time. this is just over half an hour. : we now come to questions of the prime minister. >> as we mark the 75th anniversary, i am sure the whole house will celebrate the

contributions we cherish today. we thank them for all they do to keep our country safe. in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> as inflation rose and tomorrow as will the prime minister tell the house how much growth has fallen during his house? >> the u.k. government has taken decisive action to support families including households in scotland.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm delighted my honorable friend the prime minister has given -- this will secure long-term employment -- [indiscernible] >> we are preserving and strengthening the u.k.'s nuclear production capacity. he is right to say that our domestic nuclear sector has a critical role to play. i know he will continue to be a champion for the industry in

this house. >> thank you, mr. speaker? can i join the prime minister and his comments? they mean so much to our country . jackson's passing leaves a space in our cultural political life that can never be filled. she played many roles with great distinction, passion, and commitment. academy award-winning actor, campaign leader, and an effective government minister. we will never see talent like hers again. one of the prime minister's own np's said britain is facing a catastrophe. >> if we could also write that we do support those with

mortgages and this is why the absolute right economic policy is to halt inflation because inflation is what is driving interest rates up. inflation is what pushes up prices and ultimately makes them poor. this is why a long time before i had this job i was dedicated to the importance of tackling inflation. i said is it's never easy to denounce inflation but we will take the difficult and responsible decision to do so. it is and approach the imf strongly endorsed in their words. >> we may have to spend a week saying he does not want to influence anyone or anything. he knows very well it is a catastrophe. 13 years of economic failure. will the prime minister tell us

how much the mortgage penalty is going to cost the average homeowner? >> as ever, the honorable gentleman is not aware of the global economics -- [crowd cheering] let me tell him in the house what we are doing to support those with mortgages. we have deliberately and proactively increased generosity of our support and established a new duty which will protect people with mortgages, lengthening mortgage terms, and we have spent tens of billions of pounds of supporting people with the cost of living, particularly the most vulnerable. while he is always focused on the politics, we are getting on and doing the job.

>> the question he refuses to answer -- he actually knows the answer to this question -- it is 2900 pounds extra. that's the cost to the average family. he was warned by experts about this as long ago as autumn of last year, but he either did not get it, did not believe it or did not care. he certainly did not do anything. when i raised this a couple of months ago, he said he was delivering for homeowners. how is an extra 2900 pounds a year in repayment delivering for homeowners? >> let's just look at the facts. he talks about interest rates. perhaps the gentleman could explain what interest rates have done in the united states, canada, and new zealand, while those at the highest level they have been for two decades.

what do we hear from the gentleman? he wants to borrow an extra 28,000,000,000 pounds a year. that would make the situation even worse. he wants to ban new supplies of energy from the north sea. that would make the situation even worse, and he wants to give in to unions' unaffordable pay demands. he does not have many policies, but the few that he does have all have the same thing in common -- they are dangerous, inflationary, and working people would pay the price. >> i don't think we need any more, do we? no. while his government is consumed

in more brexit chaos and division, working people are paying the price. this morning, i spoke to james in slb. he is a police officer working hard to keep people safe every day. the tory mortgage penalty is going to cost him and his family 400 pounds more each and every month. that's nearly 5000 pounds. he told me this morning that they decided to sell their house to downsize. they just told their children they are going to have to share bedrooms. why should james' family pay the cost of the prime minister's failure? >> i hope when he was talking to james, he explained that his economic policies would make the situation worse. it is not just me saying that.

the independent institute of fiscal studies says his policies of never-ending debt and borrowing would increase inflation and drive up interest rates, leaving james and everybody else in this country for. the imf prioritizes not what is right for the british people. that is what responsible economic leadership looks like, mr. speaker. >> james and his family would have been listening to that prime minister. their plight should keep him awake at night. 7.5 one million people will be in the same boat. this situation is so dire. what will the prime minister do

to make sure all families don't lose their homes? >> mr. speaker, i know he is reading from his prepared script, but he failed to actually answer my questions. we have increased generosity of support. we did that proactively in advance. we have also established a new consumer duty that would protect borrowers, for example, by allowing them to extend their mortgage terms, and we have spent tens of billions of pounds supporting households' living costs. those are the practical steps we are taking to help james and other families. they are also running three

times over the level we inherited from the last government. >> mr. speaker, i'm sure when the prime minister gets in his helicopter, everything looks fine, but that's not the lived experience on the ground. even now, as mortgages go through the roof, the prime minister is planning to force misery for millions. what does it say about this government that while working people are worried about mortgages, paying the bills, even repossession, the tory party is reporting those guilty of economic vandalism? >> no amount of personal attacks can disguise the fact that the

honorable gentleman does not have a plan for this country. he comes here every week when we are getting on and delivering for this country. we are stopping the votes all while he is focused on the past. we deliver for the country. >> i know you are popular. come on. >> thank you very much. my constituents continue to be concerned about energy prices and energy security. willie prime minister assure me that he will not cave in to the extremists who want to stoppages on oil and taxes on the leadership and instead commit to developing new oil and gas

production in the united kingdom, which will be good for jobs, good for the economy, and make them less dependent on foreign countries? >> my honorable friend makes an excellent point. this weaponization of energy has amplified the needs to create energy security and that is why we have launched a new round. block would mean that u.k. dependence on imports would rise substantially. the labour party's decision is one that puts ideology ahead of jobs, investment, and britain's energy security. >> in february, the prime minister told the house that borrowing costs are back to where they should be. he boasted that we are on track to have inflation down at the end of the year.

given the dire economic reality, it seems he has taken honesty lessons from boris johnson. all of them have upgraded their outlook for the united kingdom economy. the actions of this government and we are on track -- >> can i just say i want people to be a little more cautious of what they say. >> listening to the prime minister's answer, i don't think he quite that he quite gets the reality of the economic situation. how could he? it does not need to be like this. it did not need to be like this.

inflation is sitting at closer to 6%. >> again, i don't think the honorable gentleman was paying attention earlier. inflation is at similar levels to america, canada, australia, and new zealand. the rise in interest rates is a global phenomenon. that's why early i set out that it was the right economic priority to have to bring inflation down. that requires, mr. speaker, difficult and responsible decisions. that's what leadership looks like. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

given the u.k. government's commitment to nuclear. >> there is no greater champion for this technology than my honorable friend, and my understanding is the first phase of market engagement is already underway. the competition will be open, judicious, fair, and robust, and i expect we will select the best technology for the united kingdom. >> four months after the very welcome windsor framework, the

situation is untenable and getting worse every day. [indiscernible] >> can i thank the honorable gentleman for his engagement? i share his frustration, and our focus remains on delivering for the people of northern ireland who respect -- expect and deserve their decision-makers to deliver. i thank them for the framework and how it alive -- allows us to move forward. we have provided over 7 billion pounds of funding on top of the grant since 2014.

i can assure that my secretary remains in close contact with all the parties in northern ireland to clarify what more is needed so we can restore the conditions for executive formation. >> since 2016, cumulative growth in italy has been 4%. in germany, five point 5%. in the u.k., 6.8%. in may last year, exports to the european union where the highest since records began. the u.k. has the highest growth of any g-7 country in 2021 and 2022. the eurozone is currently in recession. is it not time we had more good news? >> my right honorable friend is quite right to highlight the improvement in our economic

outlook, and he is right in highlighting positive news showing the strength in the underlying economy. i know he would join me in saying our economic priority must be to continue to bear down on inflation. before we do that, we are putting conditions in place to grow the economy. we will grow' -- we will grow the country's jobs. [indiscernible] >> can i join my right honorable friend in his comments about the

match? i know the culture secretary is engaging on the topic. i will make sure she gets back to him. >> in december last year, we conducted research on tax acceptance and the research found nearly half of people have been somewhere where pat has not been accepted and 49% have been the place where paying cash was inconvenient. for the prime minister ensure that any entity providing a public service involving payments must accept cash? >> we know cash continues to be used by millions of people, particularly those in vulnerable groups. that's why we will for the first ever time for people's access to

cash and also support businesses that continue to accept cash by ensuring reasonable assets, but as technology and consumer behavior changes, it is right that establishments should be able to choose the payments they will accept. >> does the prime minister believe that the reward for being a lawbreaker should be to be made a lawmaker? >> mr. speaker, there is, as we established last week, a well-established process. both parties have followed the same process. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

i welcome with the government has done in this space, particularly in gene editing. will my right honorable friend acknowledge the work of wilshire farmers? >> when it comes to agri-tech, we are among the best in the world, with fantastic research bodies, businesses and pioneering farmers and growers. i join my hon. friend in paying tribute to all of them. they are getting our support through the £270 million farming innovation programme and, as he rightly mentioned, we are seizing the opportunities from our exit from the eu, including through our plans to develop gene-edited crops that are resistant to drought and flooding more quickly. that will drive up growth and productivity, and create jobs. >> just to recap, during this

parliament we have had one tory prime minister who turned out to be a proven liar, and a second tory prime minister who was outlasted by a lettuce. after this week's pathetic no-show by the prime minister, what one word would he use to describe himself? might it be "weak"? >> what is weak is the party opposite being unable to stand up to the people who fund them and stand behind hard-working families in this country. >> i welcome the steps the prime minister is taking to stop illegal, dangerous and unnecessary small boat crossings, which are overwhelming our asylum system, but i have to raise significant concerns about a recent decision to stand up a third hotel in burton, as well as increase capacity at another hotel by 64%. this is going to have a serious knock-on effect on our response to homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as causing challenges for wider public services in east staffordshire. what further support can the prime minister provide local authorities in east

staffordshire to deal with these urgent concerns? >> this is why we need to stop the boats so that we can relieve the unsustainable pressure on our asylum system and accommodation services which is , costing british taxpayers over 3,000,000,000 pounds a year. our new bill will ensure that anyone arriving illegally will be detained and swiftly removed, but in the meantime we will take action to address the unacceptable cost of housing migrants in hotels. we recognise the pressure this places on local areas. that is why the government are providing further dispersal financial support, but i will ensure that my hon. friend gets a meeting with the immigration minister to discuss her specific local concerns. >> imperial nhs trust described the government's recent decision to delay the rebuilding of charing cross, hammersmith and st mary's hospitals as "hugely damaging for the health and healthcare of hundreds of thousands of people." will the prime minister keep the promise

made to me by his predecessor one year ago from that dispatch box and guarantee completion of new hospitals on those sites by 2030? >> the government remain committed to two new hospital schemes for imperial college healthcare nhs trust at hammersmith hospital and charing cross hospital, and for st mary's hospital as part of the new hospital program. we have expanded the program, as the honorable gentleman knows, to include buildings with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and we need to address those as a priority for the safety of staff and patients. however, we still expect the majority of schemes in cohort 4 to be in construction before 2030. i know that the department will continue to keep him updated on progress. >> the united kingdom sanctioned iran for promoting terrorism, destabilising the middle east, supplying weapons to our enemies and, of course, the proliferation of nuclear weapons. within the past few weeks, the journalist, david rose, has

reported in the jewish chronicle that british universities have been undertaking research in collaboration with iranian researchers and universities into areas of potential military applications, including drone technology, fighter jets, battlefield armour and laser communication. will the prime minister initiate an investigation into this and take action to stop the failure of our sanctions regime before it does any more harm to the national interest of the united kingdom and our allies? x i thank my right hon. friend for raising this important topic. we take all allegations of breaches of export control seriously. my understanding is that officials in the department for business and trade are currently investigating the allegations made in the recent press article cited. we will not accept collaborations that compromise our national security. that is why we have made our systems more robust, including

expanding the scope of the academic technology approval scheme to protect uk research from everchanging global threats, but my right hon. friend is absolutely right to highlight that and he has my assurance that we will keep on it. >> could any of the material the prime minister's government are trying to avoid giving to the covid inquiry cover his tenure as chancellor and his eat out to help out policy? >> as i have said previously, it is right that we learn the lessons from covid so that we can be better prepared for the future. that is why the government have co-operated with the inquiry in a spirit of transparency and candour, handing over more than 55,000 documents so far. there is a very specific point

of disagreement, as the hon. gentleman well knows, and it is the subject now of legal proceedings, so i am not able to comment further. >> despite being world leaders in motorsport, the uk has not hosted a round of the world rally championship since 2019. we now have an opportunity to host a round in northern ireland next year to bring in in excess of £100 million to the economy, but to make that happen the promoters need government underwriting of approximately £1 million. will my right honorable friend the prime minister agree that this event simply must go ahead and will he instruct the relevant departments to work with the motorsport all-party parliamentary group, motorsport uk and the promoters to make it happen? x northern ireland is a fantastic place to host international events. i am delighted that my hon. friend shares my enthusiasm for driving forward prosperity in northern ireland. with tourism being devolved in northern ireland, i suggest that he engages with tourism ni on this potential event, and i look forward to hearing how he gets on.

x -- >> the uk government and his majesty's loyal opposition refuse to face up to the bleak reality that brexit is causing weaker growth and soaring inflation, according to the former governor of the bank of england. the lse says that eu trade barriers have added, on average, £250 to household food bills, and scots fishing chiefs are saying that they were sold down the river and scoff at the talk of treaty renegotiation as just spin. with such colossal failures stacking up and the former pm, who played a leading role in the leave campaign, finally exposed as a serial liar, will the current pm apologise to my constituents in edinburgh north and leith? >> i just point out to the hon. lady, as she is going on about the eu and us leaving it, that we have actually grown faster than france and italy since we left the single market, our

exports have grown by 25% just since covid and, as we heard from my right hon. friend the member for north somerset earlier, every single international organisation has upgraded its forecast for uk economic growth. that is because we have the right priorities to drive growth, create jobs and spread opportunity in every part of our united kingdom. x hospices across the uk provide not only quality, but compassionate care to people at the end of their lives, including mountbatten hospice in my constituency, which looked after my office manager sue hall when she passed away in march. that is why i and her son-in-law, miles rogers, will be skydiving to raise money on saturday. we have raised £6,000 so far. the prime minister should feel free to donate to the campaign, but will he send his best wishes to all hospice workers across the united kingdom? >> can i join with my honorable friend in wishing miles good luck this weekend as he raises money, and in paying tribute to all our incredible hospice volunteers and workers across

the country. they do a fantastic job in all our constituencies at a very difficult time in families' lives, and we all owe them an enormous amount of thanks. x half of us, sadly, will get -- >> half of us, sadly, will get cancer at some point during our lives and half of those with cancer will need radiotherapy treatment, yet 3.5 million people in this country live in radiotherapy deserts where they do not have close access to that treatment. that includes my constituency, where my constituents living in westmorland have to take three-hour round trips every day to get lifesaving treatment. will the prime minister back our proposal for a satellite radiotherapy unit at westmorland general hospital in kendal, and all the other members living in radiotherapy deserts to bring radiotherapy close to their communities, too? like the hon. gentleman, i know that access to healthcare in rural areas is particularly important, given the distances that our rural constituents have to drive. that is why we remain committed to expanding the range of diagnostic services that are available through our proposal to roll out community diagnostic

centres. the record-breaking capital budget that we have in the nhs is delivering that. i look forward to the department's engaging with him on his plans for his local area. the bank of england is raising interest rates to try to stem spending and therefore preventing inflation from being baked into the economy. the same cannot be said for those with savings accounts. would it not be good for people to be encouraged and incentivised to save more? will my right hon. friend and the chancellor talk to the industry and encourage them or impel them to give a good deal to savers too? >> can i think my honorable friend? because she raises an excellent point. it is vital that savers are treated fairly and that markets function as competitively as we

would expect them to. i am pleased to tell her that my right hon. friend the chancellor is meeting the industry and the banks this friday to discuss the matter she has raised, and will make sure that she and everyone else gets an update after that.