>> one of the lowest crime rates and lowest uniformed officers on the streets. does my honorable friend think as i do that we could think about the wales police force? >> yes, idea, mr. speaker. and principally we have in north wales a chief constable who is prepared to live within his financial means. >> questions to the prime minister. >> question number one, mr. speaker, thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in paying tribute to private john howard from third battalion the parachute regiment who died sunday on the fifth of december. he was an incredibly gifted and popular paratrooper. we shall send us. condolences to his family and friends.

i met the two brave paratroopers who were wounded at the same time he was killed. i know their families will be relieved to know that they are doing well and in extremely good spirits. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and in addition to my duties in the house i shall have further such meetings later on today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to associate myself with the condolences with the prime minister does my right honorable friends that it's agreeable that we invest in the future in the unmanned aerial vehicle program that was developed in my constituency and will the prime minister accept my invitation to see the standing work force that is driving innovation and skills at that plant? >> well, i'll be delighted to take up the opportunity to see my honorable friend's constituency in that facility. the truth is that the uav program is exactly the sort of defense asset that we should be investing in. it plays an absolutely vital

role in afghanistan and we're increasing the spending that we're doing on that project. but also it shows that the point of having a defense review is vital to start spending money on the weapons on the future rather than legacies on the past. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, can i -- can i join the prime minister in paying tribute to private john howard from third battalion, the parachute regiment. he showed enormous courage. we pay tribute to his sacrifice and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family. and i join the prime minister also since he originally came back to afghanistan and pay tribute to all our troops serving afghanistan and all their families. can the prime minister confirm that after his changes are introduced, english students will pay the highest fees of any public university system in the industrialized world? >> the figures are well-known about what students will pay. they are much lower.

they are much lower than what students, for instance, pay in the united states. but i have to say -- i have to say to the honorable gentleman, in the end we have to make a choice here. if we want to see -- if we want to see university education expand, if we want to see universities well funded we have to work out where that money is going to come from. our proposal is that graduates should make a greater contribution but only if they're successful. they will only start paying back when they are earning 21,000 pounds. that is better than the system we inherited. >> dave miliband. >> mr. speaker, he doesn't answer the question. this country will have the highest fees for going to a public university in the whole industrialized world. and he says his plans are about properly funding universities. they're not. he's cutting public investment in universities. and loading costs onto students and their parents.

will he admit -- will he admits the reason fees are being trebled is to make up for an 80% cut in the university teaching budget? >> the reason that these contributions are going up is because we were left a completely unsustainable situation. that is why -- that is why before the last election, the labour government put in place the brown commission and that is why the conservative party backed it. one party has had the courage of its convictions to see this through. [laughter] >> to be fair, to be fair to the liberal democrats, they never signed up to the brown review. he did. and he's the one guilty of rank hypocrisy. >> dave miliband. >> mr. speaker, he's giving it away, one party. now, there are 57 liberal democrats. they are split four ways. that's something even for the liberal democrats. and things are so bad,

mr. speaker, the honorable members of birmingham yeardley is offering his own solution to the vote tomorrow. he says if you run quickly, you can vote both ways. [laughter] >> i have to say, i have to say if the kremlin were spying on the liberal democrats we know why. they want to be of light relief, frankly. [laughter] >> let's have him answer another question, let's have him answer another question because he didn't answer the first two. he says he doesn't want the next generation to be in debt. so does he not understand the anxiety that students and parents have about starting their adult life with a debt of 40,000 pounds? >> i would say to the honorable gentleman you can't attack a plan if you don't have a plan. the fact is, they went into the last election -- he went into the last election with a 25% cut planned in the business department and he's got absolutely no way of making the numbers add up.

what everybody knows, mr. speaker, they said they wouldn't introduce tuition fees. they introduced them. they said they wouldn't tuition top-up fees, they introduced them. they said they supported the brown review, he wrote it into their manifesto. why are they breaking their pledge about the brown review? why? he saw -- the fact is -- >> all this finger pointing is very unseemly. i want to hear the response of the prime minister. prime minister? >> the leader of the labour party saw a big crowd assembling in the mile and he just decided, i'm their leader, i must follow them. that's his idea of leadership. >> ed miliband. >> a week really is a long time in politics. not so much waving but drowning.

now, let's talk about social mobility mr. speaker. let's talk about social mobility because that is at the heart of these proposals. let me quote someone where the prime minister used to trust on social mobility. the person he appointed to head his social mobility task force, the right honorable member how den, he says this. i'm concerned about the effect this would have on social mobility and the huge level of debt we're encouraging young people to take on. i know he doesn't have much time for them these days but why doesn't he listen to him on this issue. >> let me tell you in terms of social mobility. last year there were 80,000 students on free school meals. only 40 of them went on oxford and cambridge. that is the situation with social mobility. what we are introducing -- and i know they don't want to hear the details. a situation where nobody pays fees up front including part-time students. which is 40% of students. nobody pays anything back until

they're earning 21,000 pounds. under the new system, everyone will pay back less than what they pay under the current system. they will pay back less every month. that is the case. the poorest will pay less. the richest will pay more. it is a progressive system that he hasn't got the courage of his conviction to support it. >> only the prime minister could treble tuition fees and then claim it's a better deal for students. no one is convinced. frankly. and, look, and isn't it absolutely clear this policy is in chaos. the education minister refuses to answer questions on it. they rush our proposals daily. isn't the most sensible thing for the prime minister, go away, think again and come up with a better proposal? >> the right honorable gentleman has absolutely no idea what he'll put in his place. he supported a graduate tax that

his shadow chancellor didn't support. he's just demonstrating complete political opportunism. yeah. total opportunism. he is behaving like a student politician and frankly that's all it will ever be. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, i was a student politician. but i wasn't hanging around with people who are throwing bread rolls and wrecking restaurants. now, isn't it the truth is all he can offer is that you never it had so good on planet cameron. and what does he have against young people. he's taken away the child trust fund. he's abolishing the educational

allowance, he's scrapping the future jobs fund and now he's trebling tuition fees. isn't the true he's throwing down the ladder because he doesn't understand the lives of people up and down this country. >> the fact is if you introduce a graduate tax you will be taxing people on 6,000 pounds, on 9,000 pounds. where is the fairness of that? the truth of the matter is, mr. speaker -- the truth of the matter is, we examined a graduate tax we know it doesn't work. his party examined the graduate tax and the liberals know it doesn't work. the only reason, mr. speaker, he is backing it is because it gives him a political opportunity. what i know it's like, you can sit there for year after year -- you see a political opportunity but you'll never be a party of government.

>> mr. speaker -- >> there's far too much noise. the public absolutely detest and despise it. the house must come to order. chris kelly. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the prime minister may be aware that a young constituent of mine, conner rankin christie was stabbed over the weekend in a unprovoked attack and has been battling to overcome life-threatening injuries this week. the suspect was released on bail 24 hours after the attack which is understandably upsetting the victim's family. do the court should be able to remand individuals in custody in the most serious cases where there's a risk the defendant will cause injury by reoffending? >> i completely agree with my honorable friend. he's absolutely right. the courts must have this power. and if there is someone who they believe is dangerous and could offend again, then it's absolutely right that person is not given bail. that it happens under our system and it should go on happening under our system. >> question number two,

mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker, expenditure through the partnership agreements is not being reduced. we expect to allocate 120 million pounds every year to this program from 2011 to 2014. at the same time, we're increasing overall levels of support for the most effective organizations overseas and we are keeping our promise by 2013. >> mr. speaker, many colleagues including myself have seen it firsthand the work volunteers do worldwide. can the prime minister assure the house that he will provide and continue to provide the necessary support and the expected support for them to improve the lives of 26 million people around the world. >> i can do that. voluntary service overseas is an excellent organization. i know it has widespread support across this house my honorable friend the secretary of state is in discussions with them about how we can make sure that program goes on succeeding in its banding.

fundamentally with a growth in the funding there's every chance for that to happen and that's what i expect to see. >> government to contribute on this closed question mr. malcan that bruce. -- malcolm bruce. >> it provides very valuable experience opportunities as well as giving people a connection with development. i welcome what the prime minister has said but can he assure that the current concerns that their budget might be cut will be overcome by giving them access to other budgets within the department of international development? >> yeah, i do believe the discussions are going extremely well and i think it will be possible to guarantee that. one of the reasons people are asking this question is because program partnership arrangements -- the government wants to make sure that organizations are not wholly dependent on government money but also seek sources of funding elsewhere but as my right honorable friend says there are opportunities through other budgets within the dfid including the global fund to combat poverty where they can also make applications as well. >> mr. david crosby. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

whilst temperatures drop, right across the u.k. profit margins for the energy companies have risen by an unacceptable 38%. compelling those on limited incomes to turn their heating down. so what will the prime minister do to force these privatized companies to pay back some of their excessive profits to customers before more pensioners freeze to death? >> well, the honorable gentleman is right to ask this question. first is the regulatory authorities need to be tough with the energy companies and that's exactly what i expect them dod. -- to do. the cold weather payments need kick in already we've spent 173 million pounds since the particularly cold weather. and one of the reasons this is some working so well is what was a temporary increase from the party opposite before the last election we have made permanent. >> this morning, mr. speaker, i

spoke to one of my constituents. she's 76 -- it might come to members opposite if they were quiet and you should try it. [laughter] >> here, here. >> she's 76 years of age. she's disabled and she's been house bound now for 11 days because of the snow and ice in stapleford. would the prime minister agree with me that in this inclement weather it's imperative we are all good neighbors especially to the elderly and to the frail? >> i think my honorable friend makes an extremely good point. yes, the government should be there with the cold weather payments and we are. the government should be there with the winter fuel payments and we are. it's important that local government plays its role in making sure there. and there's something we can all do to help neighbors and people that could suffer in this cold weather by being good neighbors and the right honorable lady is quite right to raise that. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as someone who claims to be an avid fan of the smiths the prime

minister will no doubt will be rather upset to hear both more si and johnny mar have abandoned them for hiking them. -- liking them. they are the arch type of student band, what songs does engine the students will be listening? >> i expect -- if i turned up i probably wouldn't get this charming man. and if i went with the foreign secretary it would probably william it was really nothing. >> stewart jackson. >> does my right honorable friend agree with me that it's a badge of shame for which the party opposite -- >> there's simply too much noise. it's very unfair. i want to hear mr. stewart jackson. >> does my right honorable friend agree with me that it's a badge of shame in which the party opposite should apologize to taxpayer parents and pupils that having doubled education spending in their term of office. they managed to drive down

educational attainment standards to the bottom of the international league according to the oecd? >> well, my honorable friend makes a great point and it makes very depressing reading where we're falling behind countries like poland and astonia whom we should be well ahead of. we've made the choice of putting an extra 3 billion pounds into the schools budget during this parliament because we want to see more done in early years and primary education so we can get the social mobility that the right honorable gentleman was posing about. >> mr. speaker, over half of the students at the university of northampton comes from disadvantaged backgrounds. this morning the university in cleaning union says that it's one of the university's at high risk due to the government's massive 85% cuts to its teaching grant. can the prime minister explain to students and local businesses

exactly why he's putting the wool hampton university at risk in this way? >> the honorable lady stood on a manifesto of supporting the brown commission. she can deny it now. that is what the manifesto written by the opposition says. the fact is we have to make a decision here. do you think it's right to go on with taxpayers making the predominant support for university education? they say yes now that is not what they stood on at the last election. i think it is more fair, many taxpayers don't go to university and don't benefit from university education. therefore, it is better to ask students to contribute but only when they're successful. but no one contributes until they earn 21,000 pounds which is 6,000 more than the system her party introduced. >> michael ellis. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. is my right honorable friend the prime minister as concerned as i am about the absurd and health and safety legislation that's

reached such dizzy heights in this country that the chief executive told me last week that christmas crackers are now categorized as category 1 fireworks and cannot be sold to anybody under the age of 16 without a danger of a six-month jail. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister toured the house in june that had been treated not too badly in his last visit and we are by nature a very friendly budget. -- bunch. will he come to discuss with regional political leaders of all parties their real concerns and fears that the government's current strategy is undermining the potential for economic recovery in our region. intician the sloshing for the tourist industry. we're trying to few gallons out of a pint full of pot. >> i would say to the honorable

gentleman as big government support for the northeast, big support for the electric car and the national renewable energy center which is building the biggest testing center and we awarded a 7 million pound contract for the controlled substance of the first advanced bioethanol plant in the is really so we are investing in the northeast but i have to say to him he talks about a fragile economic recovery. if we'd listen to his party there wouldn't be a recovery. we'd be queuing up with ireland to go to the imf. >> ann mccain. -- main. >> binge drinking has fueled an economy in this country which has sadly seen people the victims of knife crime. have i asked him to stiffen the justice secretary resolve for those who carry knives and those who commit knife crimes? >> had honorable lady makes a great point and if she reads the green papers adults committing a

crime with a knife should expect to go to prison. that is absolutely right. because there are far too many people committing knife crimes today who don't go to prison and they should. >> mr. gregory campbell. >> the dissident terrorists is a continuing problem northern ireland and we've seen their evidence of their capabilities in recent months. will the prime minister ensure that if additional resources that weren't previously envisaged are deemed necessary by the steve constable to deal with such a threat that he will ensure that they are prevailed without delay. >> of course, we keep a very careful eye in the situation in northern ireland and whether additional resources are required. we stuck to the pledges made by the previous government about properly funding the devolution of policing and justice. i think decisions are made better locally which is why that was the right step to take. i know how difficult the security situation is in northern ireland. i pay tribute to police on both sides of the border for the

brilliant work they do and, of course, we always stand ready to help but we did made quite a generous settlement and that should be the first call of resources. >> richard. >> in afghanistan on monday the prime minister said british troops could start coming home from afghanistan as early as next year. that is major policy shift. which of our allies did he discuss this decision? and does he envisage the gap will be filled by the afghan army or by the u.s. army? >> what i said in afghanistan is what i said before i went to afghanistan and what i'll happily say again today. which is the whole of nato and the isaf nations involved in afghanistan are all committed to transition to afghan control between the start of 2011 and the end of 2014. as that happens, clearly there will be opportunities either to reinvest troops into training missions or indeed to bring them home.

and what the chief of the defense staff and i both said at the press conference in afghanistan is it may be possible to bring some of our troops home next year. >> mr. david hanson. >> tomorrow, mr. speaker, the deputy prime minister will vote to break his election promise on tuition fees. this prime minister has also broken his election promise to maintain the child trust fund for the poorest in our society. what message does this send to young people about trusting government? >> well, i seem to remember he was a minister in the last government that commissioned the brown review. yes. that went into the election -- that went into the election committed to cuts of 25% in the budget. now, if you were committed to that, what were honorable gentlemen opposite do? would they cut the numbers of people in universities or were they going to cut money going to universities. we have absolutely no answer. the people who are actually behaving in a way that i think drags politics through the mud are people who introduce tuition

fees, introduce top-up fees, commission the brown review and then as soon as they are in opposition just behave irresponsibly and run away from it. >> thank you, mr. speaker. there are currently plans to regenerate campbell which would create 6,000 new jobs and allow a building of a state-of-the-art mine in madrid. however this work depends on transport infrastructure improvements being reviewed. in difficult times when capital is scarce we should prioritize project which create jobs and deliver growth and that the department for transport should review its assessment criteria? >> i think my honorable friend speaks very well for his constituency and fights very hard for the economy. and he's absolutely right. that when it comes to transport projects, of course, we should give priority to those who have the greatest economic return. that is what the department of transport does. it also has to look at environmental and other factors where you can really show economic benefits from transport and remember we are putting more

money into transport capital infrastructure than the previous government planned to, that is how our decision should be made. >> can the prime minister tell us what his view now is of an organization that engages in the most convoluted and bizarre booking arrangements which says one thing and then that does the opposite way and who has -- who has a leader that seems more interested in and our prestige that? and after he's finished with liv-dems can he tell us what he thinks of fifa. >> i certainly learned one thing -- i certainly learned one thing when it comes to breaking promises, politicians have got nothing on football management. there's no doubt about that. before they all start pointing

we could just remember who was it who said we will never introduce tuition fees? who said we will never introduce toppup fees. who said we will back the brown review? who is now an organized hypocrisy? >> karen lumley. >> thank you, mr. speaker. following his visit to afghanistan, and the review of the military covenant published today, will he reassure me that his government will do -- go the extra mile to support our troops and who have given so much to our country? >> well, i'm sure the whole house is grateful for what the honorable lady said about our troops. i was again struck on my visit to afghanistan just how hard these people who are working, how courageous and professional and brave they are. they are genuinely the best of british. and we owe them support not just for them but also for their families. and one thing i'm pleased we

have been able to do is introduce a pupil premium for the children of forces families. i know from my own constituency, very often children in schools dominated by forces families many of them leave. >> in an incident at the factory in my constituency yesterday, two people working at the plant were tragically killed. i'm sure the prime minister will join in me in expressing deepest condolences of the families who work there. and will he agree that when the health and safety executive police investigations as to what happened have been completed whatever action needed will be taken? >> i certainly join about the dreadful accident we have place. it's important we have procedures for the health and safety executive and others to investigate these issues and as he says they should follow the

evidence wherever it leads. >> ian swales. >> thank you, mr. speaker. does the prime minister agree that foundation skills are already free from local authority control and will he meet with me to discuss the cancelled innovative project to join foundation school red car community college with a special school to replace the dilapidated classrooms and provide facilities to the community? >> i know that my right honorable friend the school secretary will be delighted to discuss this. the point is that all schools now being given this greater level of independence whether foundation schools or whether the new academy schools they should have a greater ability to get together to collaborate to invest in their future rather than always having to rely on a drip fee from government ministers. >> is the prime minister aware, mr. speaker, that parliament may have been infiltrated by an imposter?

the deputy prime minister -- [laughter] >> the deputy -- the deputy -- the deputy prime minister -- the deputy prime minister -- the deputy prime minister has said that he will vote to treble tuition fees and abolish the educational maintenance allowance. before the general election the leader of the liberal democrats said that he would vote to abolish tuition fees and keep the educational maintenance allowance. mr. speaker, can the prime minister -- >> the honorable gentleman will have a chance to finish his question without chanting and shouting from his position. the last sentence. >> mr. speaker, can the prime minister tell the house are there two nick cleggs? >> i have to say the honorable gentleman has the unique qualification of being one of the brothers who was selected on an all-women short list.