minister's question time live from the british house of commons. 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-span2. >> thank you, mr. speaker your what impact has the minister need on the bedroom tags of local authorities and other land laws which is voted down with an impact on housebuilding? >> i'm afraid honorable lady's assumption is wrong. endings i've had we have discussed this very issue and satisfied the concern of housing associations and local authorities. >> order. questions to the prime minister.

>> number one, mr. speaker. >> the prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with minister colleagues and others, in addition to buy duties in this house i shall have further such meetings later today your. >> my constituent, the constable, is being buried this afternoon after having been killed on duty. i'm sure the whole house will join me in expressing sympathy to her family and also acknowledge her dedicated service. >> here, here. >> the horsemeat scandal has not only sears undermined confidence in the safety of the food we eat that threatens every successful meat industry. can the prime minister assure me that this government will relentlessly follow every lead and give each an every guilty person or business responsible for any criminal or fraudulent act has been caught, exposed, prosecuted, and then expelled

from ever again having any part in the uk food industry? >> i fully support what the honorable gentleman has said, but first of all let me join him in praising the constable. she died going about her job, keeping people safe in that unity, as those wishing the two other injured officers a full and quick recovery. i would join him in sydney my deepest condolences and those of a bullea point in this house tor colleagues and her loved ones. on the issue of this appalling situation where people buying these products in supermarkets are finding out that it could be horsemeat, let me say this. and bring the house up-to-date if i can come on the 15th of january it was that the irish authority identified problems in the number of beef products. on the 16th of january i said to the house that i would ask them to conduct an urgent investigation. as part of that investigation has been more testing and tracing, and this led to the

result of not just contamination but in some instances horsemeat being passed off as a beach. this is completely unacceptable. that's why it's right that the secretary of state has led these meetings with retailers and producers. we have agreed on tougher regime. we passed people to check with their suppliers that they're testing their products. as he knows and as the house knows yesterday the police raided two premises, and that he said, if there has been criminal activity there should be a full intervention of the law. and let me just say this, we've also asked for many potential retailers and producers, and those will be published in full. he's right to say what he does. >> on a week when both sides of the house celebrate the wonders of the united kingdom, i'm delighted to discover that i know them representing midlands constituency. with the prime minister please join in celebrating a culture that touches both sides of the

english scottish border by celebrating with us today? >> i'm very much looking forward to join my honorable friend of the celebration here in the house of commons. is incredibly fortunate to represent one of the most beautiful and brilliant constituencies in the house of commons. i remember particularly the time we spent in his constituency, and i was standing in a very beautiful part of our world. >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, can the prime minister tell us whether at the end of this parliament living standards will be higher or lower than they were at the beginning? >> what we are doing is helping working people by taking 24 million people and giving them a tax cut this year, and living standards will certainly be higher for those people on the minimum wage, working

full-time come whose income tax bill has been halved under the government. >> ed miliband. >> trying to it was ever such a simple question. i just want a simple answer. and 2015, people will be asking, am i better off now than it was five years ago. what's his answer? >> the answer is people will be a lot better off than they were under labour with a record deficit, with an reformed welfare, with a busted banking system. they would've seen a government that's cut the deficit down, that's cut the income tax is, that is dealt with the banks. and as the governor of the bank of england said today, it's on the road to recovery. >> all the shows is how out of touch he is. and he's even out of touch with his own office for budget responsibility figures. because what they showed is that by 2015, people will be worse off than they were in 2010.

because prices have been rising faster than earnings under him. and why is this happening? it's because he told us the economy would be growing. he told us the economy would be growing, but the truth is it has been flat-lining. will be acknowledged that it's his failure to get growth which means we're having a falling, not rising living standards in this country? >> first of all, i would remind him that inflation is lower under this government than what we inherited from labour. it has been cut in half from its peak but, of course, it is question is have you had to take difficult decisions to deal with the deficit, to get on top of the problems that we face, to reform welfare, to clean up our banks, you betcha we've had to take difficult decisions. but no one, no one in this country is in any doubt about why we've had to take difficult decisions. it's because of the massive that

he left. >> ed miliband. >> first of all the deficit is going up, not down under him because of his economic failure. and secondly, we have flat-lining economy. and this will be the question of the next two years, declining living standards as a result. but, of course, there is one group for whom the good times or come this april. mr. speaker, mr. speaker, can he just reminded us what the thinking was when he decided to provide an average tax cut of 100,000 pounds for everyone earning over 1 million pounds in this country? >> he should be familiar with the figures. when he put the top rate of tax up to 50p, millionaires paid 7 billion pounds less in tax. that is what happened under his plan. but i'll tell hi them what is gg to happen in april. every single taxpayer in this country, all 24 million of them,

will see a tax cut as we raise the personal allowance. as we get close to the goals that we have of being able to earn 10,000 pounds, without paying any income tax at all. and, of course, the biggest tax cut has been for those hard-working people on minimum wage going out to work day after day who have seen their income tax bill cut in half. that's who we stand for and that's who we are helping. >> no matter how much you bluster she knows the truth. he is cut tax credits, people are worse, not better off. and doesn't it speak to how out of touch he is, mr. speaker? last week he attended the tory party winter ball. he opened up a portrait of himself for 100,000 pounds, and then -- [laughter] >> and then -- [shouting] >> and then, mr. speaker, and

then, mr. speaker, and then, mr. speaker, he declared without a hint of irony the tories are no longer the party of privilege. mr. speaker, you couldn't make it a. let me put the question another way. we're talking about people earning 20,000 pounds a week. let me asking the question again. what is it about them that made him think this april they needed extra help to keep the wolf from the door? >> i will remind him it's this government that's help working people by freezing the council tax, cutting the petrol duty, cutting tax or 24 million people, and legislating so the get the lowest tariff on the energy bill. that's what we have done. we're having a top rate tax that is lower than any year when he was -- lower -- higher. perhaps he can confirm this because i have an invitation. he is going to make a major

speech tomorrow, and i've got the invitation. this is the invitation that's been said that the ed miliband is going to make a major speech on the economy on thursday. it won't have any new policies in at. [laughter] >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, let me tell him, let me tell him, let me tell him, he would be most welcome to attend the speech and he might learn something. [laughter] and every week, and every week that goes by, the evidence mounts against them on the economy. there's a living standards crisis for the many, and all he does is stand up for a few at the top. we've got a feeling prime minister. he's out of touch and he stands up for the wrong people. >> once again we've heard nothing to say about the deficit, nothing to say about welfare, nothing to say about growth. and i was going to make a speech tomorrow which he kindly invited me to, but i have to say if

there aren't any policies, what wilwould be the point of coming? [laughter] and let me, let me refer him to his policy guru, the honorable member, he is responsible for labour's manifesto and he says this. simply opposing the cuts without an alternative is no good. that is right. the whole bench opposite is no good. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. the welfare state and the nhs -- will the prime minister assure the house that he will not allow them to be abused by illegal immigrants and nationals who are coming here? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very important point. britain has always been an open and welcoming economy, but it isn't right if our systems are being abused and that is why i shared it yesterday a committee meeting in whitehall which my

right honorable friend from the member, the minister for immigration isn't leaving or we will look at every single one of our systems, housing, health, benefits. and make sure that we're not a soft touch for those who want to come here. i think it is vital that we get this right. there are many parts of our current arrangement which simply don't pass a simple common sense test in terms of access to housing, access to health service, access to justice and other things which should be the right of all britain citizen but they're not the right of anyone who just chooses to come here. >> if the prime minister is serious about tackling the serious problem of this labeling and the contamination of product, what possible future is there for the future of this coalition? [laughter] >> the coalition must be clearly labeled at all points to a buddy

does reference an important point which is this, which is this, retailers i think you very real irresponsibility. at the end of the day it is they who are putting products on their shelves and i've got to say that they are really clear about where that meeting came from, what it was, who was supplied by. it's up to them to test that and i think that's a vitally important. >> will my right honorable friend concerned with our friends -- [inaudible]? we are finally starting to see that ticking time bomb. [inaudible] >> i think the honorable lady makes an important point. and, frankly, i would've thought every member of parliament has heard this from their own constituents that in meetings with groups like age concern and others that right now it is completely unfair that the fickle finger of fate can pick

it out for dementia or alzheimer's, and you lose a house that you invested your lifetime savings and. it is in fear and for the first time this government has come up with the money to make sure we put a cap on what any family has to spend but it is the biggest pro inheritance move that any government has made in 20 years. let's be absolutely clear, intention is not that people should have to spend 75,000 pounds, but because we put a cap in place, there should be a proper insurance market. i don't want anyone to have to pay anything, and that is what these reforms can help achieve. [inaudible] spent many of his answers contain 100% of both. [laughter] >> good lie. but i think this is a serious issue. and i hope, i hope that, i'll

people, people are genuinely worried about what they are buying at the supermarket. and i really think we've got to get a grip of this rather than make jokes about this. but i don't think of another one by the end of the session. >> does the prime minister take a thin view of people who say one thing and do another like -- [shouting] like campaign -- >> order. we must do the honorable lady. the honorable lady must be heard. >> like campaign immigrants green fields of elements as the liberal democrat candidate in eastern has. [shouting] >> by purporting standards while undermining the committee by out --

[shouting] >> first of all, can i wish her well in her campaign to help the club. i think it's important what she does. on the issue of th of the electd of all my on orphans we joined on the campaign trail -- [shouting] >> what our city people, if you want a straight talking candidate that does exactly what it says on the inch, maria is the local -- she would make a great member of parliament. [shouting] >> can ask the prime minister for his help because i have two -- i am defeated in my attempt to get a response from southwest london nhs on behalf of my constituents, who has hypertension, chronic lung disease and heart disease. they will not respond to my correspondents as to whether they will agree to look at allowing the professor, the world-famous cardiologist in his

prescription for his treatment. i can get no response am a constituent made i should do not get a physician? >> i'm very happy to take up the case the honorable lady quite rightly raises in the house because she gives me the details i will see what i can do to get a better answer from health authorities. >> thank you, mr. speaker. each year many dozens of my constituents have to sell the house in order to pay for social care. this is random and unfair. with the prime minister agree with you that the proposal announced last week will litigate this issue? >> i think my friend makes an important point, as he said it is completely random who can end up suffering from dementia and then suddenly find that because they could be spending five, 10 or even more years in a care home, it completely wipes out all of their savings that they carefully put away through hard-working life. at to cap the cost for the first time i think is a major

breakthrough. i think it's a progressive move, but it also i think will help hard-working families that want to save and pass on the house to the children. it will be this government that's made it possible. >> since the coalition came to power, some 350 libraries have closed. the committee secretary has, the committee secretary has dismissed those campaigning to save local libraries, those parents hoping to teach their children to read, those who want to study our history and literature as just a bunch of lobbies. whatever happened to the best society? >> i strongly support our libraries, and in my own constituency we work very hard to make sure that libraries will be staying open, and they will be staying open. to ask about the big society. i think part of the answer to help keep the library's open is to tap enthusiasm of communities to volunteer and library sent to work in libraries to keep an open.

and i'm sure that he like me will welcome the report this week that volunteering is up, that charitable giving is up to him and i think the big society is a big role to play in keeping libraries open. sometimes from labour councils. >> on saturday, i spoke at an event in my constituency hosted by the woodland church in clifton on tax avoidance in developing countries. would the prime minister agree with me that we could do much to combat this problem by assisting developing countries, but also requiring british companies to be completely transparent about profits made in taxes paid in each country of operation? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very important point. i think there are huge amount of things we could do here. the work we've done with some less developed countries has actually seen their tax base sometimes as much as tripled, and we need to do far more in all these countries because it's an absolutely vital part of

development. the issue he raises with respect to tax transparency i also agree with, and that's where this government is putting it at the head of our g8 agenda for the g8 meeting that will take place in june in northern ireland that i think one of the great things about this agenda is that it brings together both developing and developed countries with a shared agenda. >> the prime minister give an update on the eu negotiations on the budget. the prime minister will know that -- which comes from the eu plays an important role for some of the recent assemblies when it comes to attracting inward investment. can he give the house an update on the continuation of regional? >> what i would say to the honorable gentleman is that the outcome of the budget leaves the amount of overall a that britain will be receiving broadly summer to the last period at around

11 billion euros. to our changes in the definitions of regions, part of because there's this new concept of a transition region that has come in, and so what we now need to do is to sit down as the united kingdom and work out how best to make sure the money is fairly divided between wales, northern ireland, scotland and england. for our transition regions in england that are looking to benefit but ensure we have discussions and come to good conclusions. >> is my right honorable friend and is the leader of the opposition and the deputy prime minister are both trying to claim credit for this brilliant move to achieve a real cat in the budget? and desi hopes will now follow his lead and both call for a referendum to be put to the british people? [shouting] >> i hope that first of all they will convince there any piece to vote for the budget reduction but i think that will be helpful. i also hope we can make some

progress on this referendum issue because the shadow chancellor who shouting as ever from a secondary position was asked a question, would labour support an eu referendum? and he said, that slightly depends on how stupid we are, doesn't it? [laughter] he went on to say we absolutely not ruled out a referendum, which is slightly in contrast to the leader labour who said we don't want an in-out referendum. perhaps they will come to the house of commons and tell us what it is. >> according to a freedom of information and should there were 4000 uniformed police officers on london streets after the prime minister's first two years in office. with a percentage of crimes being solved in london down as well, why has the prime minister broken his promise to protect front-line police been? >> first of all, crime is down by 10%, not just generally but specifically in the honorable members area, that's a much

greater reduction than for the whole of the metropolitan police area. the number of police officers is actually up since the election from 895, to 3418. there are many fewer officers and back-office jobs, in 2010 there were 1346 of them, that is now less than 1000. so i think on all that is what we have seen is yes, a reform agenda for the police, yes, there have been spending reductions, but crime is down and visible policing is up. >> mr. peter tapsell. [shouting] >> with japan, the eurozone and switzerland all talking down their account despite the statement by the g7 yesterday, does my right honorable friend agree that the most important aim of 5020 meeting -- the g20

meeting in moscow this coming weekend would be to establish means to prevent competitive devaluation which, in the 1930s, all -- [laughter] >> i was alive then. [laughter] [shouting] >> he was a young man. >> which in the 1930s, as i can remember from my father's experience -- [laughter] -- caused widespread unemployment. and the protectionism that goes with it. [shouting] >> first of all i would like to say he wasn't only alive in the 1930s come as no, he was absolutely thriving i'm sure. i think what he says is important. no one wants to see a string of

them edited the valuation. obviously, what happened to sterling as a result of the very deep recession here was at appreciation. i don't believe that you depreciate your way to growth. whatever country you are, but what you should do is use the benefit, and there's a structural change to make sure you increase your competitiveness and that is what britain needs to do. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. can i say to the prime minister -- [inaudible]. can have a deal for the elderly? can we have a deal for coventry? >> what i would say to the honorable gentleman is the start of his government in 2010 when

we made the decision not to cut the nhs, we did put nhs money into adult social care in local government because we recognize the importance of that budget. i would also argue the move this week to cap social care costs, of course that doesn't solve the whole problem, but if you can create a cap on what people will be charged you can create an insurance market so that everyone can try and protect themselves against the long-term costs of social care. and i should see more money coming in to this absolutely vital area. >> will be prime minister join me in welcoming figures from the counselor that shows the number of first time buyers has hit a five year high? >> certainly join my honorable friend. i think this has been a problem that i has dogged our economy or the last few years, is that no one wants us to go back to 110% mortgages that we had during the boom times, but we do need to make available to young people

the chance that both earning decent salary to be able to buy a case of flood or a decent house with a mortgage that doesn't require a massive deposit. that hasn't been possible for people in recent years and i think the bank of england move on funding for landings scheme from 80 billion pounds is now going through to the mortgage market and making available lower mortgages at a decent a long-term rate. and that's great. >> thank you, sir. [shouting] [laughter] >> further to the exchange to the leader of the opposition earlier, can ask the prime minister if he will tell the house whether he will personally benefit from the millionaires tax cut, to be introduced in april? >> i will pay all the taxes that are due in the proper way. but the point i would make to him -- [shouting] the point i would make to him is that all the years he sat on this side of the house there was a top rated tax that was lower

than the one we're putting in place. and i didn't hear any complaining from him within. >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible] does the prime minister share my concern that hard-working families and widows are being used in order -- [inaudible]? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very good point. this government has made available money for a council tax freeze, that has the consequences in wales that that money is there for a council tax freeze. and people in wales know who to blame if their council tax isn't frozen but it is the labour assembly government in wales. they are to blame. they are the ones who are charging hard-working people more for their council tax.

[shouting] >> we remember the prime minister promised he was going to force -- [inaudible] can be prime minister explain why the energy bill contains no such commitment and why he is broken that promise? >> i have to say to the honorable gentleman he is completed wrong. the energy bill does exactly what i said in a house. it is legislating to force congress to give people the lowest tariff. >> thank you, mr. speaker. schools -- [shouting] >> i'm sorry to mr. speaker the opposition -- >> order. gift courtesy. there was a collective groan. [laughter] >> notably, notably on the opposition benches, and it's quite inexplicable. i have called for the good doctor. let's hear from the good doctor.