three-week break for their party conferences. prior to question time, the house is wrapping up other business. this is live coverage on c-span2. >> the reports will be made in 2013, will she ensure there is a slot if this commission say some legislative changes are necessary within this parliament? >> well, the right honorable gentleman has enough experience of legislation in the house that is not something that i can commit to but let me tell him there are two parts of this report. the first report will hopefully come in 2012 and the latter report on the shape of powers between the u.k. government and the welsh government will come towards the end of 2013 but i'll bear in mind what he says. >> order, questions to the prime minister. sir allen beef. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in paying tribute to lance corporal

jonathan mckinley from first battalion the rifles and marine david fairweather. they were both extremely committed and courageous servicemen who have given their lives in the service of our country. our thoughts and deepest sympathies should be with our families, their friends and our colleagues. this morning i had meetings with mine steerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in this house i shall have further such meetings later today. >> sir allen beef. >> mr. speaker the whole house will want to endorse the perform's words regarding the heroic service personnel and we would like to see our combat servicemen leave afghanistan. what will the prime minister do with the women in the late 50s who have seen their state pension dry from 60 to 64 and face a increase from 64 to 66?

the coalition had to reform the pension system and will be fair to women but this anomaly needs addressing. >> i think my right honorable friend is right to identify, of course, it's right to equalize men and women's state pension ages. that's been a long-term goal shared across the house of commons and i also think it's right to raise the retirement age to 66 as we've done. we know that there are a group of people, a large group of people affected by this transaction and some people having to potentially work for an extra two years. we are looking at what transitional help we can give to this group of people and we'll be making an announcement shortly. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, can i join the prime minister in paying tribute to lance corporal jonathan mckinley from first battalion the rifles and marine david broth fairbrother. they were courageous men serving our country and our deep condolences goes to their

families and friends. mr. speaker, a year ago during our exchanges the prime minister justified his economic policy by saying unemployment would fall this year, next year, and the year after. given the unemployment has risen by 114,000 today, isn't it time he admitted his plan isn't working? >> the prime minister? >> first of alls, these are very disappointing figures that have been announced today and every job that is lost is a tragedy for that person and for their family and that is why this government is going to do everything it possibly can to help get people into work. that is why we have the work program which is the biggest back to work program since the 1930s that's going to help 2.5 million people. that is why we have welfare reform to make sure it pays for people always to be in work. that is why we're reforming our schools including the participation annual to 18 so we end the scandal of 16 and 17

years old left on the dole and that's why we have a record number of prenticeships, 360,000 this year but i accept we've got to do more to get our economy moving, to get jobs for our people but we musn't abandon the plan that have given us record unemployment rates. >> the same script month after month isn't working. doesn't he realize that today's figures show it isn't working. and it is his failure. we have nearly 1 million young people out of work. why doesn't he accept some responsibility for doing something about it? >> i accept responsibility for everything that happens in our economy. i just sometimes wish people who are in government for years accept some responsibility for the mess they made. what this government is pledged to do is everything we can to get our economy moving. that is why we've cut petrotax and cut cooperation tax. why we're reforming the planning system, why we introduced the

regional growth fund. why we're forcing the banks to lend money. while we created 22 enterprise zones. let me say what i know. he wants us to change course on reducing our deficit. if we change course on reducing our deficit, we'd end up with interest rates like portugal, like spain, like italy, like greece and we'd send our economy into a tailspin. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, i want him to change course so he has a credible plan to get people back to work in this country. you see, what the prime minister -- what the prime minister doesn't seem to understand is that month after month as unemployment goes up, the number of people claiming benefit goes up. the costs go up and fewer people are in work and paying taxes. to have a credible plan on the deficit, you need a credible plan for growth and he doesn't have one. now, it's not just young people who are covering, mr. speaker. can the prime minister tell us

when was the last time the unemployment among women has reached the levels that it has today. >> first of all, he's wrong on his figures. there are 50,000 more women in work than there were at the time of the election. there are actually 239,000 more people in work at the time of the election. there are half a million more credible -- more private sector jobs but he specifically asks about a credible growth plan. i would ask, what is his credible growth plan. why is it -- why is it that the form chancellor of the exchequer said this? if you don't have a credible economic plan, you're simply not in the races. why is it -- >> order. whatever people think of what is being said on either side of the house, they must not shout their head off. the prime minister and the leader of the opposition will be heard and i say that the end of it. the prime minister. >> the fact is our plan is supported by the cbi, by the

iod, by the business organizations, by the imf, by the oecd. he cannot even get support from his own former cabinet ministers, the former home secretary says this. i think the economic proposition that labour puts at the moment is unconvincing. if he can't convince his open party, how can he convince the country? >> ed miliband. >> the conservative chair on his select committee says his policy growth is inconsistent. he can't convince him and, of course, typically he didn't answer the question on women's unemployment. so let me -- so let me tell him, women's unemployment is at its highest level since 1988. since 1988, the last time there was a conservative government in power. and, mr. speaker, i have to say instead of apologizing four months late to my right honorable friend for calm down,

dear, he should be apologizing to women of our country for what he's doing for the country. the chancellor announced a flagship policy on growth. he said the national insurance holiday for startup firms would help 400,000 businesses. can the prime minister tell this house how many businesses have actually taken part? >> 7,000. >> and on the issue -- and on the issue -- and on the issue of women in work, of course -- of course -- of course, i want to see more women in work and there are 50,000 more women in work than at the time of the last election but it's this government that has introduced free child care for all vulnerable 4 years old and has increased the child tax credit by 290 pounds and that for the

first time has announced that we will be giving child care to all people working less than 16 hours helping thousands, hundreds of thousands of women and families out of poverty into work and into a better life. that is what we're doing. but the question he's got to address is the big picture which is in. he can't convince the former home secretary, the former trade minister, the former chancellor that he's got any idea of what to do with the economy and the reason why is that if we adopted his plan, we wouldn't be working with the imf to sort out the eurozone. we would be going to the imf to get a loan. >> mr. speaker, in case he hadn't realize, when the chancellor says 400,000 firms will benefit and only $7,000, it should tell him something. [laughter] >> it should tell him his policies aren't working. [applause] >> that policy is not working. his plan isn't working. why doesn't he just for once agree with us, cut the ag and

put more money in people's pockets. help the construction industry get moving and invest in getting young people back to work by having a bankers bonus tax? >> when is the party opposite going to learn you cannot borrow your way out of a debt crisis. they left us -- they left us the biggest deficit, the most leveraged banks, the most indebted households and what is their answer? to borrow more money. is it any wonder -- is it any wonder that the trade minister digby jones he described the labour leader's speech at conference is a divisive and a kick in the case for the only sector that generates wealth and pays the tax and either crack the jobs this country leads. that is what a labour minister said about a labour policy and that's why he has no credibility, whatsoever. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, what a terrible answer. and yes, and yes -- and yes, i will take on -- i will take on

those companies in this country who aren't doing the right thing, like the energy companies and we're seeing change today in the energy sector because of what i said. now, let me just -- let me just say to him -- let me just say to him, on the day -- on the day of the worst -- on the day of the worst -- on the day of the worst unemployment figures -- on the day of the worst unemployment figures in 17 years, the prime minister is fighting to save the job of the defense second but he's doing nothing to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people up and down this country. it's one rule if you're in the cabinet. it's another rule for everyone else. >> well, the last labour leader thought he saved the world after that this labor leader is more -- [laughter] >> what they got to do is accept some responsibility for the mess

haw that you made on this country. you are the party that borrowed too much, that spent too much that left us with the unregulated banks. that left us with the mess that we have to clear up. and when you see those two sitting on the front bench who worked so long in the treasury, you have to ask yourself you wouldn't bring back fred goodwin to sort out the banks, why would you bring them back to sort out the economy? >> the house will want to hear sir peter . >> has my right honorable friend happen to notice that since i put the point to him last month, the head of our service four squad has publicly deplored the fact that no senior british

bankers have been prosecuted for their ill-responsibility? and has urned that legislation should be introduced as soon as possible to impart his office to persecute such offenders in the future? >> prime minister? >> i think it is important that inquiries directed what went wrong because clearly we're left clearing up a mess that the irresponsibility of others has left. so if there's room for criminal prosecutions, of course, there should be but our responsibility as well is to make sure that we regulate the banks and the financial industry properly in the future and that is why we put the bank of england back at the heart of this job. >> mr. speaker, will the prime minister publish a full list of all the ministers and downing street staff who 2010 have worked in a social capacity whether he himself as prime minister has met him?

>> i'm very happy to look at that. >> lorraine fullbrook. >> thank you, mr. speaker. >> order! >> lorraine fullbrook. >> would my right honorable friend the prime minister agree that in light of difficult times epcountered by some of my constituencies working for bae, it is even more important that this government continue its excellent support for exports, for continued investment in the development of typhoon and in new aerial manned vessels? >> i absolutely agree with the honorable lady. obviously, the position at bae has been of concern and that's why we immediately put in place plans for a enterprise zone on both sides to help with that very important business. bae is a great british company. there's a few forward order from it not at least from our defense budget where we're investing in typhoons, investing in aircraft

carriers and investing in unmand aerial drones. i will do everything in supporting that company including with exports abroad and the japanese are talking to saudi arabians to make sure this great british company goes on to be a great british success. >> mr. andy slaughter. >> thank you, mr. speaker. imperial health care trust which offers outstanding clinical care and research in three major hospitals in west london is being forced to make 5% of 25% of-it 900 million pound a year budget, how does that fulfill the prime minister's promise not to cut health services to my constituents? >> prime minister? >> we are increasing nhs spending throughout this parliament. and i have to say that is a complete contrast to the party opposite's policy. they now have a new health spokesman. i was worried i wouldn't have the same quality of quotes for the new health spokesman but i'll tell you, mr. speaker, he hasn't disappointed.

he said this very clear, very plain, irirresponsible to increase nhs spending in real terms. that is labour's position. that it's irresponsible to increase health spending. we disagree. >> james morris. >> thank you, mr. speaker. too many children in britain today live in families that don't provide them with the loving and stable environment that they deserve. and that's led to many of our most pressing social problems. would the prime minister agree with me that -- this government needs to do all it can to help some of britain's most problem families? >> i completely agree with my honorable friend. if you look at the evidence, some of the most troubled families in our country -- they get a huge amount of interventions from the police, from social services, from education and the rest of it but no one is really getting in there to help turn those families around, to change what those families do to give them a better chance. so we are establishing a new unit under the leadership of louise casey who i think has

been a superb official over the last decade and we'll be putting in huge resources of the 120,000 most troubled families in our country. i think we can make a huge difference and reduce the burden that they place on the taxpayer at the same time. >> mr. dennis mcshane? >> of will the prime minister instruct our ambassador in kiev to make representations on behalf of the government of parliament about the prison sentence handed down on the former prime minister. prime ministers do make mistakes and do lose elections, but she's been put on trial for policy decisions she took. will you make clear that the ukraine and i'm glad the foreign secretary is briefing him will not be able to open membership talks at the eu with any hopes with this disgraceful

stalinist -- >> we completely agree the treatment whom i've met on previous occasions is absolutely disgraceful. the foreign secretary has made a very strong statement about this. the ukrainians need to know if they leave did situation as it is, this will severely affect their relationship not only with the u.k. but also with the european union and nato. >> mr. speaker, small business not more government debt is key to innovation and onto nearship is a noble endeavor. so would the prime minister join me in welcoming from bedford university, coal well science and 100 business leaders in my constituency to set up an investment scream to support early stage businesses in bedford and will he ask the ministers to work with me to see if it can be replicated in other parts of the country. >> this government recognizes that it's going to be small businesses that will provide the growth and the jobs and the

wealth this country needs. that is why we have an agreement with the banks to increase lending to small businesses. that's why we're providing extra rate relief to small businesses. it's why we're giving the small businesses a holiday for new regulation and i applaud all efforts at a local level to give small businesses the mentoring and the support they need for growth. >> mr. speaker, responding to the science selection committee on science, the minister says we don't agree with the committee's report it, misstates a you been in of points. given the financial case was 50% adrift and they've now agreed with our argument that the national archive should be protected, will the prime minister urgently intervene and review the decision to close the fss because the profession is now losing key scientific staff from the country and from the

profession? >> well, i will certainly look at what the honorable gentlemen said and i have looked in detail knowing the forensic science center when i looked at the home office and i have to say the evidence was pretty overwhelming that actually the model wasn't working and change was needed. that is what's happened and sometimes it's better to make that change rather than endlessly review it. >> mark spencer. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the president inherited a system with 2,000 feet in benefits and where some families are worse off working than those who are on benefits. what can the prime minister do to help those hard-working families in assure wood who frankly get out of bed, work hard paw of their self-pride and their responsibility? >> well, i think the honorable gentleman speaks for millions in the country when he says what people want is a welfare system that helps people who actually want to put in and work hard and do the right thing. what we're doing is first of all, putting in place a cap so that you can't have these absurd

amounts of money going in housing benefits to individual families as he said sometimes 2,000 pounds a week. secondly, universal credit is going to make sure it's always worthwhile people working and always worthwhile working a little harder and to the party opposite that no claim after a decade of giving people something for nothing, let's see whether they're prepared to back that by voting for tough caps in the welfare bill. >> if the minister breaks the ministerial code should they keep their job. >> it's for the prime minister to decide whether someone keeps their job or not. in the case of the defense secretary i think it's very important when the leader of the opposition has called for an inquiry by the cabinet secretary, i've established a inquiry of the secretary let us allow the cabinet secretary to do his work and ebb is it a the facts them a decision will be made. let me be clear i think the defense has done excellent job

cleaning up the excellent mess that was left by labour. >> the bill is too fast for many women. i was pleased to hear the prime minister say that he was looking into transitional arrangements and i hope those arrangement will result in a significant slowing down in the increase of retirement annual for many women? >> prime minister? >> as i said we will be making an announcement shortly. i think we have to look at the most difficult cases where people, you know, have quite an extra amount of working time they would have to do. but clearly it is right and one must look at the big picture to equalize men and women's pension arrangements and move to 66 given the extra longevity that we enjoy as a country and i think given that i hope he'll be pleased when the announcement is made. >> mr. keith bass. >> both the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are on record in supporting gender equality for future royal successions. will the prime minister update the house on the consultation

that he and the deputy prime minister are having with other commonwealth leaders about this issue. does he not grow that it's bertha we resolve this issue before rather than after when future children are born? >> i certainly believe this issue should be sorted out. i'm on the record as believing that and i'm sure across the house there has been widespread support for that. in terms of the consultation, what i've done i've written to the heads of state of the prime ministers of the other realms concerned. we will have a meeting about this at the commonwealth heads of government conference. it isn't an easy issue to sort. for many of them there may be issues and worries about starting a parliamentary or other legal process. but i'm very clear it's an issue that we ought to get sorted and i'll be delighted to play a part in doing that. >> thank you, mr. speaker. does the prime minister agree that the recent advice from the shadow treasury minister who said what we must not do and what we cannot do is pick good

winners and losers and to conceive of such a simplistic sinners and winner's model show a misunderstanding of business? >> i think the honorable lady makes an important point. what was it labour did at their conference just launch a big attack on british business which is going to be what's going to help us out of these difficulties. >> mr. allen michael? >> mr. speaker, was the prime minister aware before today that his chief spokeswoman was a former colleague of mr. adam werrity? >> as i say, this whole issue is being looked at by the cabinet secretary. he will produce his report. i would ask people to have a little patience. let the facts be established. let the questions be answered and then we can move ahead. >> mr. nick dubois? >> is my right honorable friend aware that nearly 40 members from this side of the house have signed an amendment in my name

requiring that all offenders convicted of using a knife in a threatening or endangering fashion will receive a custodial sentence? and not just those over 18 or will he consider supporting this amendment? >> well, i will certainly look closely at what my honorable friend says and i know the justice secretary is doing this too. we do want to move ahead with the mandatory service for adults and we'll look very carefully at the arguments my honorable friend makes? >> mr. kelvin hopkins? >> scombron major says four days ago that the government should use the urocrisis as an opportunity to loosen the -- when is the prime minister going to take the advice and have britain is going to withdraw from the common fisheries policy? >> i always listen very carefully to sir john's advice and he gives some excellent advice. in the short term what britain desperately needs to do is get

behind the solution of the urozone crisis because it's having a chilling effect on the whole european economy and on the american economy as well. that is the first priority. i do accept that at the same time as doing that, it's going to be important to get some safeguards for britain as eurozone countries go ahead and sort out their problems, we need safe guards to make sure the single market goes on working for the united kingdom. >> last week b & q opened a new store and created 25 jobs. led wood engineering advertised 25 new jobs. does the prime minister agree that there would be further good news if the banks had their policemen to credit flow -- pledge on the credit flow. >> i-75 of the difficulties there are half a million new

private sector jobs in our economy compared with the time of the election. but we need all of the things that help businesses to expand and grow in place and bank finance is just one of those things. we have them in agreement which is increasing the lending to small businesses. we also have what the chancellor said on credit easing to make sure we have other ways of expanding credit in our economy. jonathan ashworth. >> this week i have the privilege of meeting two men from the ready for work campaign, impressive young people campaigning against rising youth unemployment. can the prime minister tell us what's happened to his vow from earlier this year to reverse the trend in rising youth unemployment and committee tell the house when he last met a young, unemployed person. >> what has been happening is actually going up since 2004. it went up in the growth years as well as in the difficult years and what we need is a comprehensive strategy that deals with all of the problems of youth unemployment including the fact that there are too many

people leaving school age 17 who spent 13 years under a labour education secretary so they need to take some responsibility for this, who left school without qualifications to help get them a job. so it's about making sure we have better education, a welfare system that helps people into work and a work program that actually doesn't provide phony jobs as the future jobs fund did but provides real work for real, real young people. >> mr. speaker, a recent taxpayers alliance report reveals -- reveals that 38 union leaders were remunerated at 100,000 pounds each including -- including derek simpson. he received over half a million pounds. does the prime minister agree with me that it's time for a union boss pay restraints? >> that's an interesting thing. they always listen to the trade

unions but they'll never listen to the taxpayers alliance. one of the reasons they don't want to hear about excessive pay in the public sector or in local government or in their pay masters of the trade unions. >> thank you, mr. speaker. here's another question at the prime minister. can he get a grip of his backbenches following last night's debacle in this chamber relating to the business and the house on the seventeenth of october? does he understand that the perception in the real world that the mp's would like to discuss their own pensions instead of a discussing a 22-year-old injustice instead of 19 and 20-year-old children. >> we're going to protect that time for an absolutely vital debate. and we have to show restraint at a time when the rest of the public sector is being asked to show restraint. because what happened last night there will have to be a debate but it