Prime Minister's Questions: 11 March 2020

Questions from the Leader of the Opposition

The Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, opened by sending thoughts to "loved ones of those who have sadly died after contracting the Coronavirus and those still suffering from the disease." He went on to pay tribute to medical staff.

Mr Corbyn asked the Prime Minister:

• about zero hour contracts and whether he will "finally bring in emergency legislation to guarantee sick pay for zero hours workers to help contain the spread of the virus."
• why life expectancy has gone down "for the poorest women in our society"
• why he thinks "its right that 200 mothers have to prove to the Government that their child was conceived as a result of being raped so they can keep their child tax credits."
• about the gender pay gap, which is estimated to take "another 60 years to close." and why a target has not been set for it to close by 2030.
• whether the Prime Minister will commit to funding councils "the extra £173 million needed every year" to ensure survivors of domestic abuse "get the support they so desperately need."
• whether he will apologise for offensive remarks he has made against Muslim women, single mothers and their children, and working women. He also asked if the Prime Minister will ensure that these "discriminatory policies are reversed by his Government."

Questions from the Scottish National Party's Westminster Leader

The Scottish National Party's Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford, asked about statutory sick pay for those affected by COVID-19.

Mr Blackford asked the Prime Minister:

• what the statutory sick pay in Ireland is compared to the UK? Mr Blackford explained that the Irish government has just raised the statutory sick pay in the country to £266 per work, compared to the UK rate of £94.25.
• if he will commit to raising the statutory sick pay rate to the standard EU level.

Full list of topics and questioners

• Conservative MP, Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) asked if the Prime Minister will list his official engagements for Wednesday 11 March.
• Conservative MP, Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) if the Prime Minister will meet him and other colleagues with rural farming constituencies to discuss how to support farmers and growers in trade deals, to provide them with more opportunities to produce even more food under high animal and environmental welfare? 
• Conservative MP, Antony Higginbotham (Burnley) if the Prime Minister agree that technological advances in the NHS are paramount to providing the best level of patient care, and will he work with me to keep Burnley at the cutting edge of that health revolution?
• Labour MP, Alex Davies-Jones (Pontypridd) if the Prime Minister today confirm exactly what steps he is taking to ensure that overseas consultants will apply for NHS visas to work in all our hospitals? 
• Conservative MP, Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East) If he will make it his policy to introduce an ex gratia scheme to compensate war widows who had their war widow's pension withdrawn on cohabitation or remarriage.
• Labour MP, Naz Shah (Bradford West) if he will say what he is doing to assure Britain’s Muslims that their Prime Minister is not an Islamophobe and takes their concerns seriously?
• Conservative MP, Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster) if he agrees with and whether he will support her campaign calling for a review of the new-born baby screening programme?  
• Plaid Cymru MP, Hywel Williams (Arfon) what will he do to help the self-employed during this coronavirus crisis?
• Conservative MP,Jane Hunt, (Loughborough) if he will join her in congratulating the mighty Loughborough swim team on their five gold medal haul at the McCullagh international open league last month.
• Scottish National Party MP, Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire) if he will  explain why he is so singularly unpopular in Scotland?
• Conservative MP, Peter Gibson, (Darlington) if he stands with the people of Darlington to prevent the removal of Locomotion No. 1, the world’s first passenger steam engine.
• Labour MP, Rachel Hopkins (Luton South) if he agrees that it is wholly unacceptable that families are in work but children are growing up in poverty? Will he commit to ending poverty pay?
• Conservative MP, Suzanne Webb  (Stourbridge) if the Prime Minister will support her to ensure that we keep the focus on the regeneration and remediation of brownfield sites?
• Scottish National Party MP, Allan Dorans (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) if he will show his support for veterans’ mental health today by initiating an urgent review of that redistribution of this critical funding, so that we can stop life-changing and often life-saving services being lost? 
• Conservative MP, Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) if he agrees that the Budget is a historic moment for levelling up our economy and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to succeed, especially in Stoke-on-Trent?
• Labour MP, Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) if he will make sure that banks that were bailed out by the taxpayer now play their part in supporting businesses and their workers in their hour of need?
• Conservative MP Fay Jones (Brecon and Radnorshire) if he will confirm that this Government’s £1 billion deal with mobile phone providers will boost 4G right across the country, and especially in mid-Wales?
• Scottish National Party MP, Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) if he will instruct an inquiry to listen to those families who've experienced avoidable deaths linked to failures in the UK social security system?
• Conservative MP, Mike Wood (Dudley South) if he will work with Andy Street to ensure that the west midlands continues to get the investment in skills and infrastructure that it needs to power the midlands engine?
• Labour MP, Zarah Sultana (Coventry South) if he will act before it is too late and introduce decent sick pay for every worker in Britain.
• Conservative MP, Selaine Saxby (North Devon) if he agrees that the great south-west has a fantastic opportunity to become the first region to become not just net zero but net negative? And whether he will assure him that that will be a top priority in the levelling-up agenda?
• Liberal Democrat MP, Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) if he will give some assurance that the very welcome Government support for the space industry will be allowed to follow the best commercial and technical options, and confirm that those in companies such as Lockheed Martin are the people best placed to make such judgments? 
• Conservative MP, Andy Carter (Warrington South) if he will join in commending the work of the Peace Foundation work, and agree to ensure that its funding continues? 
• Liberal Democrat MP, Rt Hon Sir Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton) on the shortage of nurses and vacancies in the care sector.

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Image: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor