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 of the business. this is live coverage on c-spa c-span2. >> from the palestinian authority, can you justify how money can be spent helping criminals? >> mr. speaker, we've answered this issue on many occasions in written and oral parliamentary questions and i can assure the honorable gentleman that british funding does not in any way go to purposes of this sort. >> mr. grimm. >> does my right honorable friend agree with me that it would be possible to link our large agencies and the british embassy to be more effective with our trade persons in order to promote new energy solutions like the first bio diesel plant in the country? >> i think that sounds like a very sensible thought.

i would like to see that happen more on the ground in developing countries like indonesia. >> order. questions for the prime minister. >> number one, mr. speaker,. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house i shall further such meetings later today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. because of this government incompetent minute of the nhs, 256,000 patients were forced to wait in the back of ambulances. why does the prime minister think the best way to deal with this is to find hospitals 90 million pounds for his governments failure of? >> what this government is doing is putting 12.7 billion pounds extra into the nhs, money that would be cut by the party opposite. because of that extra money and because of the reform, waiting

times are down, waiting times for inpatient, outpatient or for both of them. hospital inquired infections are down. mixed sex wars have almost been abolished in nhs. that's a record we can be proud of. >> mr. graham stuart. >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible] >> don't call him shirley. >> [inaudible]. can he confirm the commitment to renegotiations and a referendum? [shouting] >> on behalf of the whole house, can welcome my honorable friend back? to the house of commons.

good to see him making such a strong recovery and being in such a strong voice today as well, mr. speaker. he makes a very important point. on this side of house, this party can we are committed to a renegotiation and then in-out referendum before the end of 2017. but there has been a staggering silenced from the party opposite. apparently half of the shadow cabinet support a referendum and the other half don't. they will have the chance on the fifth of july. they can turn up and vote for a referendum in the united kingdom. [shouting] >> mr. ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, on syria the prime minister has asked to use the g8 in the coming weeks for all members to documentary assistance to alleviate the terrible crisis that is happening there. but on the arms embargo he said last week and i quote, if we helped to tip the balance in that way, there's a greater chance of political transition succeeding. given that russia seems ready to

supply more weapons to syria, does the prime minister think it is any sense realistic for a strategy of tipping the balance? >> first of all, can i thank him for raising this issue and say he is absolutely right, we should use the g8 to try and bring pressure on all sides to bring about what we all want in this house, which is a piece conference, a piece process, and the move towards a transitional government in so you. and underwear to tell the house president putin will be coming in advance of the g8 the meetings in downing street on sunday when we can discuss this. like i do think it's important because we have recognized that the syrian national opposition are legitimate spokespeople for the syrian people. i think it's important we help them, we give them technical assistance, training, advice and assistance. all of those things we're doing and i think yes, that does help tip the balance to make sure that president assad can see cannot windows by military means alone and he should be the negotiation it should take place

for a transitional government. >> ed miliband. >> i think the prime minister for that answer but my question was specifically on the lifting of the arms are embargo and the supply of weapons to the same rebels. last week he also told this house and i quote, there are clear safeguards to which was that any such equipment would only be supplied for the protection of civilians. can he tell us what those are an out and see if they would be enforced a? >> first of all let me try and say again about the arms embargo, the point about lifting the arms embargo which applied originally to both the regime and the official syrian opposition is to send a very clear message about our intentions and about our views to president assad, but we have not made a decision to supply the syrian opposition with weapons. as i said we're giving them assistance. we are giving them advice. we're giving them technical help, and we have systems in place to answer the second question, to make sure that that

sort of nonlethal equipment like a transport and things like that doesn't get into the wrong hands. of course, we do. >> mr. speaker, two things. first of all i think we all support the idea that we should have focused on the piece conference and making the piece conference geneva to happen. by the problem is the government has put its energy into the lifting of the arms embargo, not into the piece conference. and secondly, i quoted his words not about nonlethal equipment but about the supply of lethal equipment. he gave an assurance to this house that in the circumstances of supplying lethal equipment they would be in just safeguards. my question is, what would those safeguards be and i didn't hear an answer. maybe when he gets up he can tell us that. will he also when he replies confirmed that if he takes a decision to arm the rebels in syria there will be a vote of the south on a substantial motion in government time with a recall of parliament from recess if necessary?

>> first of all, on this issue of the piece conference, as i said we all want to see a piece conference, about. the question is how we most likely to put pressure on the parties to attend that piece conference. i have to say going back to the very first thing he said about the russian decision to arm the regime, the russian regime has been arming this regime for decades. and, frankly, it is naïve to believe anything else. that i think is important. on the issue of safeguards we're not supplying the opposition with weapons. we are supplying them technical assistance and nonlethal equipment. we have made no decision to supply the opposition with weapons. so that is the answer to that issue. on the issue of the house of commons, as the foreign secretary made clear, as i have made clear, i have always believed and 11 to house of commons to say on all of these issues. i think that was right when it came to iraq. it was right when we made the decision to help the opposition

in libya, and it would be right in the future as well for that to happen. let me stress again, we have made no decision to arm the rebels in syria. >> serna cart fee. >> mr. speaker, on the government plans to double the size of our reserve forces, has the primers to consider the role retired my plate in his? now they're loud to -- they've said to me that an ongoing connection with the british army but there's no real tradition. [inaudible] it won't happen by magic. >> i think the honorable friend makes excellent suggestions one of the ways i think we can best build up this larger reserve that we want to see fully funded and fully equipped at 30,000 is to make sure those who serve in the regular army that we're better opportunity for them to serve in the reserves picked up when he makes i'm sure my right honorable friend the defense sector will look at that and see what can be done.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. i don't know if the prime minister watched the drawdown on monday night but here he won't be aware of the subject of what was it. the program concern many of us, members of the scottish committee already knew that thousands of people in this country have been subjected to blacklist. i think it's worse than mccarthyism. the secrets behind closed doors. many people don't even know they're on the blacklist. can ask the prime minister to call -- [inaudible] which i refer to do not as mccarthyism but as mccarthyism. >> i didn't see that on monday night. i would ask for report on the. as you know the government not only does it support blacklisting but has taken action against it. >> can i ask the prime minister for his recent visit to support

the historic industry and does he agree with me the hard-working staff our best hope in these times by protecting their pensions and benefits rather than by protecting benefits and cutting pensions as the party opposite we do? >> i well remember my visit to the honorable friend's constituency and she's absolutely right. what people want to know in this country is that we're going to cap welfare and get on top of welfare bills by protect pensioners who work hard all their lives, who say for their retirement. i've done a little bit of due diligence on the party opposite policy because last week of course they announced they wanted a welfare check and i thought that's interesting, that's progress. but when you look at it with a cap the welfare bill for those in work? know they wouldn't up with a cap housing benefits? no, they wouldn't. the one thing to want to cap apparently is pensions. so there we have it. protect welfare, punisher

workers and target pensioners. more of the same, something for nothing culture that got this country in the mess it's in. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker -- [shouting] mr. speaker, today's unemployment, can the prime minister explain why today's figures also show that three years into his government, living standards are continuing to fall? >> first of all i think it is worth actually announcing to the house what the unemployment figures today show, because they show employment, the number of people in work in our country going out. facial unemployment going down. and they show -- i know the party opposite don't want to hear good news, but i think it's important to hear it. and the claimant count, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit has fallen for the seventh month in a row.

i think what also is interesting is over the last year while we've lost 100,000 jobs in the public sector, we've gained five times that amount in private sector employment. the figures to show some increase in wages, but obviously real wages have been under huge pressure ever since the cleverness of boom and bust under which he presided. but what is good for people is that under this government we're cutting the income tax this year. >> ed miliband. >> mr. speaker, is into his fourth year of prime minister and his excuse for living standard is don't blame me, i'm only the prime minister. it's simply not good enough. and he doesn't understand, he doesn't understand that the cause of his failure to get growth in the economy, wages are falling for ordinary people. he wants to tell them they're better off, but actually they are worse off. can he confirm that today's

figures showed that after inflation since he came to power, people's wages have fallen on average by over 1300 pounds a year? >> what he might have noticed the figures announced by the institute for fiscal studies are from 2008, when he was sitting in the cabinet. and it is worth remembering while he was energy secretary sitting in the cabinet, the economy got smaller. it shrank month after month after month. under this government we have seen over 1.25 million more private sector jobs, good growth in private sector employment this year that is what's happening. of course, living standards are under pressure and that is why we are freezing council tax. the shadow chancellor is shouting away, as ever. perhaps -- spent excessive noise in the chamber. members must not shout at the prime minister in more than anyone should shot at the leader

of the opposition. let the interest be heard. the prime minister. >> the answer is there are 1.25 million more private sector jobs under this government and that's a good record. >> mr. speaker, no answer from this prime minister on the living standard crisis that is facing families up and down the country. it's no wonder what his side is saying about them. this is what the honorable member wrote about them over the weekend. he said, i know they don't want to hear it, mr. speaker, it's like being in an airplane he said. the pilot does not how to land it. we could either do something about this or sit back, watch the in flight movies and wait for the inevitable year mr. speaker, i couldn't put it better myself about this prime minister. the reality is this. a in, day out, what people see, what people see -- calm down, just calm down. [shouting] day in, day out all people see

is prices rising, wages falling while the prime minister tells them they are better off. he claims the economy is healing, but for ordinary families life is getting harder. they are worse off under the tories. >> only someone who wants to talk down our economy would take a day like today, more people in work, unemployment down, youth unemployment down, the claimant count down. not one word of respect for that good agenda on jobs. now he talks about airplanes. he talked about airplanes. the former home secretary never mind getting on airplanes come this is what he said about the right honorable gentleman's leadership. he said this, we are literally going nowhere. [shouting] he hasn't even got on the airplane because he hasn't got a clue [shouting]

>> last december the whole of my constituents supported the support for a new direct rail link to london. however, this week network rail have blocked the bid. does the prime minister agree with me that network rail should not get in the way of the people or indeed in the way of economic progress? >> well, we want to see more direct railing, of which he speaks and there's also they for better link to lancashire and, indeed, other places be one of the issue through industries battling with is a shortage of capacity. one of the things that a just to will help bring is that bring up a capacity to make more of these direct links possible and i was discussing this yesterday with a transfer secretary and we should be making some progress. >> last week the primacy couldn't confirm that secretary -- taxpayers would not subsidize foreign buyers in the uk. perhaps he can clarify whether

his devices seamlessly taxpayers help fund purchases of second homes and holiday cottages? >> let me try and give the honorable lady some satisfaction. first of all this is for peoples only home. it will have a mechanism in place to make sure that is the case. the second thing is, of course, the second thing which is important is in or to take part in this scheme you have to have a credit record intent of a credit record in this country so no, it won't do what she says it would. >> sir richard graham. >> thank you as a former pensions manager i was proud this government introduced a new formula -- >> order. it's very discreet. the honorable gentleman should be treated like every member with courtesy. let's hear what he has to say. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as a former pensions manager i was proud when this government introduced a new triple lock

formula on our state pension that increased by 234 pounds in its first year to every pensioner in the land. but does the prime minister share my concern that under the shadow chancellor's plans to cut or cap pensions, all our pensioners will lose that standard of living? >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right. what we've done under this government is put a cap on welfare that families can receive but have been as generous as we can with pensioners who worked hard during their life. who want to dignity and security in old age. and that's why we have the triple lock. very interesting, because we now know the party opposite wants to cut the pension because they're putting a cap on pensions but not on welfare, just this one of the shadow foreign secretary, he may not know this because the main event followed this. he was on television this morning challenged about the triple lock and set it was their policy at present.

at present, given all the u-turns with that in the last week from the party opposite i don't think at present will last a very long. >> will the prime minister congratulate the football club for doing the right thing, sponsorship from -- [inaudible]? and will he also joined in and do the right thing and give local authorities the power to band the -- [inaudible] >> well, i hear what he says and i wish them well for their future. what i would say we need to do is give more support to credit unions in our country. i think that is one of the best ways to addressing this whole problem of payday loans and payday than a. i also hope h you will welcome e fact that over the last year unemployment has fallen facet in

the northwest part of our country. >> doctor julie halford spent thank you, mr. speaker. this is national -- will the prime minister join me in paying tribute -- >> order, order. if the session has to be extended to accommodate the democratic rights of members, it will be extended. the honorable gentleman will, i will -- i repeat, will be hard. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this is national terrorist week so will the prime minister join me in paying tribute to the huge commitment that thousands of terrorist make day in day out caring for ill, for a disabled members, friends or partners. will he sign up the recommendation prepared to care? >> i think actually on this one i can say that the honorable member speaks for the whole house and they did the whole country in praising britain's care. they do an amazing job and if they stopped caring the cost to the taxpayer would be phenomenal so we should you will begin to

support them and make sure they get the proper breaks, the brakes from caring that they need to go when doing the wonderful work they do. >> why is the numbers of supply teachers and 70 schools in the last year increased by a staggering 17%? >> well, i don't have the figures for that but what i would say is that we have protected the amount of money that goes into schools per-pupil so that schools do have the money to employ the teachers that they need. >> since 2010 unemployment has fallen by 6.9%. youth unemployment has fallen 19%. i will do my part, but does this not ensure our economic plan is working? >> i think the honorable lady is absolutely right. we see the day where growth and

employment have fallen in the claimant count, fallen youth unemployment and most important of all as i said, yes, we are losing jobs in the public sector, because we had to make cuts to the public sector. why we lost over 100,000 jobs in the public sector the last year we have gained five times as many of that in the private sector. the shadow chancellor as ever wants to give a running commentary. let me just white house what he said because i think this is one of the most important quotations in the last 10 years of british post appeared within the last letter, was -- had too much national debt? no, i don't think there's any evidence of that. that is, that phrase is going to be hung around his neck forever. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, 500 homes in my constituency were flooded in november. residence in my constituency are terrified that their homes and businesses are now worthless because of this government has

failed to replace the flood insurance scheme. it's also cut over 200 million pounds from flood defense work. why is this prime minister sold my constituency down the river a? >> what, i can get the honorable gentleman some quite welcome is which is weird to extend the period of the scheme so we could continue negotiations. but i am confident we will put in place a proper successor to the scheme and an announcement will be made quite soon. >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible]. they been making them for 50 years but to export very large export to germany. they run into a problem with the reclassification of the product and i wonder if i could send all the information to the prime minister and enlist his support for this very innovative company offering so well? >> i'm very happy to receive the

information from my honorable friend but it is important we get britain exports up. if we move from one in five of exporting to 14, that would wipe out our trade deficit altogether some happy to get my office to look at the information she has. >> thank you, mr. speaker. [inaudible] is one of four is closing in northwest london. i welcome the health secretaries interview, what with waiting times a nine-year high, ambulances being diverted and the risk of unnecessary death, will he acknowledge that these closures are not in series option if -- [inaudible]? >> the point i make is as he knows the health secretary has asked the irp to conduct a full review of the proposal. the panel will submit its advice to no major -- noted in mid-september but let's be

clear, whatever decision is reached these proposals are not due to lack of central government funding because northwest london will receive 3.6 billion this year. that is 100 million pounds more than the year before, and, of course, if we listen to the labour party who said that more nhs spending was and i quote irresponsible, and his hospitals would be having 100 billion pounds less. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will the prime minister join me in congratulating the china britain business council under its inspiration chairman for organizing a similar with more than 60 businesses attended last friday about exporting to china? i think they should be congratulated on this initiati initiative. >> i'm very happy to extend my praises to the china business council but ever look at the evidence over the last few years there's a really significant increase of british exports to china and, of course, a big

increase of chinese direct investment into the uk. all of this is welcome and we need to see it grow even further. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will the prime minister confirm that he understands the importance of the creative industries the economies of this country and that they need to be buttressed by adequate intellectual property rights? but is he also a where that is intellectual property minister, [inaudible] -- the fifth younger recently told the culture sports select committee the relation to google that i am, i'm very aware of their power but i'm also very aware that they have access for whatever reason to higher levels at number 10 than do i.

comment? [shouting] >> order. order. order. order. the honorable gentleman's question which refers to a distinguished constituent of mine suffered for dissidents of being too long. the prime minister. >> first of all i agree with them that are creative industries are incredibly important for britain's future and would take one of them, the music industry, it is had absolutely record year in terms of sale. one in every four albums sold in europe is made here in the uk and it's something we can be very proud of. now we do to get the intellectual property regime right. that is why we are legislating the we've already taken action to extend the life of copyright protections to 75 years which has been welcomed right across the music industry and they simply don't accept what he says about my ministers. indeed, the minister most responsible for this is the honorable member who i think actually whose father was harold wilson so that doesn't really

fit. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will the prime minister join me in praising the hard work of the honorable member -- [inaudible] and for ensuring that incisions taken at local levels concerning wind turbines remain local? however many of my constituencies are becoming increasingly concerned about the green fields becoming solar fields. should decisions regarding solar fields be subject to the same rules as wind turbines at? >> well first o what i join hern praising the excellent work done by the right of the members, being carried on by the minister in seven oaks. i think they're both done a very good job of bringing some sanity to the situation with onshore wind. on the issue of solar panels, of

course this government did substantially reduce the tariffs to make sure that this industry was not over subsidized because all these subsidies end up on consumers of bills that we should think very carefully about that. >> [inaudible] the second best survival rate in children's heart surgery in the country. will the prime minister assure the quality of care including survival rates is what matters most to parents is essential to any decision about the future? >> i think the honorable lady is right. by right on will find the health secretary will be making an announcement shortly about the issues of safe and secure and children's heart operation. i think we have to be frank with people that we can expect really technical surgery like a children's heart operations to be carried out at every hospital in the country.

[inaudible] [shouting] >> mr. speaker, is the prime minister a where that last year britain became a net exporter of cars for sun since 1976? for 76? furthermore if this trend continues the uk will reduce the all time record of 2 million cars in 2017? is this not a really good example of a high altitude value sector upscaling of putting the great back into manufacturing and exports? >> my honorable friend is absolutely right. this is a good example of a british industry an that is succeeding if you look at honda, look at toyota, if you