Engagements — House of Commons, 2018-06-13
Topic: Transportation
Questions: One of the key reasons why people voted to leave the European Union was to get back control of immigration policy, so that we could welcome people to our country based on their skills and talents, not the country they are from. We cannot stay in the European economic area, which we will debate later, without continuing with free movement of people. May I urge the Prime Minister to stick to our policy of leaving the single market, getting back control of our immigration policy and not listening to the many Labour voices who want to continue with unlimited migration from the European Union?; Will my right hon. Friend join a growing number of her Ministers who are very supportive of our bid for a one-off grant of £18 million to repair Weymouth’s harbour walls and improve flood defences? This work—not my wall, Weymouth’s harbour wall. If only, Mr Speaker! This work is essential if planning permission is to be granted to redevelop an important retail and housing area in the resort, thereby safeguarding existing jobs, creating new ones and providing more homes.; Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the number of people who are leaving the Chamber, I feel as though I am making one of my after-dinner speeches. [Laughter.] Youth unemployment in Thornbury and Yate—[Interruption.]; Will the Prime Minister tell the House what actions she has taken to ensure that no further EU citizens who have been resident in this country for more than 30 years will be refused British citizenship, as the former Mayor of Ipswich was?; My constituent Ian has lifelong profound learning and physical disabilities: he is doubly incontinent, cannot wash, dress or cook for himself, has no notion of personal safety and if left unsupervised is at risk. He is able to live independently thanks to the support of his elderly mother who is herself unwell, and by virtue of a local authority social care package. Now Ian’s personal independence payment application, which he needs to fund this care, has been refused on the grounds that he can cope unaided. Does the Prime Minister agree that there is something very wrong with a system that punishes citizens whose only crime is to be born disabled? Will she agree to investigate on behalf of the thousands of vulnerable people who are being made to suffer?
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend raises an important issue, and the experience of passengers of Govia Thameslink and also Northern as a result of the change in timetables and the way that was done is simply unacceptable. It is important that they improve the services, and they have plans in place. I think, for example, that Govia Thameslink is introducing a new timetable that is better than the pre-May timetable and will have 200 more planned journeys. But of course passengers want to feel that they can travel in trains that are not too crowded, and I am sure that Govia Thameslink will be looking at that issue very seriously. The Department for Transport is working with that company and Northern to ensure that we can provide the services that people deserve; they pay for a ticket—they book a ticket, they pay for a season ticket—and they deserve to have a decent journey.