business. this is live coverage on c-span2. >> he'll be aware of the success of the assembly's program in the six communities including on the part of that project but can i ask questions to make a strongest possible representation to the assembly government to extend that project, to work with b.t., to work with the assembly government. universal service committee is some way off and there are people who serve particularly from businesses. >> can i say that the honorable member is quite correct in pointing the work that have been done already with regard to his constituency and i know b.t., for example, are closely involved in the workers and we achieve our commitment to universal connection as quickly

as we certainly can and as far as his constituency can. i give a particular interest to make sure that comes about. >> order, question to the prime minister -- >> number one, mr. speaker >> mr. speaker i have meetings with the ministerial meetings. i'll have further such meetings today. >> our specialist hospitals are the jewels in the nhs crown but, unfortunately, their knowledge and expertise isn't always passed on to district general hospitals which means patients have inappropriate operations which have to be corrected. could the prime minister spare just 10 minutes to meet the chair of the federation of specialist hospitals to see how matters could be improved? >> of course, i will and he will

understand as i understand that that is improper specialists in the house as well. he will be equally as concerned as i him as the shadow house committee that he will be spending money that will be vital to areas in the country. mr. speaker, the shadow house secretary has said he'll be dealing with it on a zero basis and he wants the unit cuts considerably reduce rather than increase. he said this morning that he wants a 10% reduction in the xharmental limits. i think before the conservatives ask for more spending on the house service as you talk to the shadow chancellor and the shadow secretary. >> mr. speaker, will the prime minister affirm the labour government's commitment to maintaining funding for public

services such as housing, universities, police and law and order, transport and pensions and reject the torie policy 10% across-the-board cuts which will take this country back -- which would take this country back to the worst days of thatcherism. >> mr. speaker, specifically the shadow house secretary said a 10% reduction in the departmental expenditure in the department. it is a very tough spending requirement, he said. and he said the job of the shadow chancellor is to be clear is where the spending restraint bites. there can be no doubt the choice whenever it comes is we have a government that is prepared to invest in the future and a conservative party that is going to cut. >> when even the old timers are reading out the whips handout

questions, that's when you know things are really bad for the government. can i, first of all, say how pleased i am to see the prime minister in his place. let me be clear mr. speaker about what we think of electoral reform. we support the link between one mp and one constituency and we back our system because you can throw out weak, tired and discredited governments. and let me say we supported this system when we were behind, when we were ahead, when we won, when we lost. so can i ask the prime minister, why has he suddenly discovered an interest in changing the electoral system? does it have anything to do with the fact that his party got 15% of the vote last week? >> mr. speaker, finally, after many, many weeks a question on policy.

isn't it remarkable it has taken this time for the conservatives to come up with a question. the statement i will make in a few minutes after 12:30 will deal with exactly these problems. i have to remind them -- i have to remind them that with the conservative's party support in many cases there are different electoral systems in different parts of the united kingdom. a different one in northern ireland, a different one in scotland and a different one for the european parliament which is proportional representation and a different one in the house of commons but i will -- i will deal with this issue in the constitutional statement in a few minutes. >> my apologies, i was too quick. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure, mr. speaker -- i'm, mr. speaker, you would agree it's no good saying wait for the statement when he's briefed all the details out to the press. and i have to say in asking questions about personalities, what is there left to ask when so many members of the cabinet walked out 'cause they can't

work with him? i want to ask the prime minister questions about the issue of electoral reform and also about the process he intends to follow. on the issue does he agree with me that a truly proportional system has massive drawbacks? didn't we see this on sunday night when the bnp, a bunch of partialist thugs got him elected to the european parliament. does he agree with me that is a very, very strong argument? >> mr. speaker, let the whole house send the message that the politics of discrimination and prejudice and bigotry have no part to play in the democratic life of our country and let us all take action together on expose the racist and bigoted policies of the british national party. and let us be clear that on this side of the house we will do everything in our power to show that the problems -- the problems that made people vote

for the bnp are problems we are dealing with on housing and social injustice and employment. but nobody will support the antisemetic and the bnp which is against mixed race marriage. i believe the whole country can unite on this. what i say on electoral reform, i have never myself supported the policy of proportional representation for a westminster parliament. that has always been my view. he has to accept that it exists for the european elections. i don't see a proposal from his party to change it at the moment but he's also got to accept the jenkins proposals laid down a criteria by which it would be impossible for the british national party to have held a seat even on the p.r. system in the british parliament. >> everyone would agree with what the prime minister does say defeating the bnp and they go door to door and get their

voters to vote. let us be clear about what the prime minister seems to be considering. we are in the fifth and final year of a parliament. there have been reports that a referendum on electoral reform is being considered before the general election. can the prime minister consider those reports. is that something he's considering? >> no plans for that. let me just say, when he hears the statement later, he will hear that there is an interest throughout the country in what happens to electoral reform. we published a review -- well, i'm sorry. we published a review on the issue of electoral reform only a fonts ago. that has led to a serious debate in the country but we are not putting -- we are not putting proposals forward today. and if i may say so, i said he moved onto policy but there's an element of self-interest in which he's approaching politics. is it not strange -- is it not

strange -- is it -- is it not strange -- is it not strange, mr. speaker -- >> order, order. it's too noisy. order. and i'm not getting help from the chief whip. it's a bad day when i have to tell the whip to be quiet but the prime minister must be heard. prime minister? >> is it not strange they are not even interested in discussing this democratic reform but also mr. speaker the first question he asked about policy are not about the economy, not about the health service, not about education, not about public services, not about the issues that the public out there that know that we and they are concerned about. >> i have to say tot prime minister that it's remarks like that that make him a figure of ridicule across this country. everyone is entitled to ask what the part-time motive is. for 12 years not a squeak about electoral reform and suddenly because he's getting trashed to

elections suddenly he wants to put it on the agenda. this is all of a piece treating us like fools. and telling us he was going to cancel the election 'cause he was going to win it. the prime minister said he had no plans for a referendum. now we all know what that means. he said he had no plans to put up taxes in 1997 so instead of saying no plans, let him stand up at that dispatch box and rule out a referendum. >> i said i have no plans. i repeat i have no plans. mr. speaker, mr. speaker, isn't it again remarkable what mps are being told by their constituents is to concentrate of getting this politics of this country sorted out. what they're being told is concentrating on getting us through the recession. what they have been told is build us is better future and not one question from the leader of the opposition can be about the central issues facing our country.

>> the prime minister has chosen today to make a statement about constitutional reform. he can't complain. he can't complain that i'm asking questions about it. and when the prime minister talks about the economy, let's be clear what his legacy will be. not the most useless government we had in history, though, it is. his legacy will be the biggest budget deficit in europe and the biggest we had in history. so let's be clear about this no plans or no proposals today as he puts it. a man with no democratic legitimacy who's never been elected as our prime minister. who's been defeated every time the public had been able to vote for him. is now considering to fix the rules of the election before the next general election. isn't that what's happening? >> mr. speaker, first of all, on public spending and deficits, let him confirm that his proposals are for a 10% cut. if he wishes to raise the question of deficits and debt, let him confirm that is now the proposal of the shadow chancellor to cut public

expenditure by 10% as confirmed by the shadow house secretary this morning and let us have a debate about the choice that really does exist in the country. between a conservative party that now wants to cut even at a time in recession into our basic services and a labour party that lets him invest with him. let us be honest in a country when it comes to calling for election, he has absolutely no plan in dealing with the recession. he has no policies dealing with unemployment. no poles with dealing with small businesses. no policies for dealing with the problems of this country. he's an opposition leader who has no plans for government and he doesn't deserve to be in government. >> one of my plans for dealing with the recession was the same as the prime minister's last week. sack the chancellor. he might be talking -- he might be talking about a second reference -- preference voting

system. on the issue of public spending, let's be clear about the answers the prime minister has given. he said last week, public spending is rising every year. that is what he said. his chancellor said, i have cut overall public spending. the figures the prime minister is >:ñ around are his own figures. he is planning to cut public spending by 7% in every department over the next three years. the next election -- the next election, when he has the guts to call it, won't be about labour investment about the torey cuts. it's going to be the election of the mismanagement of the public finances, the appalling deficit he's left and his plan that for cuts. let me just ask this question, why not on the issue of electoral reform -- why not on the issue of electoral reform admit this. the current system gives the country the chance the throw out

a government that is weak, that is divided, that is incompetent and that's what we should be having now. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, let me read the figures for public spending so that there is absolutely no doubt about the truth of what i'm saying and that he's got it wrong. public spending this year is 2621 million. it rises next year to 672 million, that's this financial year then 702. then 717 and 738 and that is public spending rises. the only party that is proposing a cut in public spending is the conservative party. and he's right. at the next election there will be a choice. there'll be a choice between a government that helps people and actively intervened to take us through a downturn and a conservative party that does nothing. >> order. you can't behave like that and you're under the risk of being

put out of the house. you're under risk of being put out of the house. order, everyone has got to be quiet. the prime minister. >> there's a choice between a government that's to deal with a recession and a conservative party that said do nothing. and it will be the choice now between a government that is increasing public spending by the figures that i've raised and a conservative leader who for the first time in the house of commons during this parliament has now admitted that the policy of his party is spending cuts. that is what he has told us today. that is going to be the choice before the country. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i know you're very anxious to hear this question. the prime minister is aware that barnesly college has been caught in the incredible bungling of the learning and skills council of the building colleges for the programs to the extent that we have a half demolished college. incredibly, the lsc has delayed

it yet again on which colleges will be funded. my college is now technical insolvent and has announced 53 redundancies. which will the prime minister intervene to sort this mess out the? >> in the budget an extra 300 million pounds was put to further education colleges. we are now looking at how we can help the individual colleges who've got spending proposals for new investment. let me remind this house that there was no investment taking place in further education colleges when we came into power. we are now investing more in further education colleges than ever before. and i believe that his college at barnesly is one of the priorities for getting that new investment. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, everyone has been out on the campaign trail in the last few weeks knows how angry and frustrated people have become in the way this government always raises people's hopes only to

see them disappointed again and again. and no way is that truer than in housing where we've had more announcements than new homes. now, since january when the prime minister announced the biggest council house-building program in decades, only 20 new homes had been started. so will he for once, just once, make a promise and actually deliver? >> mr. speaker, i don't accept his figures. what has happened since january is that we brought in place measures, first of all, to protect people in their own homes so the expected rate of mortgage repossession has not happened and mortgage repossessions are roughly as they were a few months ago. equally at the same time, we are bringing in a program for social housing to invest more in social housing over the next few months and indeed over the next few years and i have -- i have to tell him we are prepared to take even more decisions to make available more social housing over the next few months. now, that's only possible because we have taken the decisions that his and the

conservative party have opposed about the increased investment that's necessary at the time of a recession so i hope if he's going to ask for more social housing he'll support the investment that's necessary for it. >> that's all true. why are a staggering 1.8 million families in this country waiting for a home? that is 70% more than when this government came into power. now, if he wants to do something now be why doesn't he stop the treasury from grabbing all the money that councils raise in rents and sales and use that money instead to build desperately needed homes. will he at least do that? >> mr. speaker, i have to tell him there's a million more people in homes when we came into government in 1997. we have also improved houses for more than a million extra people. at the same time, we are putting aside extra money for social housing. i have to tell him that over 40 billion in total 11 invested since 1997 by 2010 and we would have made house improvements for 8 million people.

we are reducing the number of nondecent social homes by more than a million and i just have to say since 1997, over 29 billion has been invested in social housing. we are not complacent and that's why we're willing to invest more this year. >> since the stated objective of bailing out the banks to maintain lending to businesses and homeowners at 2007 levels and since the latest official figures just published show that that lending is now absolutely flat, indeed, 20% down on 2007 levels, when will my right honorable friend use the power which he already has for the majority ownership of several major banks to force the banks to give priority to rescuing the real economy rather than simply looking out for their own interests and letting the real economy go? >> mr. speaker, my right honorable friend is right that the banks have a duty now to lend to small businesses and for

housing. since march the 1st they have been under an obligation as a result of quantitative agreements we have made. they will increase their spending, northern rock by 5 million, voluntarily hsbc and bartly's have agreed to increase their lending. the total increase in lending that has been agreed to come from march the 1st is 70 billion extra over what happened last year. and you will begin to see the companies that will benefit from that being able to see when rejections when they put their applications, they are having their applications accepted. we are continuing to monitor than situation but i assure him $70 billion more extra money is coming to lending and small business in homes. >> robert smith? >> thank you, sir. mr. speaker, pensioners who rely on their savings are suffering greatly from the low interest rates needed to tackle the recession. will the prime minister explain to them why the savings limit

for cancel tax benefit has stuck at 16,000 pounds if it had begun up with the retail price index it would now be 27,000 pounds. >> mr. speaker, in all areas we've got to look at what we can afford at different times. and, obviously, we have done a great deal for those who are on pension credit to raise the amount of money that they receive. we've done a great deal for people who are on working tax credit and child tax credit to raise the amount of money they receive. obviously, reform and housing benefit is something that we are looking at but i think he's got to accept that 1 1/2 children have -- 1 1/2 million children have come out of poverty. if we haven't had the pension credit, the winter allowance, and we had the free tv license then pensioners would not have been well off as they are and many pensioners did not support it when we did it. >> last week able u.k. announced

a multimillion pound investment in my constituency that is going to create 5,000 much-needed jobs. it is on the largest development site on the north of england on a deepest -- deep estuaries. will he need me and my colleagues to look at some of the barriers we still have to economic growth in my constituency -- >> order. i think the prime minister will manage an answer to that. >> mr. speaker, just for members opposite, the latest estimate says there will be 500,000 people more people unemployed if we had followed the policies of the conservative party. and let me say that at all times

we will seek foreign direct investment into this country. we have given new allowances for people so that they can invest now so that they can invest into the recession into our future. the only way of making a better future is to invest in the future. that's what we are doing. unfortunately, our opponents want to cut. >> thank you, mr. speaker. parliament stands accused of being ever more distant from the country. so away from the political arena, what does the prime minister feel he ever achieved this time real world that qualifies him lead the nation? >> i think every -- i think every mp should return with a bit of humility after listening to the constituents over the last few weeks. and i think every mp has learned from the constituents that they want us to clean up the politics and they want us to get them through the recession and they want us to build for the future. now, that is what i am going to do and i believe i have the experience to do that. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

in the next two years, we will see an increase of funding of over five 5 million. -- 55 million thanks to the labour government. however, is my right honorable friend aware of concerns in the nhs about a zero basis review of his budget? will the prime minister reassure me that he will not implement these torie plans? >> mr. speaker, i could give the figures to the house over the current expenditures over the few years. it will rise from 565 billion to 608 to 645 to 666 to 689 billion and then to 712 billion. that is not a cut. that is a rise in expenditure. the only way that these cash figures will be cut is if there is a conservative government cutting 10% out of the major departments. this is the day, mr. speaker,

when the shadow health spokesman of the conservative party has admitted that the conservatives plan 10% cuts in our vital public services. this is the day when the conservatives have revealed their true manifesto for this country and this is the day when they've shown that the choice at the next election is investment under labour and massive cuts under the conservative party. >> in 2007, there were 8,324 deaths where it was mentioned as a cause on the death certificate. that was an increase of 28% on the year before. yesterday, the pmi brought out a report which said infection control procedures were being damaged because of overcrowding and understaffing at nhs facilities. does the prime minister agree with me that any unavoidable death is totally unacceptable and in light of this report, what fresh actions is the government now going to take to

eliminate all super bugs from our hospitals? >> well, mr. speaker, i'm determined to do that. we have brought in new rules for nurses. we brought in new rules for people being checked as they come in to hospitals. we've given matrons more powers and doubled the number of matrons so that cleanliness is at the center of everything that happens in the national health services. we're determined to root it out and we're determined to deal with mrsa and anyone who had anything happening like that in their family, we will continue the work that wire doing to remove them and we have the utmost sympathy if that is happened. >> mr. speaker, does my right honorable friend -- steady. does my right honorable friend understand the anger amongst people who work in financial

services who have seen billions of proud quite rightly invested in our banks to shore them up but now have seen thousands of jobs being jettisons by chet -- by the banks. >> i know the banks have made a number of redundancies and that is a big issue not only for him but for the rest of the country. i'm happy to meet him to talk about these issues but let me say our determination is to keep as many jobs as possible in this country and prevent unemployment 1uju people new jobs. 100,000 new jobs are being created as a result of a new investment to enable young people and others to get jobs. and even in this difficult situation more than 200,000 people are finding new jobs every month. we will continue to provide that support but again, i have to say to the house the issue is very

clear. we are prepared to provide the investment that is necessary for jobs. the conservatives are revealed again as the party of cuts. >> last month before the local elections, the prime minister in answer from a question from the honorable member said that we on this side wanted to abolish the regional development agencies. we do we want to give the power to the local authorities and he said we will support it, we will invest. they would make cuts. this week after those elections, the southwest rda has made 56 million pounds of cuts, cutting projects in my constituency, halving the budget. why should the prime minister believe anything that he said. >> thousands of companies in his area are getting help in the revenue scheme and other schemes that we are doing. thousands of companies are getting special help to take them through the recession. but if his argument is that we

must avoid cuts, then he better talk to his shadow chancellor because he is proposing massive cuts in services today and in the future. the conservative party has been revealed today as a party that will fight for the next few months in cuts in services and at some point they're going to have to tell us how many nurses and how many doctors and how many teachers and how many careers and how many public servants are going to lose their jobs as a result of this new policy announced this morning. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, can i ask the prime minister to join with me in paying tribute to his general secretary for 1968 to 1984. this is a man who led the union and made the conditions more than any other individual has ever done. this is a man who liked poetry and sing. and at the end the prime minister is a honorable member of the union. looking at paying a tribute to