commons. every wednesday while parliament is in session, prime minister gordon brown takes questions from members of the house of commons. prior to question time, the house is wrapping up previous business. this is live coverage on c-span2. >> make a valid point that we must congratulate and i completely indulge her sentiments. we must congratulate those people who have gone undergrou underground, the civil committee act has been working. it is a framework that has been well established. and ensure that it passes. >> will the minister like to congratulate the emergency services on the armed forces and the provision of the real difference for the people? >> the emergency services and the armed forces work exceptionally well, and showing

that the was built in time and a benefit to all concerts are we completely completely exhausted and it's. >> order. >> question for the prime minister. >> robert neil? >> mr. speaker, before listing my gauge was, it with deep sorrow that we remember from first but i don't oil-rich but lance corporal adam who died in afghanistan on monday. my thoughts and i know the thoughts of the whole house will be with his family and friends. every life lost during this year and during previous years, is a personal tragedy here and we mourn every single loss. we mourn heroes whose acts of bravery recognized a more stable afghanistan needs a safer britain. and the scale of that sacrifice does not diminish but strengthens our resolve. this morning i had meetings with colleagues and others with addition to my duties and house

today. >> robert neil? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house would endorse his sentiments as well. last week the prime minister told a house that that spain was in the g-20 and has been in recession for longer than this country. neither of which upon checking turns out is to be correct. do we conclude from that that the rain in spain is mainly in his brain? [laughter] >> mr. speaker i'm very glad that we're starting this week's session exactly as we ended last week session time. by talking about the economy. by talking about the economy. mr. speaker, i -- >> order. we want to hear the prime minister's reply. certainly people listening elsewhere. order. wish to do so.

will have no further interruptions. mr. prime minister? >> there are people who get in the white house on false pretenses and get their photograph taken and did not have a formal invitation. but the prime minister of spain by the president of america, to be part of the g-20. i have to also tell him, i have to tell him, i invited the prime minister of spain to the g-20 that took place in london. and the g-20 b. that took place in pittsburgh. in other words, spain was part of the g-20. mr. speaker, i know they're going to talk about britain, but it is a bit much they are talking down spain. >> mr. smith? >> thank you, mr. speaker. the attack last week on the four year old raises once again concerned about the

effectiveness of legislation with results. will my right honorable friend admit that those concerned about this is to be discussed what can be done to deal with this situation? >> mr. speaker, my honorable friend is quite right. this was a terrible death and i am very sorry about what happened to the little boy in liverpool. i think she knows we are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the death. they have also referred their handling of the original report from february 2090 independent compolice complaint. but the issue of status and dangerous job was raised on the working party a few days ago. we're working with the home office to ensure that those on the front line have the powers available to them. the government has provided additional advice to the police and also funding to the association of police officers

to help train officers in dangers dog legislation that this was an event that should not occur and will do everything in our power to make sure it doesn't happen. >> david cameron? >> thank you, mr. speaker. can i join the prime minister in paying tribute to lance corporal adam who was killed in afghanistan on monday. the 100 military casualties is sure is a very sad milestone that we should honor his memory. we should help his family. as the prime minister and i have both think of when we speak to our troops in afghanistan, it is not simply a pity there after but support, not just what they're doing but for the mission they are engaged in. and in my view they are every bit the equal of those men who stormed the beaches of normandy or father way across africa and the second world war. we should be proud of what they are doing. the new counterinsurgency strategy and the extra troops are announced by america lastly, do show that we have the last best chance to get this right. does the prime minister agree with me that we simply cannot waste any time in getting every

element of the strategy in place, including troops, helicopters, equip, denominate, civilian coordination and of course the pressure on president karzai to cut corruption? >> i am very pleased that he was able to go to afghanistan, and i also know there are many members that visit our troops in afghanistan. he is absolutelabsolutely right that we must move quickly on additional terms will be going to afghanistan in the next few days. we have called the conference for june the 28th to bring together all the powers that have been involved in afghanistan, the 43 nation coalition. that will discuss and agree i hope on civil coordination. president karzai has agreed to come and he will have to report on reforms that he has promised to make in his administration as he started his second period of duty. at the same time, we are making available all the equipment is necessary, helicopters and

vehicles, to our armed forces but i can just add one thing that 80 percent of the deaths have been the result of explosive devices. and we've now brought in far more severe as equipping. would've brought an extra engineers that were brought in extra drones to survey the area. would have brought in more intelligence officers and we're backing up our troops with the best equivalent possible. we will do everything we can to avoid the loss of life as a result of this guerrilla warfare. >> u.s. forces are now pouring into helmand province which is welcome. but it is one of the current provinceproblems that we are responsible if all of the increase in u.s. and helmand, it is their data will be a contest between the u.k. forces were still spread too thinly and u.s. forces who will not be? does he accept this needs to change and change very urgently? >> mr. speaker, if he heard what i said last week i said we're going to thicken the presence of our forces and a number of key

areas that i of course, operational decisions are to put commanders on the ground but i think it is recognized to things have got to happen. would have to thicken our presence. the second thing i ever size as part of our longer-term strategy as we are there also to train the afghan forces so that they can take over. so 5000 afghan troops will come to the train and helmand itself. 10000 in total will be trained in helmand over the course of the next year that we wouldn't want to pass security control district by district to the afghan people. we have not only a reason for being there, which is the threat of terrorism to the streets of our country. we have a plan to give the afghans control over their country so that support our troops can come home. >> david cam? >> the prime minister is right. of course it is the commanders to make a precise disposition. and un agrees that one of the keys to successful counterinsurgency is a dense population of troops to protect the civilian population. the figures to tell a final store that soon there will be

20000 u.s. forces responsible for some 30 percent of the population. under 10000 british troops responsible for some 70%. let me just ask them to begin. how quickly does he think is vital issue can be sorted out to have an effective counterinsurgency throughout southern afghanistan? >> thank you, mr. speaker i am grateful you raises these questions. we are part of the coalition that these decisions are made as part of the coalition to these decisions are made in him and with the americans and the other forces were there. yes, you decide to to thicken in certain areas at just the americas have laid the priority for the next few months and years on training afghan forces. that is what we are also going to do. i would say to him, we have an afghan army of about 90000 of you will go up over the next year to about 135,000. it will have to go higher than that for afghanistan to be able to sustain its own security control or the police forces about 90000 at the moment that it will have to be approved by

police trainers and will have to have more police on the ground as well. that is the way forward for afghanistan. so i would say to him again, decisions about the location of troops are a matter for commanders on the ground. but we work in close partnership with the americans come and our decisions are taken with the rest of the allied. >> mr. david cameron? >> i am grateful for that answer, and discussing this issue. honestly. it is important point that i do believe it has to be sorted out and he will have, there are political out to this decision of what i'm saying is he will have our support if he makes those decisions. let me turn to a completely different subject. tomorrow the house of commons will be publishing the details of the member for the financial year 2008-90 this is a vital process which everyone wants to happen. as of yesterday, the plans were to issue details expensive but without punishing the total

expenses claimed by each mp. does he agree with me that would not be transparent and it would injury at the public who put us here? will he take all the necessary steps to make sure the current totals are published in full? >> mr. speaker, this is a matter for the members committed to make a judgment on. the shadow leader of the house is a member of the members estimate committee as is the leader of the house. we want the maximum transparency possible. i believe there is nothing that we have to hide. we got to get all the information out. so everything that maximizes is what i support that but i would have thought the details of how we do it our best left to the members estimate committee, and to the shadow leader of the house to put his use there. i think, if i was right, we were trying to reach a consensus about how we would move forward on these issues. i think we should all say that the sooner we can do with all the issues, the better. but the best way to do with them is by the process that we

ourselves agreed. >> with respect cash back with respect to the question of whether or not you publish the totals is not a matter of detail. is seems to be pretty profound. and you've got to publish the totals so the public can save we are being open, transparent and transport. now after the queen speaks, after -- >> order. government, you do need to simmer down. mr. cameron? >> thank you, mr. speaker. after queens beach i offered the prime minister are supporting the brought forth the legislation to intimate that they can't report in full. the leader of the house has said she is prepared to talk about this. can he confirm that the necessary legislation will be brought forward and indeed will be published before christmas? does he agree with me that we need to end this damaging year for parliament by showing once and for all that we get it? >> mr. speaker, i understand

that on the very issue he raises and perhaps he should notice that the meeting is taking place this afternoon to do with exactly the issues we're talking about. i would prefer that we agreed it would be the maximum transparency, that we will do everything we can to make that happen. we have set up independent parliamentary standards of authority to do this. let them get on with the job and let us reach a consensus in this house that the maximum transpac is what we are going to achieve. >> mr. david cameron. >> of course, the point is can he make a series of recommendations that the prime minister says the whole point of how long it prolonging this parliament was to put them into place. many of these recommendations require legislation so the legislation needs to be brought forward. data transfer is about to stand up and deliver his pre-budget report that he should be announcing measures to bring the deficit under control. does the prime minister agree with me that we should show some leadership and begin with this

place? will he therefore support our plans for a 5% cut in the history of baseball by a five year freeze, and a 10% cut in the size of the house of commons to? mr. speaker, our deficit reduction plan involves major change in the way government operates and that includes ministers from civil servants operate. and i hope you will agree with the measures that we are bringing forward. i would actually say, the reason we have a deficit because we have spent to take as out of the recession but it would've taken his advice, all people would have been unemployed. more citizens would have gone under. more would have lost their homes and we would be facing a higher deficit and hired that as a result of the. when i listen to now it seems to me he has lost the art of the medication but not the gift of speech.

>> order. order. i'm sure government-backed they just want to hear their college. mr. kevin baron? >> what my friend agreed that people stand to give interviews to national newspapers say that if they are elected they will not claim expenses? they have made some on corruptible only to find out that while this held in tax payments abroad? schematics mr. speaker, sometime the conservative party will have to face up to the fact that first part in history device attacks was just for themselves. >> mr. speaker i would like to ask my own question specifically to the family and friends of lance corporal adam of the first battalion, the royal regiment who tragically lost his life serving in afghanistan on

monday. we will remember him as we read them or all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving in the mission in afghanistan. mr. speaker, yesterday the prime minister said paris is in the dna. today we are told that there is would be the centerpiece of their pre-budget report. so why is it that 4 million children are still in an poverty? one in five young people are out of work and millions of poor pensioners will struggle this winter simply to keep warm. that he dared to talk about fairness. does he realize how that is to the millions of people who are being let down by labour? >> mr. speaker last time we talk a few months ago he didn't know the level of the state pension. by august he knows the child of benefits and child tax credit because benefit taken with tax benefit has trouble for the poorest families in this country. we have taken more action today as if he would listen to the chance of you hear what he is

going to do. to our record in taking children out of poverty from a situation where poverty had troubled under the conservatives is a record that we will build on in the years to come. >> mr. speaker, once again i don't get an answer i get a list. here is a list. you can shout as much as you like that it doesn't change the fact that here's the list that poverty is going up again. >> order. order. mr. clegg must be heard. >> it's very early in the day and members are already overexcited. they need to simmer down. mr. nick clegg? >> here's a list. child poverty is going up again. inequality is going a. last week more people died of the cold than a a decade ago. if you were a child born today in the poorest part of this country, you will die a full 14 years before a child somewhere else and that hasn't changed in 10 years.

now will he now be honest. he has failed on fairness. >> mr. speaker, we have taken action over the 10 years that i know he doesn't like me reading list of what we have done. the problem is he can't read any list of what he has done. what we have done, what we have done is take hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. what we've done is protected children and families against the cost of energy bills but what we don't also is given thousands of children sure start opportunity they never would have had. we have doubled the child tax credit for not one-year-olds to help avoid in the poverty. i had to say to him, he wants to abolish the child trust fund and we have given for the first time young children the chance to have a trust fund of their own. we are the party that will give every child in this country a trust fund for the conservatives and liberals, the trust fund are just for the fuel. >> question number two. mr. speaker, on earlier

interventions. >> mr. speaker, i congratulate my honorable friend for his work on this issue. following my meeting with him and his parliament to college, i visited some of the early intervention projects in nottingham, including in my honorable friend's constituency. i welcome everyone working together on early intervention. there are 50000 fans who need our help to break into the generational cycles requires us all to work at early intervention and to work consistently over the years. >> would the prime minister and indeed the other party leaders here today accept that giving our babies, our children and our young people the social and emotional bedrock they need for early intervention, not only gives them a great start in life, but at a time of financial constraints will save the taxpayer billions and billions of pounds in reduced bills or no

educational payment, crime, and a reduction in drink and drug abuse, and lifetimes that are currently wasted on benefits? >> mr. speaker, i visited nottingham as i said, and i saw the success of an early intervention project which had taken a family that was in absolute chaos, and every single member of the county was benefiting from the professional work that we had done to help them. so i have seen it in action. we are putting it as a program in all parts of the country. i say it is complemented by sure start where young people can get the chance before the age of which they go to nursery school to get help with learning and help for their family with education. i saber going to early intervention we must also have sure start. and i hope all parties in the house want the house want to maintain the sure start program. 3000 centers, six is the average in each constituency and is something we want to build upon, not destroy. >> prime minister of sect that early prevention work is

important in addressing the root causes of poverty? >> absolutely. the real causes of poverty are helping people find jobs. that's why we've got a new deal. but unfortunately support by the conservative party, the root causes of poverty and helping people deal with health problems and that's why we spend money on the health service instead of going to health services 60 year-old mistake. that so we are about, helping deal with the real causes of the problem by investing in people. >> question number three, mr. speaker. >> i refer my honorable friend to the answer i gave moment to go. >> thank you, mr. speaker. taxpayers are way to support many suspected on income of about 60000 house. can the prime minister confirm my constituency will not cut help to many hard-working families for tax is added expense of the wealthiest few? >> mr. speaker, child tax credits have listed 500,000

children out of poverty. child tax credits are now helping people through this recession. 400,000 families, some of whom were the redwood is on short time or on portable cabin able to claim tax credits. this is our way of helping people out of recession. i would regret very much in the party that shows to cut tax credit by 400 million pounds. i understand that that would affect every family with incomes of about 16000 pounds. that means it is a policy that will hurt the many at a time when the same party wants to benefit the few. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister should note that skills are by the important for recovery. so he will be disappointed as i was with the lord's concession in the recently published ill strategy, the government will miss its target for technical skills which is set for 2011.

in that spirit of compassion, will the prime minister now concede that fewer people are beginning printer ships that were 10 years ago? >> mr. speaker, we are actually doing far more to increase the number of apprenticeships. there are more apprenticeships of this year than last year. and let us remember there were 70000 apprenticeships in 1997. there are a quarter of the main apprenticeships now. if he wants to help level three and people to get there, why does the conservative party opposed the guarantee which helps young people get these qualifications in their teens? why does the conservative party opposed the money that is necessary to give every young person and not just some young people a chance at? >> thank you, mr. speaker. on the issue of carbon, what

steps is he taken to further convince people the import of new good energy and wind farms and overall policy? >> mr. speaker, we meet in the week were a big set of decisions has got to be made in copenhagen. i know there is all party support for us want to get the best agreement at copenhagen that could lead to substantial reductions in carbon. we have said as europe and is bring that we will lead the way in making substantial reductions in carbon. i have to tell him, that that will happen only if we have a balanced energy policy and only if we're able to tackle the issue of renewables. so yes, we need nuclear as part of our energy policy. and i am sorry that the opposition is saying it's only a last resort for them. but we also need wind power as part of the renewables that we're going to create in the future. not just offshore wind power, but onshore wind power pack and i'm sorry the applications are being turned down by conservative authorities what we want to get wind power and wind

turbines in our country. i'm afraid the conservative policy on energy is all talk and no action. it's all wind and no turbine. [laughter] >> border. order. order. before members get too excited i want to get a lot more adventures in. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last sunday the people of northern and my constituency were able to get a license for their hall because the government imposed limit 15 of the year had been reached. inquiries suggested neither the logic know the hall regularly fits into the inquiries into binge drinking and lavish behavior will the prime minister review that bureaucratic and unnecessary regulation which prompts the decision and ensure every turn to local discretion which is where these decisions be over the make way for a government that will?

>> i'm happy to take this issue up. i want people to be able to have that opportunity. they should be a matter where there is leisure and discussion and we'll do our best to achieve that. >> last weekend mark parker died aged only 56 following a hypoglycemic attack because of his diabetes that we can only spend 1 million pounds an hour on treating diabetes related illnesses. but there are still an estimated 7 million britons who have prediabetes condition including probably members in his house. i was diagnosed only three years ago. what steps to ensure that every person in his country has access to diabetes tested this will save money and in the long run save lives because he is right about the importance of dealing with diabetes. i have to say to him that the test identifying those at risk or having a developing type two diabetes is included within the

nhs health test which will be offered for those aged between 40 and 74 that it will also assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease and help individuals manage that risk. we believe that we will be able to get by at least 20000 cases of diabetes and tb disease earlier, and that is very important both to the health of our country and to preventing further costs as a result of people suffering from the disease in itself. this is a program for investment now will save money later. and i believe it is the right way forward for the national health service to get people personal guarantees that they will have these health checks and don't have to pay for them but have been free of charge. >> mr. speaker, given that the prime minister has said the frontline nhs services should not be affected by cuts, when he joined in condemning the decision by nhs manchester to close the center against the wishes of local people?

>> mr. speaker, i understand the closure has been born to other primary care to involve the people about the alternative services available. look, we've invested an additional 250 million pounds and 100 new gp practices and poor areas and 152 new health services but this is a matter for decision by the local nhs together with patients and others. i understand he's in a hospital in his area would close. that hospital is still open. >> will the prime minister join with me in congratulating american bed spring manufactures for investing some $22 million in establishing their european headquarters in my constituency? >> and does he also agree with me that with places like that,

they are still great places for foreign companies to invest in? >> mr. speaker, this is exactly the policy that the chancellor is pursuing. and his pre-budget report is about. it is about recovery from recession by investing in the future. and it is about getting growth in economy so we can get new jobs in new areas, and i applaud the work that my honorable friend did. this is the party about jobs. the opposite party would leave millions unemployed. >> what is the prime ministers prepare to do about the fact that some of the most bulbul people have the greatest difficulty in heeding their own homes pay the highest tariffs for their fuel either because they have prepayments or because they live in areas where there is no gas supply and don't have access to new fuel tariffs because i'm grateful he raises is because the energy bill is an attempt to deal with some of the problems that arise in to make sure that the social tariff is far fair to