>> and now to london for prime minister question time. every wednesday while parliament is in session, prime minister david cameron takes questions from members of the house of commons. prior to question time, the house is wrapping up other business. this is live coverage on

c-span c-span2. >> i had a very constructive meeting with builds on the existing relationship between our countries as i said in respond to the earlier question. china and the uk are key partners for the future. >> whilst i welcome the commercial success of the chinese deputy premier's visit to scotland and recognized good relations with scotland it is important that they continue to press on the chinese on human rights and calls for a prompt release of the nobel laureate. >> in the course of the extensive visit by the vice premier not only did we focus on our important commercial ties in developing our partnership for growth but we also took the opportunity to have an ongoing

dialog on rights and other issues and we'll continue to that and i believe it will be successful. >> mr. gregory campbell? >> mr. speaker, number one. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will want to join me in sending our deepest condolences to all those affected by the appalling terrorist attack in moscow on monday. our thoughts should be with all of those who were injured. i spoke to president medvedev and offered him our support that the terrorists should be should never be allowed to win. mr. speaker i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties i shall have other such duties. >> on behalf of my colleagues, i would also wish to join in the tribute that the prime minister

has made and i would like to talk about the soldier who was injured. there are pines following into the treasury from hard-pressed motorists right across from united can kingdom. each week since he said a stablizer was a sensible balanced policy that protects families from big increases in the oil price. he has talked stabilizer. he's promised it. he's answered questions on it. when is he going to introduce it? >> well, i don't believe in making tax changes outside a budget. i think that is the proper way we do things in this country. i do think that there is a very strong case for looking at this area because i want to see a situation when oil prices rise e try to help the oil burden. the quite right honorable gentlemen said what he said in

his manifesto he stood on we must rein back on public spending and the key priority of the public government must be in reducing government. i agree with that. >> esther mcveigh. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm delighted that the government's new enterprise allowance will be begin in my home office on monday. the prime minister, is it not initiatives like this that will spark enterprise and stop businesses in some of the most deprived parts of the country? >> my honorable friend is quite right and i hope honorable members will actually encourage people to start up businesses and to get enterprise going 'cause it's a private sector-led recovery that we need in this country. but we should also give special help to areas like hers and i visited recently to make sure we do everything to help growth and to improve the prospects for the atlantic gateway which is an exciting prospect for her area and those who work on mercy side. >> dave mill band?

>> mr. speaker can i send deepest condolences to those filled in moscow airports our thoughts with the fiance family and friends of gordon kuzland. mr. speaker, can the prime minister explain to the house what in his view is the cause of yesterday's disappointing growth figures? >> first of all, first of all, they are disappointing growth figures and they are disappointing even when you've excluded what the office of national statistics explain what the extreme weather. the point i would make is this. this country appearance very difficult economic situation for two many reasons. first of all, we have the biggest budget deficit in europe and we have to get to grips with that and that is difficult. and second, we had the biggest banking boom and the biggest banking bust anywhere in europe and we have to deal with that. and as my right honorable friend

the chancellor and the governor of the bank of england and i have all said inevitably as you recover from things it will be choppy and it will be difficult. the worst thing to do would be to ditch your plans on the basis of one-quarter's figures. >> dave miliband. >> mr. speaker, he has been going around for months saying our economy is out of the danger zone. he told this house only a month ago it is because britain's economy is out of the danger zone and recovering. now can i just ask him to confirm if you set aside the bad weather the figures are not good. it's setting aside the big weather actually growth was completely flat. there was no growth in the last quarter of 2010. no growth it all. >> that is exactly what the figures show, yes, yes. [laughter] >> the point -- the point i would make is he would ask about the danger zone and the point i would make is this. britain no longer linked with countries like greece and

ireland and portugal. if you -- if you go back before the last election, everyone was clear, the iod, the cbi, the governor of the bank of england all said there was no credible plan to deal with the deficit. and if you don't deal with your debt you'll never have growth. that's the truth and he knows it. >> he doesn't understand if you don't have growth you can can't cut it. what the country want to know, what the country want to know from the prime minister from millions of families and businesses are worried about their livelihood s, is he going to change his strategy in any way in order to get the economy moving? >> what we need to do in our country and get the deficit down and do everything we can to

encourage growth. but let me just read him today what the head of the oecd has said about the british economy. he said this, the uk was exceptional in terms of its needs of fiscal consolidation because the deficit had gone completely out of control. he goes on, i think deal with the deficit is the best way to prepare the ground for growth in the future. if you don't deal with the deficit you can be assured that there will be no growth because confidence will not recover. this man entirely independent, in charge of the oecd is giving us good advice. and i'd advise the honorable gentleman as he has a new shadow chancellor. he can make a new start and he should follow it. >> dave miliband. >> the economy was growing. now niece office and now it isn't. i have a very specific question. i have a very specific question to ask him.

he's already made -- he's already made clear on his decision on v.a.t. and while he still has a choice to make about whether he goes ahead with the decision to take another 20 billion pounds out of the economy this year when the economy is fragile. is he determined to go ahead irrespective of the figures, and irrespective of what people up and down the country are feeling? >> first of all, we have now heard what i think we're going to hear a lot of, which is this theory that there was a golden inheritance from the party opposite. [laughter] >> this is one of the most laughable propositions i've ever heard put in this house of commons. we won't forget the fact that we had the biggest budget deficit in the whole of europe. we were spending 120 million pounds every day just on the interest on that deficit. we inherited a situation because of the regulation carried out by those two gentlemen when they were in the treasury we had the

biggest boom and the biggest about us in the system. we had a growth model that was based on uncontrollable boom in housing, uncontrollable boom in financial services and public spending and uncontrolled immigration, a completely bust system we inherited from the two people who worked in the treasury throughout the last labour government. >> dave miliband. >> so i suppose we take from that answer mr. speaker he's not going to change course. he's not going to do anything to get growth in the economy. but this is how out of touch the prime minister is. what people are saying he's going too far and too fast with deficit reduction and that is what is inhibiting growth in this country. now, the evidence shows -- the evidence shows while cuts are being made in the public sector, while jobs are being lost in the public sector, jobs are not being created in the private sector. why doesn't he just for once put

his arrogance aside and admit he knows how to -- he knows how to cut jobs but he has absolutely no idea how he's going to create them. >> he's got to stop writing his questions before he comes to the chamber and actually listens to the answer. he asks about -- he asks about changing course. i have to say to him, he seems to have replaced a shadow chancellor who didn't understand labour's program with one who doesn't agree with it. he asks specifically about cuts next year. let me just remind him that it is labour's own plan for significant cuts in spending to start in april of this year. that is the -- he shakes his head. that is his plan that he's meant to be committed to. if he's now telling us that's all gone and they're just going to spend more and borrow more, then he ought to tell us 'cause as far as i can hear, his only plan is to borrow money we haven't got, to spend money on

things we can't afford and not to do the work we need to do to sort this economy out. >> dave miliband. >> i am surprised, mr. speaker, that he's raising personnel issues this week of all weeks. because who's made the right judgment, me who appointed the shadow chancellor and those who went to andy coulson for months. >> now, now, when people listen to the prime minister they'll know what the right honorable member meant when he said the prime minister and the chancellor don't have a chance what a large part of the country feel. they are out of chance of what people feels they are taking a reckless gamble and what these figures show for millions of people up and down the country it's hurting but it's not working. >> if it was such a good decision to have the honorable member as the shadow chancellor, why didn't he appoint him in the first place?

[laughter] >> let me just make this point. i think the absolute key for this country and our economy is two things. we have to deal with our deficit and we have to help deliver growth from our private sector and i think that he should listen to what the governor of the bank of england said last night in his speech and he said this. well, perhaps the honorable gentlemen want to listen to the governor of the bank of england. the uk economy is well placed to return to sustained, balanced growth over the next few years, partly as a result of the credible path of fiscal consolidation. he said this, the right course is set and it's imperative that we maintain it. i prefer the advice of the governor of the bank of england than the man sitting opposite. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker -- >> order! order! i wish to hear jacob reese.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. isn't the lesson from the noble baroness lady thatcher that when you set an economic course you should stick to it. there is no alternative. >> the point -- my honorable friend has a huge following in all parts of the house. [laughter] >> the point he makes is important which is, whatever you plan to do to encourage growth in the economy, and we have lowest the corporation tax rate in the g7. we have abolished labour's jobs thax we are investing in science and skills. all of those things are necessary, but without a plan to deal with the deficit, they are nothing. >> ian manns. >> he's lost the support of the

cbi because he doesn't have a growth strategy. it's put in a i believe it downturn and he lost his ethics man and i understand they will forecast snow for the end of the week. is there anyone remaining in the government who still understands or is in touch or whose concerns with his policies. >> it's absolutely essential we get to grips with the deficit and what they said in labour's budget there was not a credible plan. they believe now there is a credible plan. this is not going to be easy. the party opposite is committed to cuts from april this year. it won't be easy but it has to be done. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the conservative liberal democrat coalition which has been running by council since last may has uncovered the fact that over the past 12 years the previous labour administration spent 1.4 million pounds of

taxpayer money funding the salaries of three full-time union officials. does the prime minister -- does the prime minister agree with me that this is an inappropriate use of taxpayers' money and that full-time union officials should be paid for by union subscriptions? >> my honorable friend makes a very good point and it seems what happens in local government, it's labour politicians paying into the unions whereas in national politics it's the unions paying for the labour politicians. it's nice work if you can get. >> mr. david crosby? >> the government has switched the indexiation of benefits and public sector pension from the retail price index to the lower consumer price index. but when it comes, they continue to use the higher retail price index. now, in the interest of fairness, how can the prime minister justify using the

higher indexiation for petro. should they not at the very least use one or the other? >> if i could give the honorable gentlemen one tip which is writing out the question it's good to work out your party policy. the party is committed to increasing benefits by cbi rather than rpi. so he's backing on the policy rather than supporting it. >> recent work by the foundation has shown that britain has the lowest proportion of 16 to 18 years old studying mathematics of any of our competitor countries in the lecd. just as bad we have a chronic shortage of math teachers in our schools. what action is the government going to take on this issue? >> the honorable lady makes a very good point and produced a extremely worthwhile point which looking in terms of math teaching and in terms of the

number of people studying math. we're going to be taking a series of steps to sort this out which my right honorable friend the education secretary will be announcing. one of them is to expand teach first which is an excellent scheme to get graduates from our best universities into schools and it will include primary schools and many of them will be math teachers but we want to raise the bar for teachers in terms of the qualifications they need to teach math. it's vital in our country and she's quite right to highlight this issue. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last friday i visited my constituent. mr. speaker, i visited my constituents at the home. she has hepatitis c having contracted it in 1985 through a transfusion of contaminated blood. she had been diagnosed with

hodgkin's disease and it's not from those who suffered from the tainted blood scandal from the 1970s and '80s sadly many passed away since. obviously i'm aware of previous debates on this matter and the statement by the health secretary on the 10th of january. however, this does not bring closures to many victims and their families. will the prime minister personally prioritize this matter, work with the administrations and bring forward with a proper compensation and bring justice to the innocent victims of this terrible tlagd >> i think the honorable gentlemen for his question and just as he had constituents who have come to him about this extremely difficult issue, i've had exactly the same experience in my own constituency and i think there was -- although previous governments had put in place arrangements there was a unfairness particularly those who caught hepatitis c because the evidence with people who have aids on one hand and hepatitis c has changed over the

years and i was pleased my right honorable friend made the statement that we were increasing what was being given to those suffering from hepatitis c. i don't know if there will ever bring closure that was an accident. and i think we have got the right answer. >> mr. don foster. >> mr. speaker, the mobility components of dla for people in care homes is being reviewed. so whatever improvements are made, can the prime minister assure me that disabled people in care homes will still have access to individual mobility support and as the coalition improvement applies no extra cost to them and their families. >> the intention here is very clear. we want to make sure that the treatment of people in hospital is the same as the treatment of

people in residential care homes in terms of the mobility component of dla. that is what was behind the announcement we made. and that is what we want to make sure happens. >> mr. nigel dodds. >> the prime minister may be aware that one of the members enacted to the house has decided to emigrate and he may want to chalk that up as one of his achievements. [laughter] >> the said member for west belfast jerry adams seems to be embarrassed for an office of profit. although he has shown no such embarrassment profiting from his office in this house for many years as taxpayers expense. which will the prime minister deliver on his preelection pledge to taxpayers hard-pressed taxpayers that he will accomplish parliamentary money for parliamentary purposes going to those who do not fulfill their parliamentary duties? >> first of all, just in case everyone hasn't caught up with the news the honorable gentleman has accepted an office of profit under the crown which is, of

course, the only way you can retire from this house. i'm not sure that jerry adams will be delighted to be a baron of the manner of northstead but i'm pleased it's been maintained. the serious point the honorable gentleman makes about allowances. what we should be allowing for all members who are elected to take their seats in this house. that is should happen and if some members have a problem with what that entails they ought to look at a remedy and they should come and talk about that. that is the most important thing we could achieve. >> karen lumley. >> will the prime minister join with me which has recently received a good report. despite the continual lack of fair funding from the party opposite. will the prime minister also recommend the extra funding we have due to the pupilil premium

totaling more than 3 million pounds? >> the honorable lady makes a good place and i hope they will be able to welcome the fact first of all that the amount of spending per pupil is actually going to continue even though we have a very tough and difficult situation in our country. and over and above that, there will be a pupil premium payment. something which the party opposite did not do in 13 years of being in power and this money will go to those from deprived backgrounds in schools all over our country not just in the city areas but as she says her whole constituency will benefit from that. >> tom watson. >> the former investigating officer is on the payroll on news international. three senior editors are now identified with phone hacking. isn't it time that another police force took over the inquiry? you have the status to make it happen, prime minister. what are you afraid of? >> phone hacking, let's be absolutely clear.

phone hacking is illegal. and i think it's quite right that the director of public prosecutions is reviewing all of the evidence and they should follow the evidence wherever it leads. i don't think it's necessarily fair to say the police have not been active, after all there have been prosecutions, convictions and indeed imprisonments but the law is quite clear. and the prosecuting authorities should follow it wherever it leads. >> mr. james clapperson. >> tomorrow it's holocaust memorial day. the anniversary of the day in which auschwitz was liberated. would my right honorable friend join with me in paying tribute to the holocaust education trust and the work to ensure that the lessons of the holocaust are not forgotten? >> i know my honorable friend speaks for the whole house when he raises the brilliant work that the holocaust education trust do and i think it's a good time actually to pay tribute to sadly very few holocaust survivors that there are still left. i had the huge privilege of

meeting and to hear the story of what those people went through, what they escaped and in many cases what they had to go through even after their escape is truly humbling. we must never forget, not just because of what happened in europe in the holocaust because of too often the genocide in our world today we need to be permanently reminded of that fact. >> mr. ian davidson. >> the prime minister of the chancellor and a majority grew up in secured worlds of economic wealth and privilege. does he agree -- does he agree that today's young people face economic uncertainty and high youth unemployment. is youth unemployment a place worth paying? >> it is. but the point i would make to the right honorable gentleman youth unemployment has been a real structural problem in our country for years. we had under the last government when the economy grew for many years youth unemployment was worth at the end of that growth than it was at the beginning.

and then, of course, it rocketed during the recession. so i think we have to have a really serious examination of how we can reduce the number of people who are not in education, not in employment, not in training. and i think it would be better rather than trading slogans across the house to really work out why this has gone up in good times and in bad. >> chris hopkins. >> thank you, mr. speaker. unlike the nhs or my local council, there's hospice in my constituency are not able to reclaim the v.a.t. which they paid. can i ask the prime minister to examine this issue and try to create a level playing field for health care charities? >> i know this is an issue that many honorable members care about deeply and we all should pay tribute to the hospice movement and what it does working with our health service. it's important we do everything we cut red tape and allow charities thrive. charities can and do reclaim the v.a.t. but in terms of looking at a bigger exemption he speaks at he looks at the consequences

both for the state sector and the private sector and the relationship with the voluntary sector before we can take a step like that. >> mr. keith vass? [inaudible] >> the visit of the prime minister of bangladesh to the united kingdom and to parliament. apparently a few years ago when she came to a session pmg's she was so impressed she decided to institute it in bangladesh. i'm not sure whether she changed her mind. [laughter] >> key give the house an assurance that he will continue to build on the strong bilateral links between britain and bangladesh? >> i thank the honorable gentlemen for his question and the prime minister is very coupled to britain and welcomed to be watching our deliberations today as he says whether she will go away feeling proud and excited by what the mother of parliament does wednesday at 12:00 is another question. she's already had a very good meeting with my right honorable friend the deputy prime minister. relations between britain and bangladesh are good and i think we need to expand them further.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. my constituents are autistic asperger's syndrome and they want to speak with pupils and staff and give them their experience of living with autism and the challenges that they face with this condition. they've already received praise from the head of britain high school and would my right honorable friend that this initiative could be extremely good news for schools and the teaching profession? >> well, i thank my honorable friend for the question. we did make good steps with my right honorable friends with a bill in autism but there's a huge amount done by people themselves to get a greater understanding of autism and asperger's because there's such a huge spectrum and a big difference between the children suffering from this condition and i'm sure the work that he is referring to is extremely worthwhile.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. last week the prime minister said something i actually agree with. [laughter] >> he said we needed to do something about loan sharking. so will he join me next week supporting the notion cap the cost of credit and support the poorest consumers in britain from protection from these companies? >> the danger of building on what's already obviously clearly a blossoming friendship. [laughter] >> i will look carefully at what she says. it seems to me on the issue of loan sharks, one part of it should be encouraging credit unions and there's all-party support for that. and we have be careful as we regulate that we don't drive out responsible operators and bring in loan sharks so we've got to get the balance right but i'll look very carefully at what she's saying and perhaps get back to her. >> jesse norman. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last week the publics accounts committee found