The Leader of the House of Commons was met with thunderous laughter when she insisted that the Prime Minister is not hiding "under a desk". Penny Mordaunt made the remark in response to Labour MP Stella Creasy, who said it is the job of the Prime Minister to take big decisions on many issues.
In the absence of the Prime Minister, Ms Mordaunt had been answering questions from MPs in the Commons this afternoon. Ms Truss was earlier spotted leaving Downing Street in a silver Range Rover shortly before 3.50pm, before finally appearing briefly alongside her new Chancellor in the House of Commons at 4.30pm. The Prime Minister did not speak or answer any questions from MPs before leaving the chamber. Ms Mordaunt said the Prime Minister was not in the Commons earlier because she had "important business" to deal with, however, this business has not been explained. Follow our live coverage here.
Ms Creasy added: "All we know right now is, unless she tells us otherwise, the Prime Minister is cowering under her desk and asking for it all to go away. Isn't it about time she did and let somebody else who can make decisions in the British national interest get in charge instead?"
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Ms Mordaunt replied: "Well, the Prime Minister is not under a desk, as the honourable lady says..." The minister could barely be heard at this point due to laughter and heckling from opposition MPs. Ms Mordaunt added: "I can assure the House that, with regret, she is not here for a very good reason."
SNP deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald accused Liz Truss of "hiding in Downing Street". She said: "Today Scotland's First Minister set out an optimistic, ambitious and credible economic plan for Scotland's future. A leader who spent over an hour setting out and answering questions on the positive case for our country's independence.
"It's a very stark constant to a Prime Minister hiding in Downing Street. A Prime Minister terrified to answer for the mess she has made. The mess which will cause so much harm to all of our constituents....
"Can the leader of the House tell us exactly where on earth is the Prime Minister and if she doesn't even have the backbone to show up here today, is there really any point in her showing up here again. Surely time's up, she needs to go and let the people decide." Penny Mordaunt replied: "I'd be interested to know if the First Minister's statement included the tax dividend to every Scottish household and being a member of the UK."
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