Engagements — House of Commons, 2018-05-09
Topic: Housing
Questions: Does the Prime Minister think that it was the Labour party voting against the abolition of stamp duty for 69,000 first-time buyers, or the Labour party voting against 50,000 extra school children getting free school meals that convinced local voters in the elections last week to vote Conservative as the only party on their side? That is why the Conservatives retained control of Westminster and Wandsworth councils, and it is why they gained control in places such as Redditch, Basildon and Barnet.; Under this Government, the introduction of a total cost cap on payday lending has more than halved the number of people with problem payday loans that are unmanageable. Does my right hon. Friend agree that now is the moment for the Financial Conduct Authority to extend that successful policy to confront doorstep lending?; Over the bank holiday weekend, spectators turned out in record-breaking numbers to watch the Tour de Yorkshire, enjoying the county’s finest hospitality, with images of the UK’s most beautiful countryside beamed to millions around the world. Does the Prime Minister agree that major sporting events such as the Tour de Yorkshire provide significant economic benefits and investment in our regions, and will she join me in God’s own county for next year’s event?; A constituent of mine was born in Kirkcaldy to parents who have the right to stay in the UK indefinitely and his entire life has been in Scotland—his schooling, university and now his professional work as a structural engineer—but he cannot get a British passport, and he tells me he fears the knock on the door that so many Windrush people heard. Will the Prime Minister assure my constituent and the many people like him, whose cases are analogous to those of the Windrush people, that they will get the same consideration and be assisted in obtaining citizenship, with the fees waived?; The Life Sciences Scotland firm Tepnel Pharma Services employs 50 people in my Livingston constituency, who test the safety standards of everyday drugs to ensure that our citizens are kept safe. In its Trade Bill evidence, it expresses grave concerns about the lack of information and the plans for Brexit. I met it last week, and it is fair to say that its concerns have gone from amber to red. The life sciences in Scotland and across the UK rely on a harmonised regulatory environment. Patient safety is on the line and businesses need answers from the Prime Minister. When will they get them?; “Cretinous”, “crazy” and certain other words beginning with “cr” are used by some Government Members to describe the Prime Minister’s proposals for a customs partnership. However, “credible” is not one of them. Will the Prime Minister please explain how she sees it, given that so many businesses, particularly those in the automotive industry, and the likes of the CBI and the chambers of commerce are so against the proposals and would prefer to see the continuation of a customs union affording truly frictionless free trade?; Despite the ever present threat of death from Syrian and Russian airstrikes, and in the face of smears and disinformation, the rescue workers of the White Helmets have never stopped saving the lives of their fellow Syrians. Last week, the Trump Administration froze their US funding. With thousands of civilian lives at risk, will the Prime Minister step up, pledge that the Government will plug the funding shortfall that now exists and ensure that these heroic rescue workers can continue their work?; In the past year, the Trussell Trust has given out over 3,000 food parcels to my constituents in south Manchester, half of them to families with children. The trust says that the Government’s flawed roll-out of universal credit has fuelled the 13% rise in food bank use over the past year. How does the Prime Minister explain the rise?; When the Prime Minister told the nation she was on the side of hardworking families struggling to make ends meet, did she have in mind a Britain divided across the generations, as described in this week’s report by the Resolution Foundation?
Theresa Mary May (Conservative, Centre-right): The question of intergenerational fairness is one that we recognise and one I think the whole of society needs to recognise. We need to ensure, through Help to Buy and abolishing stamp duty for many first-time buyers, that we help young people to get their foot on the housing ladder and buy more homes. It is important that we make sure we have jobs for people, and that young people are skilled, trained and educated to take on the jobs of the future. That is what our modern industrial strategy is doing and that is the best thing we can do: ensure, as we are doing, that we have the policies, through our balanced approach to the economy, that provide the jobs and homes for those young people for the future.