face in cross-Solent transport including reliability frequency and cost The emissions trading scheme which ironically applies only to hybrid vessels may further increase fares Despite exemptions for Scotland and Northern Ireland the lack of grid capacity prevents full decarbonization I am deeply concerned about the impact on our island community Should the Prime Minister urgently request that the Desnes Ministers review this issue Thank him for his question I understand how vital affordable ferries are to the daily lives of his constituents The ETS scheme will make trips cleaner and we're collaborating with ferry companies on grid connections in ports at enable greener vessels I'll make sure he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister Stephen Flynn Mr Speaker if I've understood the Prime Minister correctly He's essentially repeated the same approach with Matthew Doyle as he did with Peter Mandelson—namely that they weren't clear with him He seems to be the most gullible former Director of Public Prosecutions in history But Mr Speaker there's a small issue—some of us actually read the newspapers And toward the end of last year indeed on the 30th of December having written to the House of Lords Appointments Commission I received a response from the Chair who advised me that as part of their vetting process they provide confidential recommendations to the Prime Minister regarding the suitability of a potential nominee Will he release that advice Prime Minister I've made my position clear He knows how the system works But Mr Speaker he claims he reads the newspapers He would have read that in nine days Their former party chief executive goes on trial for embezzling funds And if he's read about the Queen Elizabeth Hospital we witness one of the worst failures in Scottish public life Vulnerable children and adults are being put at risk Serious warnings directed at the SNP government were disregarded He should have been addressing those concerns not focusing on the newspapers The First Minister must take action because families deserve accountability May I just remind the Prime Minister we don't discuss live cases as it's not judicial Anna Dixon Thank you Mr Speaker Last week I met Nathan a T-level construction student at Bradford College who was working on the remediation of wrack at Airedale Hospital In the last few years Bradford has made tremendous progress in reducing the rate of young people not in employment education or training so will the Prime Minister reconfirm his commitment to vocational and skills training and outline how this Labour government is ensuring that young people like Leighton have career opportunities in construction and other critical industries I thank my hon Friend Leighton's success is a testament to what young people can achieve with the right support We're establishing technical excellence colleges and delivering training places for 60 000 skilled construction workers And Labour is creating opportunities for every young person while building the homes schools and hospitals our country needs—and that’s what I’m fighting for Rebecca Smith Last year Plymouth was named the National Centre for Marine Autonomy and awarded a defence growth deal However the SMEs in the unmanned surface vessel sector Many based at Turnchapel Wharf in my constituency are having their work held back due to outdated regulations from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Last week I was told that draft regulations exist but that they require primary legislation Now without these new regulations many of these vital SMEs developing autonomous vessels Items with dual commercial and defense applications are at risk So Mr Speaker will the Prime Minister show some backbone and consider securing a slot for primary legislation without delay or at least think about including it in the King's speech later this spring assuming he's still overseeing the legislative agenda by then Mr Speaker we are taking action but in the specific case she has raised in her constituency if she sends me or my team the details I'll see if there's anything we can do to support what is obviously an important issue Steve Brace Thank you Mr Speaker The Prime Minister will be aware of Lorraine Cox a resident of Exeter who in 2020 was murdered by a man whose asylum claim had been denied but who remains in the country will the Prime Minister expla What else will this government do to ensure that deportations of individuals who have no right to be here and those who have committed criminal offenses are accelerated And would he meet with Lorraine's father to discuss the family's campaign for justice for Lorraine Prime Minister My Honourable Friend raises a most troubling case and my thoughts as well as those of the entire House are with Lorraine's loved ones addressing violence against women and girls is a vital mission and I’ll make sure the Home Office Minister meets the family I want to be absolutely clear Mr Speaker illegal immigrants who commit such appalling acts should not be in this country That's why we've already removed nearly 60 000 people who have no right to be here and deportations of foreign criminals are up by a third We're also reforming human rights law to enable us to swiftly remove those with no right to be here Lord Glover Thank you Mr Speaker My Oxfordshire constituents are fed up due to widespread potholes especially at the Milton Interchange Didcot and along the A417 serving Challow and Stamford-in-the- Vale yet the government is cutting funding for Oxfordshire County Council £24 million over three years—equivalent to its annual highways maintenance budget The Prime Minister is of course entitled o dig a hole for himself yet why is he cutting funding for Oxfordshire 's roads We've invested a record amount of money into fixing potholes He needs to ask his party-run council why they aren't using that money Douglas McAllister It's a source of great pride to Scottish Labour MPs as Chancellor Gordon Brown lifted more children out of poverty than any other Chancellor before him and it's also a source of great pride Mr Flynn you don't need to step back I can still hear you Your voice is louder than mine Douglas McAllister Thank you Mr Speaker It’s also a source of great pride that this torch is now passed on to our government and by removing the two-child benefit cap we will lift more children out of poverty in a single Parliament More than ever before 2 260 children in West Dunbartonshire 95 000 across Scotland Does the Prime Minister agree that this demonstrates true Labour values in action across Scotland and the UK Well on this side of the House Mr Speaker we know the damage that growing up in poverty does to children's life chances The Tories have pushed hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and they'll carry that burden for the rest of their lives We are reversing the harm they caused Our decision will benefit nearly 100 000 children in Scotland as we achieve the largest drop in child poverty ever seen in a single Parliament Thank you very much Mr Speaker The manslaughter of baby Gigi Meehan at a nursery in Cheadle 21 counts of child cruelty at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham Green within my constituency 56 charges of sexual assault and creating indecent images at a nursery in Camden And just this week Twenty-one cases of sexual abuse at a nursery in Bristol Mr Speaker CCTV was essential for securing convictions in most of these cases So will the Prime Minister ensure that no pare Has there ever been a time when parents didn’t have to worry about their child’s safety while at work thanks to mandatory CCTV in nurseries and a registered childcare workforce Prime Minister may I thank you for raising these important issues And these are deeply troubling cases for everyone in this country The safety of children is of course paramount and we are taking action to keep them safe We are implementing all the proposals that were consulted on o strengthen safeguarding as part of our early years foundation stage framework an expert group is developing guidance on the effective use of CCTV highlighting the importance of this measure and considering whether it should be mandatory early stages I'll ensure she's kept informed as we move forward with this work Catherine West Thank you very much Mr Speaker 126 years ago This House legislated to make Alexandra Palace available for the free use of the public forever And last year Luke the Nuke changed darts forever by rewriting the record books Today Ali Pally hosts World Championship Darts Master Snooker Haringey Huskies and Greyhounds for Ice Hockey plus music comedy drama and more Will the PM today keep the Palace competitive as the international venue for darts by backing my campaign to raise a one-off public-private A £500 million investment for urgent capital improvements Prime Minister May I thank my Honourable Friend The People's Palace is an iconic British venue a home for darts snooker and world- class music It's vital that we support brilliant venues that give so much to our cultural life And that's why Mr Speaker we're providing early £200 million to preserve heritage buildings across the country ensuring venues like Alexander Palace can have a bright future Thank you Mr Speaker Last week Stark Bay was devastated struck by storm damage homes and businesses destroyed and a major A road cut off leaving thousands who relied on it for commuting to school work and healthcare stranded with bus routes disrupted and emergency vehicles blocked and the 300 000 visitors who come annually and sustain our fragile tourist economy are now in question But this is a place that has risen to the challenge twice o defend our country Once when one and a half million cubic metres of shingle were dredged from the bay to construct the naval dockyards in Plymouth And again when it was used as the training ground for the D-Day landings costing 750 American soldiers their lives and also the site of a unique National Nature Reserve home to rare species found nowhere else This storm damage is of national significance so I ask the Prime Minister to ensure that the myriad government agencies and departments involved will collaborate with experts to identify and fund a sustainable solution Long-term solution to the coastal erosion causing so much damage—Order order It's a very important question but I'm sure the Prime Minister must have grasped it within the first two minutes Prime Minister Thank you Mr Speaker I know communities have been badly affected The damage caused by recent storms to the A379 is very concerning I'm pleased she's meeting with the Roads and Floods Minister today I believe We are investing £10 billion to improve coastal and flood defences and I want to thank the Environment Agency staff who are working hard right now putting extra protections in place and supporting people Ahead of further wet weather Prince Corgan Thank you Mr Speaker For far too long communities like mine in Brightly Green have felt that decisions were made about them not with them Fourteen years of austerity didn 't just close neighborhood offices and youth services—it shattered trust By insisting on its implementation in Woodgate this Government is helping residents restore the Woodgate Valley Cafe and so much more What is the Prime Minister's message to my constituents about how politics can be a force for good and that he will never walk away from my community and the country we love Hear hear Prime Minister Well I thank her for her question My message is that I've always believed that those with a stake in the outcome Make the best decisions about their community and I know just how much her constituents want the Woodgate Valley Visitor Centre back open Together I do believe we can make that happen And if you'd like to know Mr Speaker where hope lies in Britain is in our communities which is precisely why we're investing so heavily in our Pride in Place initiative Well said James Wilde Thank you very much My constituents—my mother sister and stepfather—were killed in a horrific dangerous driving crime and a foreign national offender was sentenced to ten and a half years but the family has just been informed that he may be released imminently in order to be deported having served Just three years Would the Prime Minister examine this case and what steps could be taken to prevent such a release given such a negligible sentence Three years for three lives would be the ultimate insult o undermine public confidence in our justice system Hear hear Prime Minister I'd like to thank him for raising what is obviously a terrible case and I'll make sure it's thoroughly looked into f he could provide further details so we can do it as quickly as possible David Pintel Thank you Mr Speaker Our democracy in this House relies on the spoken word But many people with speech disabilities are left without a voice I have a speech impediment So do two million adults and one in 12 children It can strip people of their confidence lead to discrimination and limit our opportunities in work and in public life It 's time to tear down these barriers Can the Prime Minister share with us what this Government is doing to help people with speech disabilities get the support they need so their voices can be heard Hear hear Prime Minister Can I start by saying he is an inspirational and powerful campaigner on this issue And by By doing what he's doing he will inspire others to take the same courageous steps I'm proud that we're increasing the number of NHS speech and language therapists and we' re trialling new approaches of identifying and supporting children with speech and language needs in their early years because I believe every child deserves the help they need to reach their potential My Surrey Heath constituent Christopher was discharged from the RAF in 1966 solely for being gay but despite the Government committing to restoring the medals the berets and indeed acknowledging e injustice faced by those discharged from our armed forces prior to 1967 his case dismissed out of hand with nothing more than a letter containing the track changes from a template at the MOD issued So can I ask the Prime Minister to take a personal interest in this case to ensure it's resolved swiftly and to allow Christopher to march on Remembrance Day as he wishes to have his medals his beret and his dignity restored Hear hear Prime Minister I will do everything I can to ensure that happens which is absolutely That's what should happen This was an absolute scandal with the ban on gays in the military and it's absolutely right that it was overturned but we must follow through on that and I'll do everything I can o make sure that we deliver on what he's asked me to deliver on Daniel Zeichner Thank you Mr Speaker Last week the Government launched a consultation on establishing a growth development corporation for Cambridge and in the meantime Peter Freeman the chairman of the Cambridge Growth Company has on the record said we should aim to be the most liveable city in Europe That's a fantastic ambition one which I fully agree with and I'd ask the Prime Minister given that this will boost growth not just for Cambridge but for the region and the wider economy what more can the Government do o help us not least in supporting that generation of young people who can barely afford a home Prime Minister your constituency is already home to brilliant research innovation and economic growth and through a greater Cambridge Development Corporation we'll invest the powers and resources needed to unlock its full potential I want to ensure local people have their say and we'll make sure tha We create a fair plan with attractive well-connected and thriving new neighbourhoods Tom Tugendhat Thank you Mr Speaker Would the Prime Minister share with me the concern that while some ambassadors retiring in disgrace receiving tens of thousands of pounds in a payoff while many other civil servants are unable to secure the retirement benefits they are entitled to and are forced to turn to their former departments for bridging loans This is clearly a scandal Would he put all his money behind ensuring those who have served with integrity are treated with the dignity they deserve Yes we are taking steps and he's right—we should take further steps—and I think that will be agreed across the House Thank you Mr Speaker The announcement that pubs and music venues would receive a much-welcomed a reduction in business rates is a positive step but in our manifesto we did promise route and branch reform of business rates hospitality and leisure businesses in my Stourbridge constituency are facing a projected £20 000 increase in business rates over the next three years along with rising employment and energy costs Hospitality and leisure play a vital role in our communities creating jobs and spaces to socialize will the Prime Minister consider a similar rates relief package for the hospitality and leisure sectors She's right that we need the conditions for flourishing high streets and it underscores the importance of six interest rate cuts the £5.8 billion we put into Pride in place and the work to put money in people's pockets I'm pleased we've delivered a 15% cut and a two-year freeze for pubs and live music venues that comes on top of e £4.3 billion to support businesses and permanently lower rates for retail hospitality and leisure properties Thank you Mr Speaker and I thank the Prime Minister for raising the stabbing at Kingsbury High School Yesterday It is absolutely right that we allow the police to get on with their job of investigating this terrible atrocity and indeed the police are out there now providing reassurance to parents and members of the community and indeed I am certain I speak for the entire House when I say our thoughts and prayers are with the victims their families and all those who witnessed this atrocity But will the Prime Minister now look at what needs to be done to combat knife crime across the country It is absolutely wrong that people are carrying knives in the first place when they don't need to and indeed they're drawn into this terrible atrocity We owe it to the victims to ensure this doesn't happen Prime Minister can I thank him for raising this case and it's one of the most powerful and important things we do as MPs here especially when there are such terrible cases and he's absolutely right—we must do everything we can o reduce knife crime there are initiatives and steps we've taken to limit access to knives where they are sold we need to do far more work with our schools and young people o ensure people don't carry knives we need to work with the police and law enforcement to make sure these incidents are investigated as quickly and as effectively as possible and I believe that is a shared endeavour across the House Sarah Edwards Thank you Mr Speaker In my constituency the beautiful Grade II listed Chetwynd Bridge The A513 between Eddingale and Alwas has been restricted to cars and light vans since October 2023 forcing farmers to take a 25-mile detour and with severe flooding now hitting Eddingale multiple times a year this vital route risks being cut off delaying emergency response times as well bridges like this have a clear economic impact The Government's new structures fund should focus on communities which I welcome so I ask the Prime Minister to encourage his Ministers to meet with me so that we can find a solution On this matter I want to thank you for raising it and simply hearing her story makes it absolutely clear that we must find a solution so I will make sure to address it for my rural constituents at she secures the meeting she’ s requesting with the relevant Minister so we can proceed as quickly as possible Erbcon Final question Mr Speaker rubbish is piling up right under my nose It's becoming 's It's becoming a serious issue in Birmingham In Birmingham bin strikes have now been ongoing for nearly two years so I kindly ask the Prime Minister to intervene and perhaps speak with the Leader of Birmingham City Council o see if he can re-enter negotiations with Unite the Union Yeah he's right to raise this and we're doing everything we can to resolve the situation which absolutely needs resolving That concludes Prime Minister's Questions Point of order Mr Speaker: Rachel Blake Thank you Mr Speaker On a point of order yesterday a Reform UK MP visited a synagogue in my constituency without informing me of the visit It was a political visit It is part of a pattern that has been observed At a time when we need to work together in our communities to tackle antisemitism this terrible