Tory MP Natalie Elphicke defects to Labour
Tory MP Natalie Elphicke has defected to Labour, hitting out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government”, PA Media reports.
Key events
Matt Vickers (Con) asks Sunak to congratulate Stockton’s football team.
Sunak says he hopes some of their good luck rubs off on Southampton, his team.
And that is the end of PMQs.
Caroline Lucas (Green) asks when the government will renationalise water companies.
Sunak says the government now monitors all overflows. Under Labour, it was just 7%. The record shows the Tories are the only party with a clear plan to tackle water pollution, he says.
John Spellar (Lab) asks Sunak to rule out further freezes in income tax, or an increase in income tax to 8p in the pound, to fund his proposed abolition of national insurance.
Sunak says he can rule that out. He stresses that this is an aspiration, not a detailed policy. And Labour’s response shows it is opposed to tax cuts, he says.
Shailesh Vara (Con) asks about a boy in his constituency who died from severe allergic reaction. On average, two children in every class have a food allery. Allergic reactions are more common in schools than anywhere else. But schools are not required to have allergy medication or guidance. Will the government address this?
Sunak extends his sympathy to the boy’s family. The government understands the seriousness of this problem. Schools have a legal duty to support pupils. He says the health secretary will meet Vara to discuss this.
Stewart McDonald (SNP) asks about concerns about China’s involvement in infratructure projects, including one in Scotland.
Sunak says China does not have the same values as the UK. The National Security Act allows the government to block Chinese investments, he says.
Philip Davies (Con) says, if civil servants do not support the Rwanda policy, they should leave and joint leftwing organisations like the BBC.
Sunak says he expects civil servants to deliver on the Rwanda plan. The civil service code has been changed to say they have to follow instructions from ministers on this, he says.
Chris Law (SNP) asks if the government will provide compensation to the Waspi women, who say they were not properly warned about the state pension age for them rising.
Sunak says the government has to study this report properly before it responds.
Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab) asks about child poverty and child neglect.
Sunak says nobody wants to see children grow up in those circumstances. He says child poverty has fallen since 2010.
He is referring to the absolute poverty measure, which is not the measured preferred by experts. But, on this measure, child poverty is now rising.)
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, asks about the abuse of a woman in a care home by staff, captured on camera. The footage is stomach churning, he says. Her relatives are demanding legislation to stop this. They want a national register of staff and a mechanism to hold staff to account.
Sunak offers his sympathies, and says the government will engage with the family on this. Obviously this was unacceptable, he says.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminser, asks Sunak to end arms sales to Israel.
Sunak says the government wants a pause in the conflict.
Flynn says the confidence that Israel has shown in this conflict is because it has the support of its allies. British weapons will be used in any attack on Rafah, he says. Surely the time has come to end arms sales.
Sunak says the UK has one of the most robust set of rules for arms sales in the world. The most recent assessment said the case for allowing them had not changed.
Starmer says people in the country know that the small boat policy is not working. He suggests the Tories are offering what is in effect an amnesty, because these migrants will not be sent to Rwanda.
Sunak insists Labour does not have any answers.
