Child Sexual Abuse and Inquiry

uck I welcome the Gvernment's commitment to introducing a social media ban for the under sixens followed by repeated calls from our side of this House. Can the Minister outline what steps the Government will take to ensure that the enforcement of such a ban is robust enough to prevent children from bypassing it through the use of mechanisms such as VPN's, which themselves expose young people to additional risks The honouble Gentleman makes an extremely important point, which is we know children will try and succeed in getting round the ban. Our measures are as much about resetting the cultural and social norms for future generations, but we will have more highly effective age verification measures to make this work, and we are looking at the issue in particular of VPN's and I will come back to the House with more on this very soon Before we come to Prime Minister'sQuestions, may I extend a warm welcome to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago and his delegations who are in the gallery today. We now come to question the Prime Minister, doctor Al Pinketter.Qion number one Prime Minister M, our thoughts, I am the thoughts of the whole House are with the people of Venezuela. The scenes of destruction are simply harrowing.r, we have committed humanitarian funding, deployed experts, search and rescue teams, and I can announce today that we will match public donations up to two millions on aid Mr President, in an increasingly dangerous and volatile world, our defence investment plan commits more to investment on our armed forces. It delivers the modern and capabilities our personnel need to keep us safe, meaning we buy British to create jobs here at home and strengthen our international leadership. Sunday marks the seventy eighth birthday of the NHS I am pleased that under this Gvernment, waiting lists are down, any waits are shorter, and we have the shortest cancer diagnosis times on record. I also welcome the agreement reached with the resident doctors to end the strike. so our full focus will be delivering further improvements for patients. this morning I had meetings with Mister or colleagues and others. In addition to my duty in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today Alp can I associate myself with both the condolences and also birthday good wishes to the NHS? Everyone in my constituency of Surrey Heath wants a newew Frimley Park hospital, but the chosen site, the last remaining fragment of the ancient Frimley commommon, is wholly inappropriate. It is inaccessible behind multiple schools and environmentally devastating. But worse, over recent weeks, I have received deeply troubling evidence that the preferred relocation site was known and being openly discussed by local political figures in twenty twenty three before the official site selection process had even begun. The entirely reasonable conclusion is that this project has been compromised from the outset and the site predetermined. I think the Prime Minister would agree that this is no way to begin a multi billion pound public procurement process. So would the Prime Minister please st in the Prime Minister please step in Cion an urgent independent I think the Pre Minister has got the question. President his NHS trust has identified their preferred site for the new Frimley Park Hospital and detailed technical work can now start. Let us be frank about this hospital. The tourists promised forty new hospitals with no funding and no delivery plan, and we have had to fix that. His hospital, thanks to labour investment, is at the front of the peeue. It will be one of the first in the country to be rebuilt But his approach, has been on the one hand to demand a new hospital and then oppose actually building it He has urged his constituents to oppose it because this is his que, If the hospital goes ahead, there will be no golf course Leabour building new hospitals, he standang up for golf courses. I can't think of anything more liib Dem Chel Hopkins. J Mr. Speaker This safe and secure home is the foundation of everything, and access to a Council home at social rent continues to be the biggest issue that my Lon South and Southofshire constituents get in touch with me about. But undernder this Labour Government in twenty four twenty five, Council has delivered the highest annual number of social and affordable homes since nineteen ninety one ninety two Do the Prime Minister agree with me that we must build on this achievement and accelerate progress on Council house building to ensure we deliver the biggest Council housing programe since the post war era Minis I am proud that this Government is delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation Ifacked by thirty nine billion it means we're unleashing the biggest surge in Council House buildilding in over thirty years. and that includes a thousand new social and affordable homes in Lewton and Bedfordshire. and ourur social housing bill will reform right to buy to deliver even more social houses, a Labour goovernment delivering the homes that we need L the opposition can be Thank Mr Pak, and can I associate myself and this side of the House with the Prime Minister's comments about Venezuela and also about the Lib Dance Mr. Speaker But seriously,, the Chief of Defence Staff made it known that the armed forces needed a minimum ofU twenty eight billion pounds more to defend the country. Can the Prime Minister tell us why he thinks half that amount is enoughe Mister, I am very proud that this Labour Government has delivered two major funding increases in just two years in government The first, which was funded by overseas aid took us to two hundred seventy billion pounds over the spending review period., that is a record. The Defence investment planan gives us capability we need for the future. That sets a new record, of three hundred billion pounds over the next four years. That will be invested in drones and autonomous weapons, the largest ever investment strengthening the UK's nuclear capability, upgrading our naval bases in the most significant way for forty five years and confirming our commitment to the next generation of fighter jets. That is what is needed to keep our country safe he did not say that it was enough, and that was a very long list of things that he is not yet paying for. It is not right and it is not fair, certainly not to our troops who put their lives on the line for all of us every single day Three weeks ago,, three weeks ago, the Defence Secretary resigned, saying I am being forced to make decisions that would increase the risk to personnel on operations and could make the country less safe. Since that letter, the Prime Minister has only increased spending by zero point zero We can count, the generals can count, the Kremlin can count. His plan does not add up. How can the Prime Minister possibly stand there and say that this is enough Minister, this is the most significant upgrade in defence spending since the nineteen eighties. The Chief of Defence staff has been clear that the plan accelerates the transformation we need for our armed forces, the first Sea Lord, it funds the capability we need to fight and win. The Chief Air staff strengthens our contribution to NATO, and she must have missed that yesterday, the Secretary General of NATO welcomed the plan. All people who know what' in the plan and welcome it. Contrast that,pe with their record in government, because they hollowed out the armed forces Their record is cutting defence spending. My record is raising it to three hundred billion and rising. Their record is cutting frigates by a quarter, cutting mine hunters by a half and leaving forty seven of forty nine defence programmes delayed or over budget. My record is the biggest boost of defence investment since the nineteen eighties. Their record is missing army recruitment targets every year for fourteen years. We have given our armed force the biggest pay rise for twenty years and increased defence funding by fifteen billion a year. That is a record I am proud to stand on r, the Chief of Defence Staff is an honourable man, and what he and the NATO Secretary General have done is welcome the fact that a plan has been published, just that has been published, they have been waiting for over a year. Strategic deffence review was last year. He is an honourable man, who is having to make do with very little. The threat level has dramatically changed in the two years that the Prime Minister has been in office Pol P since the Prime Minister took office, Poland has increased their funding to four point eight percent. Germany has increased theirs to three point seven percent. This year, Russia will spend ten percent of GDP on defence. Meanwhile, Britain is spending it all on welfare Even the limited plan that he has announced has completely unraveled because he hasn't found the money to pay for it. It is five billion pounds short. We all know that he is leaving this mess to his successor, so can he confirm that the Mmber for Makerfield has agreed to fund the shortfall , what they did was to cut defence spending When they came into power, defence spending was two point five percent. What did they do? They cut it to two point three percent a cut. On on welfare, what did they do? They put it up byU eighty eight billion. we will take no lectures from them about either welfare or defence. This isU fifteen billion pounds of new investment for defence delivered outside a budget, outside of a spending review That's about one billion pound a year over four years. Because of the decisions at the last budget, we've got a headedroom of twenty two billion pounds. That is precisely so we can take decisions like this. We delivered it outside of budget, outside a spending review. just like we did with the spepecial educational needes outside a budget, outside a spending room. Just like the previous goovernment did,pe, when they announced their five year NHS plan in twenty eighteen, outside a budget, outside a spending review. And what did they say when they were challenged about it,peak? I'll quote. We will be able to explain exactly where every penny is coming from, but we will do that in the budget That was the former Health Secretary, then the Chancellor. When they published their integrated deffence review in twenty twenty, what did they do?out the next spending review? So Let' us drop the faux outrage, focus on what matters, the biggest sustained increase for forty years, the biggest increase for forty five years, providing what is needed to keep the country safe , he says that he is delivering this outside the budget. That's right. It should have been in the last budget. The strategic defence review was published last year. It should have been in the last budget, not the next budget. The intelligence assessment that he himself has said we have says there could be an attack on NATO by twenty thirty doesn't deliver until after that. fiveive billion pounds is missing from his plan. It also relies on eleven billion pounds of unidentified savings. The plan has unravelled. It is a total dereliction of detail. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. The Times newspaper said today the Pime Minister's legacy Why do not we wait and see what they said? That the Prime Minister's legacy is betrayal, failure and vulnerability, and that's one of the nicer headlines. So I will ask again because he did' not answer the question, did the Member for Makerfield know that he was going to have to find EU five billion pounds for the Prime Minister's plan , when I became Prime Minister two years ago, this country spent fifty four billion pounds a year on defence. becausecause of decisions we have taken that will rise toU eighty billion pounds a year by twenty twenty nine. That is a real terms increase of twenty seven percent transforming our armed forces We are not going to take any lectures from the party opposite. They cut defence spending. They hollowed out the armed forces what the deffence Secretary admitted that is what they did. They do not like it. They will not defend their record because they cannot. They will not apologise for it because have to admit what we all know it is a total failure. They just try to pretend the fourteen years they are in power never really happened. We are in power, with record investment in defence and security. I am proud of this Labour Government and any Labour Prime Minister would stand behind this plan It doesn't sound like he hass told the member for Makerfield to five billion pounds. He says any Labour Prime Mister would stand behind this plan. Let me tell him what Lord Richard Dannet, former head of the Army said yesterday. He said the Prime Minister had chosen the cheap option and called the plan woefully inadequate. Let me tell him what General Sir Richard Barrens, one of the authors of his own strrategic Defence Review said yesterday, We are simply not going to be ready to defend this country properly. That's what they're saying. The reason that he is in this mess is because he was too weak to cut welfare when he had the chance There are only three ways,rpeak, to find the missing five billion. increase borrowing, increase taxes, or cut welfare. Which one will he recommend to the Mmber for Makerfield, we' talking aboutU one billionound a year over four years. The decisions that last budget It gave us more twenty two billionound in headroom so we can take the decisions they don't understand this because they trash the old. We have built a headroom ofU twenty two billion pounds. The very reason for the headroom is to have the credibility to take decisions outside the budget and outside the spending review. They don't understand it because they lost control of the public finances. In addition to more on defence and security, we have taken control of the public finances, That is why you have headroom to take credible decisions like this E one billion pounds a year over four years headroom of twenty two billion because the decisions we took are the last budget which allow us to take these decisions , we understand it perfectly, and that is why yes we do. That is why he is leaving and so is his Chancellor. They are laughing and pretending but if he was doing such a fabulous job, why did he resign?, defence of the realm is the first duty of government It is the first duty of government. I don't need to read again what General Sir Richard Barrenons or Lord Richard Dannard said. Maybe they didn't hear it the first time. They can rewatch the clips. But deffence of the realm is the first duty of government. Britain is facing a moment of danger unlike anything in our lifetimes, unlike anything that we saw even in government. We need a plan to fund our armed forces that meets this moment. They are the government for now, not for ten years ago. And the fact is Labour's plan is too weak, it is too little, and it is too late. If his successor does't want to be complicit in this failure, he should come out and condemn this plan. The money must be found,pe, and that money should come from cutting welfare, something these Labour MPs will not do. And If the Labour Party cannot defend our country,rpeak, what is the point of them It's just all talk. What did they actually do? They cut defence two point five percent down to two point three percent in their fourteen long years. and what had done welfare? They put the bill up by eighty eight billion pound. So no lectures from them. They failed in the first duty of government. and they won' not defend their record, will they? They won't stand here and defend it because they know never do they stand here and defend their record because they can't. fourteen years of failure. They don't get up and apologise, which is what they should do, because they would admit what we all know how much they fail. So they just sit there pretending it didn't happen. Well it did happen. You hollowed out the armed forces. We're correcting you up I tell you what else, when we came into power, public services were on their knees. Today we have seen the fastest fall in an HS waiting list for seventeen years. When I became Prime Minister, we inherited a broken economy. Today we are outperforming the other G seven economies. When I became Prime Minister, our international alliances have been shredded. Now other countries are looking to us to lead on defence and security, foundations of a stronger and fairer country, Britain in a better state than we found it. That is the difference our Labour Government makes Thank you very much,. Two of my constituents, Cody Lilliam Townnd and another mum from Leeds, Zoe Ward, all lost babies in different tragic circumstances, but they all went to the same funeral director who did not treat their babies' bodies with the dignity, care or respect that they deserved I will not repeat the shocking details here. the BBC for their part published what they could last year, but more shockingly still, the police found nothing actionable in either case because there is no regulation of the funeral industry, and the individual in question is still operating in Leeds today Given that the Department of Health and Social Care are due to make a decision about changing the law in this area, possibly before he leaves office. Will the Prime Minister speak with ministers and officials in that department to ensure that when they consider the question of whether to regulate the funeral industry, their answer is yes. Can I thank him for raising this case and thank him he has been a committed campaigner on this, I have seen the details of the particular case. He is right not to repeat them in this Chamber. They are horrifying. The lack of dignity and compassion is unacceptable, and I simply can't imagine the pain that Cody, Liam and Zoe experienence and are still experiencing The status quo here is not working for families and people deserve to know that their loved ones are treated with dignity and compassion. We are going to consider this closely and I thank him for raising it. I do want stronger stands and oversight. I think that is absolutely needed, particularly in light of appalling cases like this. Daveid, leader of the liberal Democrats can I not associate myself with the Prime about my party? Can I associate myself with all his remarks about the earthquake and humanitarian catastrophe in Venezuela? and can I commend the Scottish team and the Scottish fans on the joy they brought to the World Cup? They did the whole of Scotland proud, and can I wish England well against DR Congo later today. But with Rys James and Jarald Konsar in doubt, I know the Prime Minister isn not the only one struggling for a solid defence plan Mr , the wars in Ukraine and Iran show us how seriously we must take the threat of missiles and drones hitting our country. Our national security requires the best possible missile defence system, including Royal Navy destroyers. But the funding in his plan for this falls dangerously short. Yet the Prime Minister rejected our proposals for defence bondbs which were used in the past to rearm our country C the Prime Minister tell us why has he chosen to leave our country so vulnerable to missile attackis Can I first join him on his comments about the Scotland team and the Scotland fans and wish England well I am not sure about his gag. He was getting a bit better the other week, but he has gone back down I am afraid that one is a red card., our defence investment plan gives our country what we need to fight now and into the future, the capability that has been assessed through the strategic review. Bonds, which be looked at very closely are simply borrowing by another name, and we are already borrowing in a way which requires us to spend one pound in every ten on servicing the interest on that. I would gently point out before he carries on with any criticis vow plan he sat in a cabinet that cut defence spending by twenty two percent D, the Prime Minister knows that our defence bonds are within his own fiscal rules, that he has had advice from his own team that he should adopt them, and I hope the right honourable Mber for Makerfield will listen., I have another concern I think the Prime Minister will share The rising tide of racist violence and hate that we're seeing in our country and the way is being incited and normalised, including I'm afraid, by some members of this House I was talking to a British friend of Indian ancestry who told me how reform activists came to her door and said that if they get into power, she and her family will have their passports seized and their citizenship revoked. Does the prrimis agree that racism has no place in our country And will he join me in condemning anyone who is stoking it?. Can I thank him for raising this? It is really important because our politics is becoming more diverse and racism and intolerance is permeating everywhere. And we have to deal with it because it is tearing our societies apart. It is keeping good people away from politics because they don't want to be involved in it. and it should be called out by every single person who is a politician at any level in this country., I say this looking at the plaque to Joe Cox, and of course we' got David Amos behind me too. We had Joe Cox ten year reminder It was ten years ago just a week or so ago that we lost Joe, and I had a reception in Downing Street with her parents and other close friends and relatives of hers. and we read out the words of Joe again. The very sad thing is I was not able to say that in the ten years since Joe's death things have got better because sadly they've got worse. That's on us to fix all of us to fix every single member of this House, whatever their party in. and anybody who flames it should be absolutely ashamed of themselves ob Mres, C can I associate myself with the comments of the Prime Minister about the legacy of Joe Cox? I know all of us in this place have been following the contest for numberum ten quite closely in recent weeks. But amid the North versus South debate, I think it's about time we had someone from the Midlands who was ready to step into this important position for our country So I am delighted to say We have two fantastic Black country lads, Jude Bellingham from Stowbridge and Morgan Rogers from Heelzen, who have both been doing us proud in the contested England number ten role against our game for Congo this evening. So does the Prime Minister agree with me that we should congratulate England on their progress out of the group stage so far? And does he also agree with me that we need to do more to support Primide Minister. I thought the next few weeks were about to get quite interesting, Mr Speaker We do all wish England the best of luck this evening, and every time those players step on the pitch they represent the talent, ambition and diversity of this country. We are proud to be supporting the next generation investing four hundred million into grassroot facilities and overU one billion in school sports. and if Thomas Toull needs any advice on penalties, he should ask David Sieman who slotted one past him just a few weeks ago Dave Duggan. Thank you Mrter Speaker Gly consent I am gravely concerned that time after time, this Prime Minister, in response to the abject and honest criticism of his defence investment plan, he cites recent trends in defence spending when he should be calibrating it against the chronic and very real threat that the people on these islands face in his limited time left at number ten Will he get a grip of his paper thin plan?ime Mister, this is the party that thinks we should give up the nuclear deterrent. He stands there to talk about defence, so we need no more advice than sanctimonious nonsense from the NSP Any of them given any more advice to me or this House, let' uss have some home truths. Their chief executive has just been jailed for five years for embezzlement. They're all pretending they didn't know anything about it. They couldn't even see the motor homeome parked in the driveway, apparently. And now they're blocking inquiry into the Scottish Parliament before they offer any more advice They should look in the mirror In an increasingly dangerous world, the space domain is critical, so I welcome the three point two billionound set out for space in the Defence Investment Plan. The plan refers to Skynet six A, the first military satellite to be designed, manufactured and tested completely in the UK, beginning at airbus in my constituency of Stevenidge and supporting three thousand jobs across the country. So does the Prime Minister agree that we must develop both the UK's sovereigign capability in space and the British jobs that already power it Minister Cank ourur commitment to space in the Defence invvestment Plan reflects how we are preparing our armed forces for the conflicts of the future. When I see appreces working in our defence industries, I see this investment creating the more opportunities, including those in many of our constituencies, including his. It underlines exactly what our investment delivers. that is sixty new jobs investing in British skills, promoting our brilliant industries abroad and driving growth in the UK Thank you. On Monday with colleagues, I wrote to the Health Minister following the news that womomen's health and maternity serervices may be relocated away from Staint Helia Hospital due to building safety concerns. Yesterday, we heard Baroness Amoss's review state that poorly maintained buildings affect how safe people feel, how effectively staff can work, and whether care can be delivered in a way that is private, respectful and reliable It has been reported today that DHSC's capital budget will be cut by more than half a billionounds over this Parliament to fund the dip, which puts the new hospital programme timeline in doubt. So will the Prime Minister arrange for the Health Secretary to visit Staint Helia Hospital with me to see its conditions and hopefully agree to bring forward the b of the new Sutton Set build it today, not in twenty thirty four, to ensure safe and modern healthcare and maternity facilities for my constituents. Minister in relation to his hospital, he knows that those decisions are taken at a local level based on expert advice. We are committed to prioritising women's health as we reform the NHS, including through our women's health strategy In his area alone, we are investing fifty seven millionounds to transform care. That is money that we provided at the budget. He actually voted against it, along with the rest of the libMs of the budget. So they can't on the one hand, complain about the lack of investment. Th we put the money forward, they vote against it. That again is very libM W the Donia Ouckkingon Review and the Baroness Amos Review has exposed some very uncomfortable truths that justice is not brought about by a system, a law, a protocol, a regulatory authority or NHS England, but by bereaved and harm fair families, having to speak over and over again about the most horrific and traumatic experience of their lives just to be heard. So does the Prime Minister agree with me that the system is not only failing, but it is cruel? And If we are to restore public trust, then we must finally introduce Hillsborough laaw in for. families can get the justice and accountability they need and deserve I thank her for raising this. Baroness Amos is finding her deeply disturbing picture, deep fragmentation and an overly complex system. Women and families not being listened to, no proper accountability and discrimination is driving inequalities in treatment and outcome. We will deliver the change that is needed. We will look at the urgent recommendations and deliver those of Baroness Amos as well as those of Donna Okunden And can I thank her for leading from the Front as the first maternity advisor working with families in the NHS to deliver safer, better care for every mother and baby? And can I say that I know her son Billy would be very proud of her. So Desmond Swain?. mrpe, through omission or insufficient advice, injured veterans may fail to place their compensation in a trust within the one year allowed by universal credit. Can discretion be had in compassionate cases I thank the right honou gentleman. I am enjoying our weekly exchanges. Every veteran who served in our country, and I thank him for raising this because is a really important point should be looked after and better able to access any compensation they're entitled to. We have dedicated pathways for veterans in every job centre to provide support with benefit claims and complex cases. But I can assure him and reassure him that anyone coming forward will get tailored support and we will seek to resolve any issues swiftly and fairly to see whether we can improve on that. If he's got any specific cases or other members have, if he could or others pass the details to us, we will look at them I noticed that BBC reported his question last week him saying it would almost certainly be his last to me as Prime Minister. A reminder you should always believe everything you read in the news. I look forward to see him at the same place, same time next week rest, could I thank the Prime Minister for his calm and authoritative leadership in international affairs Could I also thank the UK missions abroad who have enormous respect for him? and could I also ask him to put on record his thanks to the seecurity, diplomatic and Innational Aid workforce who work day and night on behalf of the UK abroad, and closer to home, Could I also, as a fellow North Londoner, say, despite the heat waves, North London forever regardless of the weather Pr Minister She is someone who always speaks her mind. and I join her in thanking our people. I am proud that during my tenure, we have delivered five major trade deals, we have led the coalition of the willing to support Ukraine and strengthened the NATO Alliance, built stronger partnerships with the EU and kept us out of the war in Iran. Can I thank her for her contribution that she made as as foreign Office Minister J Reynolds Yesterday the Prime Minister visited Maidenhead to announce his new defence investment plan. However, as we now know, he is leading it to his successor to decide how to fund the majority of it. We cannot fund our armed forces without growth and we cannot get growth in Britain without the red tape that British businesses are having be dismantled, as well as trading closer with our closest neighbours. So willill the Prime Minister agree that a new Gth and defence partnership with Europe is how we can properly fund our forces and will he urge his successor to drop Labour's red lines to get it doneinister He obviously did not pay so much attention as he should to what I was saying yesterday in terms of the plan, the capability, the record investment that we are putting in and how we are funding it. I agree we need to work more closely with the EU on defence and security as well as trade and the economy. That is precisely what we aged the EU UK summit last year, and we have been building on that. and I am proud to say in the last two years, the relationship between the UK and the EU has been transformed into a much better trusted relationship. It is very important, as Prime Minister, that I leave the country in a better state than I found it, and I do Rus doctor Carly Meller, an NHS dentist in my constituency, spoke to me recently and I quote Ministers pledge to fix the failed contract we work to within this Parliament. The Government has begun discussions on a new contract and promised a public consultation on it this summer. A typical dentist delivering NHS care does so at a loss. With every passing month more practices are reconsidering their future in the NHS while millions of patients continue to struggle to access care. Reforming the contract is the route to better treatment for my constituents. Please can we start the consultation without delayis Can I thank for raising this? I am pleased that we have delivered over one point eight million additional courses of NHS treatment because no one needing urgent care should be left in pain and waiting for help. we have already made early reforms, including embedding urgent care into the contract so people get fast access to NHS care and delivering the first sustained expansion of dental school places in nearly twenty years to get extra dentists trained. We will consult on a reform dental contract soon and I will make sure that ministers update my honouble friend Lee Anderson, In Asvield, four workers including two nurses were kicked out of their HMO, and Cerco put four illegal migrants in this HMO. One of these illegal migrants was a Pakistani national. He went on to rape a young girl, a vulnerable young girl on a park in Ashviee. He is now doing fourteen years in prison. This was a monster allowed into this country by this awful government. But if a Prime Minister is really serious about protecting young women and girls, does he agree with me in reform UK that every single illegal migrant coming to this country should be detained, not allowed to claim asylum and then deportedr Minister, I I am proud of the fact that after net migration reached almost one million under the party opposite, we brought it down by eighty two percent. On the asylum system, which he references, now asylum decisions are made at record levels, the backlog is down, removals are up forty one percent and we are closing asylum hotels. They lost control of our borders, now small boat crossings are coming down and we deported seventy thousand people with no right to be here. He likes to ask questions. He should be asking some questions of the leader of his party sitting next to him He received five million pounds from a crypto billionaire and then privately lobbied the Bank of England on digital currencies So did their leader carry out lobbying paid? Why did he keep his five millionound gift secret? A I am happy with their leader earning twenty thousand p an hour flogging gold bullion. They need to ask the questions across their benches, but they never dokins T many people are waiting too long for NHS mental health care, with over six thousand adults waiting up to two years. In Sundland, grassroots organisations like the wonderful Betsy Jenny Cafe are providing support to our community, but they cannot substitute for timely NHS funded care. So as the Government consults on its new mental health strategy, will the Prime Minister agree with me that it must include clear waiting time standards we are determined to transform mental health so everyone gets the support they need. I am pleased to say that we have recruited eight seven hundred extra mental health workers. We have opened the first of six twenty four seven neighbourhood mental health centres and we are ensured that nearly eight hundred thousand more children young people have access to a mental health support team in their school or college. There is more to be done But this is a real step forward. Car Lockart. Thank. Last week in Northern Ireland, a former member of this House was convicted for the most horrific child sexual abuse against two girls. I want to commend the victims for their extraordinary bravery. It was their courage secured a conviction, and I have no doubt that their resolve will help others find their voice. No matter an abuser's power or status, there can be no hiding place for someone who would take the safety or would steal the innocence of young children. Mr Speaker, thousands of vulnerable young women in Rototherham Oldham and across the UK were subjected to organized child sexual abuse and exploitation In many cases, it was Pakistani heritage grooming gangs responsible while institutions looked the other way. Before leaving office, the Prime Minister has the ability and opportunity to leave a legacy. Will he ensure that the promised statutory rape gang inquiry is delivered so the truth can finally be told and that those responsible are held to account and that no child's safety is ever sacrificed ever again for racial sensitivities Can I thank her for raising the case in Belfast that concluded last week and like her salute the courage of the victims to come forward. It must have taken extraordinary courage. It does in every single one of these cases, but particularly when you've got powerful people and institutions, it takes even more courage to do so. And so we salute them for their own acts, but also because it will I hope have helped others to see that if you do come forward, you will be believed and justice can be done, notwithstanding the difficulties. On grooming, we have set up the inquiry and it is very important it goes wherever the evidence should take it, and that's an absolute guiding principle of the inquiry. Final question, Alex Davis Jones This afternoon, we are joined in the gallery by Lisa Phillips, a British survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's horrific and despicable trafficking and abuse. Lisa's bravery is to be commended and her determination for justice and accountability on behalf of all UK survivors should be put on record, and I want to place on record my thanks to you for meeting with Lisa this week, Your solidarity means more than you will ever know. So in that vein, will the Prime Minister please commit to meet with Lisa and the other British survivors and commit to what is needed, a full public inquiry so we can have the truth, justice and accountability I thank you for raising this really important issue and drawing it to the House's attention. and I am glad that we are joined in the gallery today. It is really important that we keep our focus on violence against women and girls, and I will make sure the meetings she requested are set up That completes Primiss Swester's let the front bedch change over