Transcripts For CSPAN British Prime Ministers Questions 20130708

To travel to egypt in light of the violence and protest. Numbers commemorated the anniversary of the National Health service and ask questions about youth unemployment and education policies. This is about 35 minutes. Questions for the Prime Minister. This morning, i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in the house, i shall have further such meetings today. The Prime Minister agree with me and much of the nation that the best way to celebrate the birthday of the nhs is with governance district out the and put professionals back at the helm of the nhs . My honorable friend is exactly right. The right way is to go on investing in it, like this government is, but also to be on the side of patients. That is why we are introducing the chief inspector of hospitals. He will make a difference. We need to and the culture of secrecy and coverup that we had under labour. Ed miliband. I am sure i speak for everyone in this house when i say there is deep concern about what we have witnessed in egypt am including appalling violence year on fromt one free elections. Can i begin by asking the Prime Minister for assurances that all the appropriate steps are being taken by the government to guarantee the safety of uk nationals in that country . Certainly give him that assurance and also to safeguard our embassy in cairo. We are advising british nationals against all but essential travel to egypt. These are deeply disturbing scenes. The level of violence is appalling. We should appeal to all sides to stop the levels of violence, particularly the sexual assault. It is not for this country to support any groups or parties. We should support proper democratic processes and government by consent. I agree with the Prime Minister and want to see a peaceful resolution. Can the Prime Minister tell the house what work is being done, even at this late stage, by the uk and the European Union to encourage the Egyptian Government to secure a negotiated political solution to this crisis . I can tell that very clear messages have been sent to president morsi, including by president obama, who has spoke with him directly. We are also communicating through our ambassadors. He has a democratic mandate and we respect that. Moxie also means that everyone has a voice and leaders have the responsibility to represent all egyptians. That is what the government needs to do in order to bring about peace and stability in that country. I am grateful for the Prime Ministers thoughts and i know that he and the foreign secretary will keep the house updated in the coming days. Let me turn to another subject. The country will need 240,000 extra Primary School places by 2014. Can you are sure parents that this need will not be met by increasing class sizes . What i can ensure is that we have put in place the additional money for 500,000 extra school places. We should be able to provide those school laces without seeing an increase in class sizes are it but class sizes are rising. When the last government came to office, the number in class sizes over 30 was a quarter. When we left, it went up 1. 8 . It has doubled on his watch. That is the reality. Third of newn, one schools are being built in areas where there are surplus places. How do you explain to parents who are struggling to get children to Primary School why he is spending money building Primary Schools in places where there are already plenty of places . I have to say that he left the biggest budget deficit in britains history. We had to make difficult decisions. That is why we cut welfare and areas of spending. On education, we have made it a priority. That is why the amount of money going into our schools is going up and not down. That is why we are funding half a million extra school places. And that is why this government has built 200 new School Buildings since taken office. Since taking office. He asked about new schools going into different areas. That is code for labors opposition to free schools. We want more new, good schools. Their policy is still the same as John Prescotts policy. Do you remember that . The trouble with good schools is that Everyone Wants to go to them. As usual,od schools. His questions are written by Len Mccluskey of unite. Mr. Speaker, mr. Speaker, as always, this Prime Minister has no answer to the questions he is asked. If he will not answer me, maybe ,e will answer David Simmons who is the conservative spokesman for the local government association. This is what he said. Schools that are literally falling down and still have to compete with brandnew buildings down the road. In other words, areas where there are surplus places. While he is pouring millions of pounds into building new schools where there are already places, the only way to meet the sort to meet the shortage in other areas is increasing class sizes. The fact is, the last labor Government Cut Primary School places. Is education Capital Budget 21 billion over the next six years. That is what we are doing. What is so interesting is that he is taking his script from the trade union. Do not like choice. They do not like new schools. They do not like free schools. They want to control everything. We do know one organization they have control of. We see it in blackandwhite. They have taken control of the labour party. Mr. Speaker, i am speaking for parents up and down this country. Usually very low grade, very substandard. The session has to run longer, it will run longer. Lets try to preserve some decorum which the public can respect. A debate aboutve ethics. This is a Prime Minister who has donors in downing street. He colston into the heart of downing street. The idea that he is lecturing us about ethics takes double standard to a whole will. A whole new level. In this one policy on schools, we have seen the hallmark of this government. They make the wrong chances the wrong choices on tax and spending. The millionaires tax cuts, he topdown reorganization of the nhs, and in areas where there are surplus laces. And they repeat the meaningless mantra, we are all in this together. The right old gentleman goes up and down the country speaking for Len Mccluskey. No wonder the former home secretary calls it the party of the graveyard. I have got it here. I have the press release. Nite lands to change the labour party. I know you are paid to shout for unite, but calm down a little bit. We give millions of pounds to the party and the relationship has changed. We want a leftwing general election campaign. That is what this shows. Eak to stand up for free schools, the unite union, and certainly too weak to run the country. Thank you, mr. s eager. Mr. Speaker. To voteituents have individually if they want to does the right honorable friend agree that this should happen when registering for a Political Party . She is absolutely right. We have a situation where it has become apparent that votes are being bought and people are being signed up without consent. One by the man, Len Mccluskey, who gave him his job. A food bank served 30,000 households before the general election. It was 350,000 households last year. Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that rocketing demand for food banks show we have a problem . Ofi am sure, as a member unite, he ought to look very carefully at his own constituency members of the labour party. Who knows how many people they have bought and put on the register . Food bank use went up 10 times under labour. That is what happened. It is this government that is helping working people i freezing the council tax, giving 24 million 2. 4le a tax cut, and taking million of the poorest people out of tax. The Prime Minister will be aware of the recent stabbing in my constituency which led to the death of an 84yearold and a serious injury to a nineyear old who was playing in the park. Will the Prime Minister join with me in facing police to make arrests in this particular case and in support of the local community, congratulated on their steadfastness and Community Spirit which has helped them get through a very traumatic period . Join theainly honorable member. These were truly shocking events. Reading about them this morning, particularly the young boy, who staggered out of the park, bleeding after having been stabbed, and the grandmother described as someone who was a Community Member who was seen as everybodys grandmother, it is truly deserving. I join you in praising the community and we must make sure that justice is done. Promisedvernment has that by 2000 16, no one will have to pay more than 72,000 pounds for the cost of their personal care. There was an article in the Financial Times that said the cap will not be on actual costs, but eligible cost. That will not include the cost of people meeting moderate needs or the cost they have to incur in going to a private residential home. Is this another example of the Prime Minister promising to do one thing when, in reality, doing something completely different . We have debated the costs that will be covered and will not be covered. I have to say that the party to dote had 30 years something about the rising costs of the social care and they did for slightly nothing. Decisively nothing. Precisely nothing. May i make a plea that proper time be taken to ensure a level Playing Field and a fair deal for britain . The honorable lady is absolutely right. We have a would deal over the Common Agricultural policy. We need listen carefully to our farmers about their concerns and they are not disadvantaged against other countries. We need to take the time to introduce the new system. When the last system was introduced so quickly, we suffered rather large declines from europe as a result. She is extremely wise about this issue. Is the Prime Minister aware of the disturbing commitment given yesterday by his chancellor that he would continue to intervene in the affairs of the royal bank of scotland on behalf of the taxpayers . The lastre that intervention, in the last intervention, the completely irresponsible ousting of Stephen Hester has cost the british taxpayer for. 5 billion in the loss of value for its shareholders . What i would say to the honorable gentleman, who i know has experience in making money, it is very important that the government stands up to the taxpayer and make sure that the royal bank of scotland has the right strategy and leadership going ahead so that we get the money that was put by the last government into the banks, that we get that back. Two days ago saw the start of independent retailers month. Does the Prime Minister agree that we need to support local shops to avoid takeovers by multiple retailers and the formation of clone towns . Issue, i agree with the honorable gentleman. I think he speaks for all of britain. We should be looking at our town centers, working out what we should do to back our town centers. We should be looking at the rate system and how that works. We should be looking at a Planning System and how we can ourchange of use to back town centers. We should work with local authorities. We want to see town centers succeed. His is a vital issue and it has my full backing. I very much enjoyed my recent factory for nissan the first massmarket electric vehicle to be produced in the uk which will support over 5000 jobs in the plant and i look forward to visiting again soon. When the Prime Minister next region, he will realize that the key issue is unemployment. There are 20 applicants for every advertised vacancy. Enterpriseof private , partnerships, and enterprise zones, is not having the same effect as the on the economy as the Development Agency did. Would he consider the appointment of a minister to work with the local enterprise partnerships and the individual members of parliament for the region to push forward the private Sector Employment agenda . Ministers do worth do work with the enterprise zones. Obviously, we want to see more. Employment in the northeast is up i 9000 since the election. The private sector jobs are up 37,000 since the election. It is not just the success at nissan. We are committed to building the new plant and that will bring 700 jobs. We also have the new time tunnel, which opened in 2011. Into the money going metro, all of those can make a difference. In your own constituency, the youth claim account has fallen in the last year. The Prime Minister take the opportunity on his next visit to promote apprenticeships among northeast businesses . And will he press the ministry of transport to get on with the job . The last time i was in the northeast, i made a speech about apprenticeships. It is remarkable the number of people who have started apprenticeships under this element. In terms of the transport issue that he raises, we are funding feasibility studies into fixing problems on the a1 north of newcastle to scotland and the bypass. Record a much better than the party opposite, even though they had a Prime Minister who came from the northeast. They never did what we were what we are proposing to do with the a1. Isgiven the Prime Minister so keen to talk about infrastructure investment, can he ask lane why his government has cut Capital Investment again in 20152016 i nearly one billion pounds . Wrong. Ve to say, she is if you look at the figures and take the plans that labor had for this parliament, we have ared to these plans and increasing the amount of Capital Spending. If you come to this house and you oppose changes on welfare, you oppose cuts to Government Programs and the efficiency changes we are making, and they have not supported a single cut that we have made, if you do all those things, you would not have any Capital Spending at all. That is the problem. Because they have taken no tough decisions, they cannot support the capital this country needs. Can the Prime Minister confirm reports from jordan that a new treaty has been signed and that this country could have the asasure of seeing it as soon 2015 . I can confirm that this treaty has been taken through both the Jordanian Parliament and our own. I do not want to say anything that could stop what we all want to happen from happening. Towhen the government tried get workers to exchange their rights for shares, we were told 6000 businesses would sign it. Only six have shown an interest. What went wrong . First of all, the program has not started yet. Program that has been praised by the institute of directors, praised by the cbi and the federation of Small Businesses. Of course, it has not been praised by Len Mccluskey and the unite union. , so he has to stick to their script. What a sad day for democracy. I enjoy all my visits with you. I look forward to visiting again and i will always take special time to look at the stature of sir robert peel. Ministerer the prime does find time, will he join me in meeting with some of the hundreds of local Small Businesses and charities who will be 2000 pounds per year less because of the new employment allowance which will cut employers natural insurance. Honorable friend is absolutely right. You can walk down any high street in any town in britain and point out to shopkeepers and businesses that if they do employ people, they will see a 2000 pound reduction in their National Insurance bill. If they do not, they can take people on and not play national not paid National Insurance. The government has make an has made tough decisions on welfare, decisions that were not backed by the party opposite, but it demonstrates that we will work hard to get on. The Prime Ministers deputy Party Minister in scotland is describing the uk governments scaremongering as silly while one of the key donors in scotland is describing it as futile and a leading minister says it is trite. Will need it this silly puerile trite . He recited this question yesterday. I will give a different but similar answer. If you look at the information that has been produced by this government on what would happen in terms of scottish independence, i think it is impartial, extremely powerful, very sensible. The scottish nationalists are losing the argument. They are losing the argument on jobs, the economy, the imprint that scotland would have in the world. Ring on the referendum because you are losing the battle. Week, they raised 10,000 pounds for local privileges. I am sure they will join the Prime Minister will join me, but does he agree that the wonderful voluntary institutions stand for the kind of institution that would try to block political influence friend israble absolutely right. It is a huge honor that i am a member of my local rotary club. They raise a lot of money and do an excellent job. They do not go around hoovering up members by making payments to buy influence. Back in march, the Climate Change minister said he would not be sleeping if we did not have 10,000 signed up for the green deal by the end of the year. So far, we have 4 households signed up. The honorable gentleman is wrong. He is wrong about the figures. Have had greends deal assessments and over 5000 have had their boilers changed. Out. Sorry i missed the honorable gentleman too receives sponsorship from the unite union. Oh, you dont. I suspect we should go through his constituency records and check all the members that are still alive. That would be a good start. Some people have called him hypocritical. What do you say to that . What is hypocritical is to to takese date donations in the form of shares to avoid taxes. That is what the labour party has done. They should pay back the 7000 pounds to the taxpayer. That money go towards schools and hospitals. Minister confirmed that the program figures show that it is dismissing any every single 1 that it is missing its performance standards . If the honorable lady is asking about the work program, it actually has gotten 312,000 people into work. 60 of the people are coming off benefits. Might not want to hear this, but the fact is this program is twice as good. Doctor who once had to listen in credulously to a patient explained that she only discovered she was nine months pregnant on arriving to the terminal, i was very pleased to hear the secretary of state help tourism today. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the principal Health Service should be national, not international. My honorable friend makes an important point. This is a National Health service, not an interNational Health service. About 5,000ies a per year in taxes to pay for nhs. It is there to make sure the people who do not have a right to use the nhs get properly charged for it. Labors Public Health minister has condemned it as tina phobic. I suppose they will oppose the change that working people will support. A disaster in constituencies like mine. Of goode moving out quality housing and into the private sector at a cost to the taxpayer. Three and four bedroom houses are now empty. Meave pensioners approaching saying that they want to downsize but they cannot. Is this not turning into a disaster for the taxpayer . What this is is fair for the taxpayer. Fair roomgive a subsidy to people in private sector accommodations. We should not give a subsidy to counciln console in accommodations. They now say they support our spending changes, or they did for five minutes last week. Is that still the case or are they committed to repeating this . Absolutely no answer. The shocking abuse that was revealed by operation jazzman in wales has revealed a gap in the law. The organizations are never accountable for what they allowed to take place. Will the Prime Minister meet with me and a small delegation to discuss how we can plug this gap in the law . I am very happy to meet with the honorable gentleman about this issue. It is vitally important. In the report, there were a number of recommendations about duties of candor need to put into place. I am keen to make sure we get this done. The Royal Charter approved overwhelmingly by this house has still not been sent to the privy council, when it should have been an may. Will you sure this house that he will not do a deal with certain downapers to further water the justice recommendations . Is that wean say have to follow the correct legal legal advice the is that we have to take these things in order. We have to take the presses, a Royal Charter proposal first, and then we will bring forward the Royal Charter. I think the charter has some serious shortcomings. The gentleman wanted to be called. I called him. Thank you very much indeed. Given that the selection of parliamentary candidates is a legitimate concern, will the Prime Minister agree with me that the constituency should be looked at as a matter of oath . Order, order. The question is about a party matter, not government responsibility. Not a matter for the Prime Minister. Complete waste of time. Mr. Speaker, the all party group against Human Trafficking has raised the awareness of modernday slavery to a great level. I am delighted to report, last night, 158 or will members of this house and the other house attended the agm. That is a credit to the Prime Ministers personal commitment to this. Would he consider, perhaps in the next great speech, having a modern slavery act . I commend the honorable member for the consistent work he has done on this vital issue. It is important that we wipe out modernday slavery. I very much enjoyed meeting with him and other members to see just how bad the situation is. We are looking at legislative options. I will be chairing a committee across government to look at what can be done. One of my constituents and her threeyearold child have become homeless because of domestic violence. Despite legally living and working in this country for four years, immigration technicality has made them destitute. Will the Prime Minister please examine this legislation and its unintended consequences so in the future, no woman and her child may suffer double abuse . I am happy to look at the individual case that the lady raises. Questionto the last about modernday slavery, where immigration rules have caused difficult situations. You want to flee the people who are keeping them in trapped in their homes. I am happy to take up the individual case. Revelations of nhs management failure highlight what we need to modernize the nhs. I think my honorable friend is absolutely right. I am a huge believer in our nhs. It provides the best care in the world. Incredible compassion for those who use it. We do not serve the nhs if we hide or cover up when there are difficulties in individual hospitals. There were in stafford and morecambe bay. That is why the reform of the cqc and the chief inspector post is so important. Over time, i think it will make a real difference. It is in stark contrast to what we had under the last government, where inspectors were told not to surface problems because it was somehow embarrassing for the government. When he sets up the office of police and crime omission errors, that a chief constable should have a career cut short by a vindictive bully who told her to resign or he would humiliate her. Having policef and Crime Commissioners is to make sure there is proper accountability. Police constables have to account to a local person. Former why a number of labour members of parliament stood for this post. In some cases, like john prescott, the people of his region rejected him. You have been watching Prime Ministers questions from the british house of commons. Span to everyon c wednesday at 7 00 a. M. Eastern when the is in session and again on sunday night at 9 00 p. M. Eastern and pacific on cspan. Span. Org, time on c where you can find videos of past Prime Ministers questions and other cspan programs. Munk debate is a biannual event in toronto. Airing their spring debate, analysts discussed economic inequality, income disparity. Debating for the motion to tax the rich, former greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and New York Times columnist paul krugman. Arguing against is Newt Gingrich and andre laffer. This is one hour and 25 minutes. You did not know which one of your arguments would be totally he has never said precipitous withdrawal