lot of advocacy on our part to make sure mental-health does become part of the broader discussion for the whole health-care benefit package because i think it makes us very concerned that i think we really need to not say this is a done deal that we have a lot of advocacy to make this happen. because i have seen issues in the new york. it is more of a statement. >> if i could briefly respond, the first up has been made which there is a broad agreement and recognition on everybody's part that addressing the issue of the mentally ill has to be part of the package. . .

can i say one thing about what is an opportunity is the definition of benefit package and there is broad recognition that folks don't want to go through a process to legislate in statute with the benefits are and so what the question and then what will be the process for determining if it's not going to be written to statute, there is one end of the spectrum the cesspit the dollar amount for the benefit package rick canaccord and figure out what fits into that package and then

there is the dollar amount and a big bucket categories that should be covered with that dollar amount and then there is the kennedy draft that says that we can establish medical advisory council expert to determine based on evidence which should be in a package to keep people healthy and get them well when they're sick. i think that a final option is our best hope really, when you look through the lens of a science evidence instead of politics i think we would feel more comfortable with the benefit package we would get out of that process and so the discussion now is how do we take in more consumer and patient enrollment in the process and make it transparent, but insulated from politics and let the experts make recommendations on this point and that is going to be something if we do in statute the process to load up now are opportunities for engagement and then make sure we're at the table when it kicks off a key iraqi brought us to our conclusion and i just wanted

to thank the panel, thank mental-health america, thank those who are extremely helpful and i want to leave you with this please do not leave mental health coverage to someone else. is all of our responsibility. you are all leaders in your communities, the leaders in your neighborhoods, states and cities and you have a audiences that you have to mobilize whether it is congress, senate, state legislatures, governors, whoever it is. it is our responsibility to be sure we follow through and have adequate mental health coverage. thank you all and thank the panel very much. [applause]

>> how is c-span funded? >> i have no clue. >> government grants. >> donations. >> advertisements for products. >> public money i am sure. >> my taxes can balckout a c-span funded? 30 years ago america's cable companies traded c-span as a public service, a private business initiatives. no government mandate, no government money. >> british prime minister court in brown and aspiration of independent inquiry into the war in iraq and that came earlier this day in the british house of commons in london. here are the prime minister's remarks. >> mr. speaker, with your permission the whole house will want to join me in expressing our condolences to our friends of the two soldiers who recently lost their lives serving in afghanistan.

their lives, their service and their contribution will not be forgotten and their sacrifice reminds us of the dangers of serving armed forces confront every day and why we must continue to give them all our support. mr. speaker, our troops first went into iraq in march 2003 and now they're coming home. in total 120,000 men and women served in the iraq during the last six years. so it is fitting i should now come to the house to talk of their achievement to difficult times to check the new relationship we're building with iraq and to set out our plans for an inquiry into the conflict. has ali mr. speaker we can be supreme the proud of the way concourses carry out their mission, their valor in the heat of combat recognize in the many citations for awards and decorations and the vigilance and resolution amongst the most difficult conditions and ever-present risk of attack by

an unseen enemy. and today we continue to mourn and remember the hundred 79 men and women who gave their lives in iraq and their service of our country. in my statement to the house last december i set out the remaining task in seven iraq for our mission. first that we want to entrench improvement of security by putting iraqis in charge of their own defense and policing, second to support iraq's emerging democracy particularly to the provincial elections and third to promote the reconstruction of the country to promote maximum growth and basic services like water to give the iraqi people what matters most for their livelihoods in the years to, and that is so full stake in the recommend future. i can report and that these three objectives are being achieved and that thanks to our efforts and those of our allies over six difficult years a young democracy has replaced a vicious 30 year-old dictatorship. in recent months we have completed the training of the 9,000 troops and 14 division of the iraqi army who are now fully

in charge of the security of basra. it was 14 division with the help of americans and the crucial charge of the night's operation in spring last. since then violence in the region have continued to fall while levels of violence across iraq as a whole are at their lowest since 2003. in provincial elections were also held peacefully on 31st january with 7 million iraqis turning out to vote and 440 different political groupings. hyrax elections for three violent incidents across the entire country and preparations are under way for national elections in the 31st january 2010. since 2003 the united kingdom has also spent over 500 million pounds in iraq for humanitarian assistance, infrastructure and promoting economic growth. support to the house sector has included 189 projects in basra including the refurbishment of general hospital and the building of children's hospital. as a whole the international

community has rehabilitated over 5,000 schools as well as constructing entirely new schools. and despite high unemployment on the scale of the global recession economic growth this year is predicted to be nearly 7%. signet ring challenges remain including that of finding it very sustainable solution to the sharing of iraq's oil reserves but iraq's future is now in its own hands in the hands of its people and as politicians and we must pay a tribute to the iraqi people's interests and pledge to them our continuing support. but it will be support three different from the kind we provided for the last six years. as the house knows our military mission ended with the last combat patrol in basra on 30th april, as of today there are fewer than 500 british troops in iraq with more returning each week. mr. speaker, on the day of that last combat patrol i welcome prime minister maliki and his cabinet to london, we signed a declaration a partnership friendship and cooperation to

find a new relationship between the two countries for the future. at the request of the iraqi government is on number of naval personnel will remain in iraq for long-term training of a iraqi army. royal naval ships will continue to protect the oil platform on which iraq's exports depend and will continue to offer cheney to the iraqi army as part of a wider nato mission and offer training opportunities elsewhere in the u.k. for an iraqi officers of high potential. but at the core of our new relationship will be the diplomatic trading and cultural links a building with the iraqi people supporting british and other foreign investors to play a role in the reconstruction of seven iraq. i have discussed with prime minister out i plan for british companies to provide as produce to the new oil ministry, earlier mesopotamia, but signed a joint venture with 400 million and shell working with the southern oil company to bring to market the 700 million cubic feet of gas lost by flaring and

companies competing for further contracts and rolls-royce and partisans' currently discussing with their iraqi minister of electricity proposals for new power generation infrastructure worth $200 million. british funding will support lending to 2,000 businesses and youth employment program should give training in were permanently tujunga mazza and ruled out as a result of its success across the whole of wire rack. we're supporting -- iraqi chesbrough minister in a resumption of civilian flights, and the council working on a major education program. iraq has identified as first 250 students and early initiative in a contribution toward iraq's plan for 10,000 overseas scholarships for iraqi students. mr. speaker, issues in the region still confront us. iran as an independent nation that deserves our respect and the ivory and people are proud of the deserve democracy. and that is why there she must

address the questions being asked about the conduct of the iranian elections. the way the regime responds to legitimate protests will have implications for i ran's relationships with the rest of the world in future. i think the house will also want to know of the future prime minister were for the first time we he endorsed a two-stage solution. his speech was an important step toward but the remains a long road ahead of us i'm speaking to him later today to president importance of freezing settlements. so mr. speaker, with the last british troops about to return home from iraq now as a write-in to ensure we have a proper process in place to land a lessons of this conflict and controversial advent of the last six years. i am today announcing the establishment of an independent pretty counselor committee of inquiry that will consider the time from summer 2001 before military operations began in

march 2003 and our subsequent involvement and iraq right and so the end of july this year. the inquiry is essential so that by learning lessons we will strengthen the health of our democracy and diplomacy and military. the inquiry will i stress be fully independent of government. the scope of the inquiry is unprecedented, covers and eight year time including the run-up to the conflict and the full reconstruction, the committee of inquiry will have access to the fullest range of information including secret information and other words investigation can rain across all papers, documents and material so the inquiry can ask for any british document to come before any citizen to appear. no british document and the witness will be beyond the scope of the inquiry. i have asked members of the inquiry that the final report of the inquiry will be able to disclose all but the most sensitive information that is all information except that which is essential two our national security.

it will receive the full cooperation of the government with access to government papers and ability to call any witnesses with objective to learn the lessons from the evidence surrounding the conflict here it is on this basis that i have accepted the cameras secretaries advice that the inquiry is the best president. in taking into account national security considerations as to the press inquiry did for example what might damage or reduce our military capability in future evidence will be held in private. and this way also evidence given by serving the former ministers and officials will i believe be as full and candid as possible. the committee will publish its findings in as full and formal as possible and these will then be debated to the house of commons and house of lords, it is in these debates as from the airport itself that we can draw fully upon the lessons learned in the iraq. so while the full amount is the same as the franks in car we have gone further in the scope of the inquiry and nona has looked as such a long time nor

supposed to look so much breath but while frank looked at the run-up to the falklands conflict the iraqi incursion a look at the run-up to conflict itself and that reconstruction of so that we can learn lessons in each and every area. the inquiry will take into account evidence submitted to previous inquiries and asking members of the committee to explain the scope to opposition leaders and the shares of the relevant parliamentary committees. in order that the committee is non-partisan as possible the membership will consist entirely of nonpartisan public figures and i knowledge to be experts in their field of. there'll be no representatives of political parties from any side of this house, as i can announced that the inquiry will be chaired by sir john and included maraniss, sir lawrence freedman and martin gilbert. all are will become privy

councilors. mr. speaker, the committee will start work as soon as possible after the end of july and given the complexity of issues it will address i am advised it will take a year. as i have made clear, the primary objective of the committee will be to identify and not set out to apportion blame are considered issues of civil or criminal liability. finally mr. speaker i am sure the whole house will join with me in paying tribute to the courage and dedication of everyone of our armed forces and also our civilian personnel who have served our country with such distinction in iraq over six years and will continue to do so in afghanistan and on a peacekeeping missions around the world. mr. speaker at its peak a force of 46,000 servant course of duty in support of operations in iraq and in total as i have said 120,000 men and women serve over the time of the entire conflict. 179 britons died, 222 were

seriously or very seriously injured and we remember them all today. by seven my statement in december that the memorial wall in basra will be brought home. i cannot confirm it will form part of a new memorial wall to be built at the national arboretum in staffordshire and just as it is right that we should pay to be to the memory of those who have fallen into the wounded, it is right to give banks of for the safe return home of our forces to show how our gratitude to all those who have served for us as a nation to celebrate the enduring and achievements of our on forces so i can also tell the house that they, of this year sarah commemoration will be held and westminster abbey. mr. speaker, we salute our forces today, to their work, the work of the american coalition comrades and the iraqi security forces and supported by the courage and vision of those within iraq the by the prime

minister maliki, iraq is emerging from the shadow of 30 years of brutal dictatorship and conflict and today prime minister rao and his government can work together for a peaceful and prosperous future. that they can do so is the old man to read to all who served in iraq to the skills, commitment and sheer professionalism, to their great manager encouraging conflict and a measurable contribution to reconstruction and peace and i commend the statement to the house. >> thank you mr. speaker, to enjoin the prime minister enclave to bid to the private killed in afghanistan and the last few days. in the course of the iraq conflict, hundred 79 british a service men and women lost their lives, they came from all three services, the army, navy and air force and also included one civilian. of course, of iraq, a cause great division in our politics, parliament and our country but the things we can all unite over are the professionalism and

bravery of our armed forces, the service that they gave to our country and the debt we owe it to all of those who lost their lives. can i start with some of the things we agree about with the statement , yes, we agree the need for strong relationship between democratic iraq in britain, we absolutely agree about the need for a two-stage solution between israel and palestine and welcome what netanyahu has said it and, yes, we need answers about conduct of those i read in the elections but i want to focus my questions on the inquiry and by the prime minister. we welcome an inquiry and have been calling for in now for many months but i have to say i am far from convinced that the prime minister has got right. the whole point of having an inquiry is it's got to be able to make clear recommendations to go wherever the evidence leads to establish the full truth and make sure the right lessons are learned and got to do so anyway that builds public confidence. isn't there a danger that while the prime minister has announced

want to achieve those objectives and the membership looks quite limited and other terms of reference in restricted and the inquiry is a specifically task to make recommendations and none of it will be held in public so will the prime minister to answer questions about the following four areas -- the timing, the membership, the coverage and content and the openness. first time in. this inquiry should have started earlier. how can anyone argue that an inquiry starting six months ago would somehow have undermined british troops, into the argument that you can't have an inquiry while troops are still in iraq has been blown away by the prime minister saying that some will, indeed, be staying there even as the inquiry gets under way. in terms of how long the inquiry takes the franks inquiry reported in just six months and yet this is due to take a surprise until july or august 2010. by delaying the start of the

inquiry and by prolonging the publication until after the next election want everyone conclude this has been fixed to make sure the government avoids having to face up to any inconvenience conclusions? at the very least will this be to look at the possibility of an interim report early next year? second to the people conducting the inquiry, which is required for this is a mixture of diplomatic military and political experience. welcome to diplomatic experience, there has to be a question of the military experience, no former chiefs of staff for people with that sort of expertise but also isn't necessary as the franc's inquiry did to include senior politicians from all sides of the political divide to look at the political judgments? in the inquiry needs to be any cbc to be truly independent and not an establishment stitch up so will he look at winding the membership and the way that we have suggested? third, the coverage and content of the inquiry , yes, it is

welcome and will cover the whole time in the run-up to the war as well as the conduct of the war but is never wrong to try and confine it to an arbitrary time? should now be free to pursue any points which two judge as relevant cranks looking specifically at issue of terms of reference. it isn't kids eastern area that the prime minister said it should try to avoid apportioning blame? shouldn't it have the ability to apportion blame if mistakes were made, we need to make known who made them and why they remain. specifically,, specifically on the inquiry the prime minister was clear that it would have access to all british documents and all british witnesses -- does this mean it may not have access to documents from the usa or coalition authority or iraqi government to even if they are kept in the british archives? that is an important question and one we need an answer to. will it be free to invite

foreign witnesses to give evidence written and oral? on the issue of the scope of the inquiry will he confirm it will cover relations with the u.s., use of intelligence information, function of the machinery of government, post-conflict planning and how the armed forces work together -- turning to the issue of openness. given this is not just of interest u.s. politicians but to the public and to the families of servicemen and women to give their lives, shouldn't there be some proper public sessions? isn't that what many will want and many expect and part of the building of public confidence that is necessary? finally of the limitations of this inquiry reflected in the way the house of commons is being treated by the government over this? before the franks inquiry into all this is a friend sterling inquiry, there was a proper debate on the terms of reference on a substantial and motion in

the house of commons and this time it is a statement in no debate yet last wednesday the prime minister promised a new era of parliamentary accountability and democratic review. what happened. it has an even less than a week. a proper inquiry must include a range of members including senior politicians. in is two have the freedom to range widely and speak frankly and is terms of reference must be debated properly in a democracy like ours so when he stands up will this be to put the failings right? >> mr. speaker, first of all, of i think of for the comments made about our soldiers who have died in afghanistan and the contribution they make, i'm glad he agrees with what i said about iran and the behavior of the average in regina and the need for them to stop any violence conducted against people protesting against the election result in a peaceful way. i also agree with him about the support he wants to give and i want to give to our troops and

to take into account at all times particularly when looking at the inquiry the wishes and the views but also the sensitivities of the families of people who died or injured infighting in iraq. i have to say to him when i listen to what he has and i think almost all of the points he has raised are dealt with both the scope, brett and depth of the inquiry and i think if i may say so at the end for a secretary spent time calling for a french style inquiry and that is what we have got. there are repeated references to the foreign secretary and leader of the opposition saying what we actually want was a frank style inquiry which is what we've got. first of all, as far as what he says is a restrictive nature of the brink inquiry, i cannot mr. speaker think of an inquiry that has got a more comprehensive, wider and broader remans than the one i have announced so far

amount being restricted it covers eight years from 2001 to 2009, far from it be restricted if has access to any documents available and that will include foreign documents available in british archives and as far as we're concerned that an interview any witnesses, british but witnesses it wants to invite if necessary from abroad and so i don't think there is any fundamental disagreement between us on the nature of the inquiry, in scope and the fact that it is very comprehensive, indeed,. i have to remind him about the timing of this that the franks inquiry had the events and only that the run-up to the balkans war in incidentally mr. speaker it was announced in a written answer to the house of commons not in an oral statement. let me say as far as the franc inquiry is concerned it dealt with the run-up to the falklands war, what this inquiry does is deal with the run-up to the

complex, the conflict itself and all issues of reconstruction after the conflict. i can't think of any set of events that can be excluded that are of importance. >> in the future of our relationship with the iraq and is highly surprising that we're dealing with in the your time and dealing not just with the run-up to the war but that conflict itself and the aftermath of the conflict that the inquiry will take time to interview witnesses, take time to take evidence in this report will be detailed. i have said and i repeat this, i have said that the report should be as comprehensive as is possible given the issues of national security involved. in other words, all but the most sensitive of information should be something that is reported to the house of commons and the lessons we are going to learn from the iraq events are going to be learn not just from the investigation but from the debates that was a place in this house when we receive the full

reports from this inquiry. as for the membership, i think there is a difference between now and the issues dealt with by the franc's inquiry. for eight years we have had politicians commenting on iraq one way or another in this house and elsewhere and it seems to me that we would be better in these circumstances to draw on the professional and expert advice of people who have not been involved in the process of commenting on this over the years and that is why we have what i believe is people who can be regarded as knowledgeable and experts and i would really defied the opposition to criticize individuals named in this inquiry as people who are not capable of carrying out what i believe is an important piece of work per rich and they are suited in which they will do a good job. and i hope that people will recognize that there are respected in their own fields and a great deal to offer in

this inquiry. mr. speaker, the iraq advance are controversial, they have led to heated debate in the house, led to heated debate across our country but it is possible for us to work together to learn the lessons of this inquiry and then to help that this inquiry will not become the subject of partisan in-fighting -- i hope that this inquiry to be done by a very respectable group of people whom i think how great reputations throughout our country will get the support of as many people in this house as possible. >> i express condolences to the family and friends of the lieutenants and private which tragically lost their lives in afghanistan this last week and a chorus to it prime minister in pain she returned servicemen and women who served our country so courageously in iraq over the last six years and is a killer to the 179 who have lost their