Labour MP John Spellar says dozens of Sudanese doctors working in the NHS were stranded and not allowed to return to the UK, after fighting broke out in the country. He says the Commons was told last week that the PM had decided to get them back.

He asks why the decision couldn't have been made much earlier by the home secretary or the foreign secretary.

"Is it because he's an obsessive micro-manager, or is it that his ministers are just not up for the job?" Spellar asks.

Sunak says Spellar is wrong to describe such a complex evacuation as straightforward, and all involved deserve enormous credit.

He says the government moved deliberately and carefully to ensure the security of everyone involved and to prioritise British nationals.

Next up, SNP MP Alison Thewliss is asking about controversial pre-payment meters, which energy companies were found to be installing in customers' homes without permission earlier this year.

She says 13,450 pre-payment vouchers have gone unclaimed in her Glasgow Central constituency, meaning there's money stuck in "government coffers" which she says could be going "into the meters of people who really need it".

Sunak answers by saying he's glad Thewliss has recognised the government's trying to help people with rising energy costs.

He says ministers are constantly engaged in conversations with stakeholders about schemes designed to help people, and he'll "make sure we keep up those efforts".

Image source, Parliament TV

The SNP's Tommy Shepperd is up next and asks about the Drax power station in Yorkshire, which he says burns almost 20,000 trees every day, releasing an equivalent amount of carbon into the atmosphere.

While constituents struggle with heating bills, he says the private company running Drax has received £1.5m in government energy subsidies every single day, which is set to continue until 2027 - he didn't say where this figure came from.

He asks whether the PM will step in and review the "grotesque distortion of energy policy" which "incentivises deforestation while making no contribution to tackling the climate emergency".

Sunak says he can't comment on the contract details of one particular company, but that the government's record on this issue shows that emissions have fallen by almost 50%, while the economy has also grown by two thirds.

He adds that the price of renewable energies has reduced, providing a system that is delivering "lower cost for British families".

Labour's Carolyn Harris asks Sunak about families in her Swansea constituency who cannot afford shoes or milk for their children.

She says the shame from this lack of money is causing a mental health crisis, noting her concern for their welfare. "If the prime minister is worried about these kids, what's he going to do about it?" Harris asks.

Sunak says the government doesn't want any child to grow up in poverty, adding that 1.7 million fewer people are living in poverty today than in 2010, claiming this is because of the actions of Tory governments.

He says they are providing "incredible support" to the most vulnerable people, noting the government's cost-of-living payments.

Rehman Chishti, Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, asked if Sunak was worried about the situation in Pakistan, where former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday.

In response, Sunak said it was an internal matter for Pakistan.

"We support the rule of law, peaceful democratic processes and we monitor the situation closely," he added.

Image source, Parliament TV

A proper political knock-aboutpublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 10 May 2023

12:36 BST 10 May 2023

Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent

PMQs has become pretty personal recently. A proper political knock-about between prime minister and leader of the opposition.

I’m not sure we learned a great deal today. But we should get used to the themes; they are going to dominate our politics over the next few months.

Starmer accuses the Conservatives of being a tired government, of having crashed the economy under Liz Truss and of not taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously enough.

Sunak accuses Labour of being unclear about what it would do in power, changing their minds on policy and of crashing the economy last time it was in power.

You might have noticed those arguments lack a bit nuance. But they are becoming key arguments in the Commons and will be important in the run up to the next general election.

Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone speaks about the Scottish government's Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) plans.

He asks if the UK government should step in to work with the devolved administrations to come up with a conservation scheme that is acceptable in fishing communities.

He says it matters deeply to his constituents and he "will not be silenced" on the issue.

Sunak says Stone is right to highlight concerns about the potential damaging impact of the SNP's plans.

The PM says he encourages the SNP government to continue working with the Scottish fishing industry to understand their concerns.

Reality Check

At the beginning of PMQs, a Labour MP asked Sunak about the lack of NHS dentists, to which Sunak said: “There are 500 more NHS dentists working today”.

There were indeed 539 more dentists, external taking NHS work in England in 2021-22 (the most recent figures available) than the year before.

But that total was still below the number from the year before that, which was also below the level from 2017-18.

The SNP's Jon McNally says the Eat Out to Help Out scheme introduced in August 2020 increased demand in restaurants significantly.

He asks whether the PM would consider doing a similar scheme for retail chain stores to regenerate High Streets, after quoting figures - he doesn't say from where - which say over 17,500 retail chain stores closed in 2020.

Sunak says he is supporting High Streets and town centres by cutting business rates, and says hundreds of thousands don't pay any business rates at all.

He adds that the levelling up fund is also investing in local areas.

Tory MP Matt Warman is up now, asking a question on artificial intelligence (AI).

He says he and Sunak share a "profound optimism" about the impact technology can have on society, including the benefits of AI, but says it's crucial to recognise the dangers around it.

Sunak says he "agrees with the thrust of the question" and that it's important to have "appropriate guard rails in place" in fields such as AI.

These are the kinds of conversations the UK's having with allies around the world, the PM adds.

Green MP Caroline Lucas recalls a quote from the PM, who said his daughter is the climate change champion in his house.

She asks if the PM has asked his daughter what she thinks about plans to develop Rosebank oil and gas field in the North Sea, which Lucas says would blow climate targets and would do nothing for energy security.

She asks that if Sunak approves it, will he be able to "look his daughter in the eye and say he did everything in his power to give her and all other young people a liveable future".

In response, Sunak says we will need fossil fuels for the next few decades as the country transitions to a "greener future".

He says it makes no sense to not invest in the resources in the UK and to import foreign fossil fuels at twice the carbon emissions as local resources.

He calls it an "economically illiterate policy".

Tory MP Ben Bradley, who represents Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, asks Sunak about frustrations his team heard from voters on the doorstep at the recent local elections.

He asks the PM if he will reiterate his commitment to support growth and investment in the East Midlands.

Sunak says he welcomes a devolution deal that has been agreed between four local authorities in the region, adding that he looks forward to them working together to drive innovation.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is up next. He says in the local elections last week, many life-long Conservative voters turned to the Liberal Democrats to be their "strong local champions".

He says constituents wanted to hold the Conservatives to account for allowing water companies to dump sewage.

He asks: Will the prime minister ban these sewage bonuses so that the dumping actually stops?"

Sunak replies, saying the Liberal Democrats "say one thing here and another thing locally".

He adds that he sees why Davey is attracted to Labour leader Starmer: "Political opportunism and a broken promise on tuition fees - it must be like looking in the mirror."

Stephen Flynn is on his feet again and pushes back on the PM's response to recent protests.

The SNP Westminster leader says this is not just about Coronation protests, but demonstrations by nurses, doctors, rail workers and more.

He says protesting is a "fundamental right in our democracy" and asks if Sunak is saying that this right is only allowed on his terms.

Sunak says he has a duty to protect the public's lives from being disrupted, but acknowledges Flynn's position.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, is up next.

He asks Sunak what would happen if the prime minister was to go to the boot of his Land Rover and pull out placards on non-dom tax status. He asks if he would be arrested.

Sunak took the opportunity to thank the police for their work during the Coronation.

He says the government believes the police should have powers to protect the public from serious disruption.

Sunak tells MPs that in his 40s, Starmer was still talking about abolishing the monarchy.

He says it's the "same old guff" from Starmer every week, "all politics and no action".

Sunak says the Conservatives are busy "getting on and delivering for the British people".

Image source, HoC

Starmer says Sunak is talking "the definition of nonsense", describing him as "smiling his way through the cost-of-living crisis".

The Labour leader says Sunak is pretending the country is doing fine, while handing them tax rises.

He asks how the PM can think the Tories can provide the answers Britain needs, when voters have already told them "they're the problem, not the solution".

Image source, HoC

Sunak says Labour's NHS workforce plan was looked at by one of Starmer's own colleagues recently - Alistair Darling - who, Sunak says, found it would discourage doctors and nurses from coming to the UK.

He says the sums do not add up, and that there's a £2bn shortfall in their plans.

Starmer says Sunak's "just not listening, is he?" to which his party's benches shout "no".

The Labour leader says the entire country has "rejected his government", referring to the local elections, but says Sunak still thinks that "protecting oil and gas profits is more important than freezing bills".

Starmer says he's sure the PM must've "finally met some working people in last few weeks", and asks if any of them understood why Sunak cared more about protecting "his precious non-dom tax status", instead of scrapping it and using the money to train NHS staff.

Remember: it was discovered last year that Sunak's wife Akshata Murty paid thousands of pounds a year to maintain her non-dom status, meaning she wasn't liable for UK tax on income earned abroad.

Sunak hits back, saying while Starmer was busy softening sentences 13 years ago, the UK inherited the largest deficit in the G7 from Labour, higher unemployment and the "coffers were empty".

The PM says Labour won't oppose picketers and protesters.

"Even in opposition, they're damaging the economy," Sunak shouts.