>> c-span to provide live coverage of the u.s. senate floor proceedings and key public policy events. every weekend off tv, now for 15 years the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. created by the cable tv industry and brought to you as a public service by to michael cable or satellite provider. >> now live to london for british prime minister's question time. each week the house of commons is in session we bring you prime minister david cameron taking questions from members of the

house of commons live wednesday mornings here on c-span2. we invite your participation via twitter using hashtag pmq. prior to question time members are finishing up other business. now live to the floor of the british house of commons. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this is a fact that as the nationals tell us in the white paper, scotland will have an immigration policy which is necessary for such of their economic plans. the operation of a common -- [inaudible] simply would not -- you cannot have your cake and eat it in this occasion. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

given the fact he said -- [inaudible] if he doesn't get his own way on eu membership. [inaudible] >> the impact of employment would be serious in some of those economically fragile communities that scotland has. the comments in relation to blockade a scottish waters goes beyond the ridiculous i have to say. it does make me wonder though if that was possibly why he seems so desperate of alexa vladimir putin. >> questions for the prime minister. >> number one, mr. speaker. >> prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, this morning i had

meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as the proud father of three daughters, i am -- i'm sure the entire house will show my deep concern for the more than 270 nigerian schoolgirls held captive in that country. the only so-called crime which they face is that they inspired to receive an education. with my right honorable friend set out for the house the steps this government is taking to ensure that we helped to usher the release as soon as possible? >> here, here. >> i know my right honorable friend speaks for the whole house and, indeed, the whole country. i am the father of two young daughter and my reaction is exactly the same as his and every father or mother in this land or in the world. this is an act of pure evil. if united people across the planet to stand with nigeria to help find these children and

return them to their parents. the foreign secretary and the british government have made offers of help to the i ching government since the girls were seized. i'll speak to the matching president this afternoon and will again say that britain stands ready to provide any assistance immediately we can working very closely with the u.s. we have a british most are drinking in nigeria. the foreign office has counterterrorism experts and we should be proud of the role we play in the country where british aid is helping to educate 800,000 nigerian children, including 600,000 girls. we should be clear this is not just a nigerian issue. it is a global issue. there are extreme islamists around our world who are against education, against progress, against equality and we must fight them or take them on wherever they are. >> here, here. >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> let me begin by associating myself with the transmission works on the terrible situation in nigeria.

mr. speaker, on a proposal for three-year tendencies and the private sector, can the prime minister talisman expects to make the inevitable journey from saying they represent dangerous venezuelan style thinking to say they're actually quite a good idea? >> i haven't had the time to study the rent control proposals but i'm sure he will be able to lay them out. let me be clear about my view. if there is an opportunity to find longer-term tenants agreement to give greater stability, a proposal made at last year's conservative conference -- [shouting] -- and then i'm sure we can work together. but if the proposal is for rent control that has been tried all over the world, including in britain and that show to fail, i think that's a very bad idea. >> even by his standards it's a pretty quick u-turn,

mr. speaker. last week, last week the chairman of the conservative party, i know you have a briefing on this but maybe you can listen to the question. last week the chairman of the conservative party would say this is all back to venezuela completely wrong. but indeed the secretary has supported these proposals. now, the question is how are we going to make it happen? >> i've got some very good briefing actually on these proposals from labour mps. here they are. right. let's start with labour county minister to you think she would support a. she says i do not think it will work in practice. [laughter] then, the moving -- [shouting] moving over to the department for local government with a shadow secretary of state says this, we don't want to return to rent controls because the rental sector is meeting a demand for housing. the authentic voice.

now, they we go to the head of the select committee, a labour indeed, the honorable member for sheffield and he said this, we conclude that rent control was not feasible. so there we have a labour policy completely unclear about what it is. the one thing that is clear labour mps don't back it. [shouting] >> all the shows, all the shows is that he has nothing -- [shouting] >> order. i know it has to be said every week. i will say it again or however long it takes them very simple exercise of democracy, the question will be heard and the answer will be heard. incredibly simple. ed miliband. >> all the shows he has no idea about this incredibly important issue facing our country. let me explain to him. there are 9 million people ranging in this country. our proposal is to say there should be six, three-year tendencies as the norm for those

people with predictable rate changes, right? that is the proposal. many people across this country think this is for the first time a party addressing the issue they face. so can he explain what is wrong from going from one year tendency with unread -- to three-year with predictable rent? why has the conservative party given up on millions of people? >> what we want to do is build more houses so we have a better rental sector with more affordable rent. but i said to him in my very first answer, if this is about finding new tenants they give long-term secured on a volunteer basis, just. if it's about mandating rent controls for the center and destroying the housing market, no. the problem i have been so many of his policies is they all come from the same place. they come -- thank you very much. they come from the united union.

unite said we actualized the railways. unite says let's have oldest of rent control. he wants old style red controls. the problem with rent control is their policies are for rent, the candidates are for rent. that's the problem. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. the prime minister will be as encouraged as i on this, unemployment in my constituency is down by almost one-third. however, however, mr. speaker, the future for almost 1000 workers related to -- [inaudible] is less certain. will be prime minister meet with me to ensure that we have a future for this very important asset in my constituency? >> i'm very happy to me with my honorable friend and discuss this.

it's welcome what he says about the fall in unemployment which were nesting right across our country. in fact, employment is growing fastest not in the southeast of the country but actually in wales, recovery is more broadly based. i know about the problems at the station and the demand therefore for the action as has been agreed. i'm happy to discuss that and see what can be done. >> i have to world-class hospitals in my constituency -- >> at the moment spent the secretary of health has decided -- [inaudible] will lose it's a and b. this year. will be prime minister stop his health sector putting my constituents lives at risk? >> what we are doing in northwest london is making sure the nhs is getting more money. it's going to be getting 2.4 million this year, 74 million a year before. that if you remember his own

party's policy was to cut the nhs like they are doing in wales. the changes have been made in northwest london are backed by clinicians and local people and we want to see our nhs improve as it has under this government. >> does my friend agree uk's policies are based on fear, fear of the world, fear of foreigners, and there's a great trading nation, we should embrace the world. if anyone comes to my constituency and goes to hospital or to nursing homes or two farms or to building sites, they will see the great contribution being made to our communities and the growth of our economy by fellow eu citizens. >> my right honorable friend is right that britain has benefited from being an economy that is open to investment and open to people coming to want to

contribute and work hard. i agree with what he says about uk. so much of the view seems to be we don't have a bright future in this country. i absolutely we do if we get our deficit down, get our economy growing, invest in apprenticeships. we shall we can be one of the successors of the 21st century. we are making progress and that is the way to challenge their worldview. >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, there's deep concern and the the british business of scientific community about the proposed takeover of astrazeneca by pfizer. but it would have an impact for decades to come on british jobs, british investment, british exports and bridge science. the business secretary said yesterday he is, and i quote, not ruling out intervention. what type of intervention is under consideration by government? >> i agree with what the business secretary said just today but let me be clear, the most important intervention we can make is to back british

jobs, british science, british r&d, british medicine and british technology. and that is why i asked the cabinet secretary and my ministers to engage with both companies right from the start of this process. i make no apology for that because we know what happens when you don't engage. when you stand back, just say you are opposed to everything, what you get is abject surrender and no guarantees for britain. we are fighting for british and i think it's a pity he is trying to play politics rather than backing the national interest. [shouting] >> to let me say first of all, mr. speaker, it's good to hear he agrees with the business secretary. the business secretary said this. one of the governments options will be to consider using our public interest test powers. now, there needs to be a proper assessment, there needs to be a proper assessment of this bid and yesterday as i say, the business sectors that he was open to doing this. this could be done straight away

through this house and we on this side would support making that happen. will he agree to do it? >> the second -- what i want is this do r&d because there isn't now an actual offer on the table, any subsequent offer. i would judge all these things about does it expand british jobs, british investment in british science. let me make this point because i worried it may be lost in this debate. i know of course he thinks he's extreme the clever and we all know that a. [laughter] but he may have missed this point. britain, britain's benefits massively from being open to investment. nissan is producing more cars than the whole of italy. jaguar land over over under indian ocean is graded 9000 jobs in the west midlands since i became prime minister. vodafone and ashes and have benefited from the backing of an open country to go out and build the five businesses around the world.

there is more inward investment in britain today than the rest of the eu combined. don't put that at risk of. [shouting] >> he doesn't understand, this is simply about something very straightforward, having an independent assessment of this bid and whether it is in the national interest. i want to asking the question again because it matters to people right across this country. is he ruling out or ruling in using the public interest test on this takeover? we should make it happen. is business secretary could make it happen and we would support it. if he does not take action now and the bid goes through without a proper assessment, everyone will know he was cheerleading for this bid, not championing british science and british industry. >> i think it is deeply sad that the leader of the opposition makes accusations about cheerleading with what the

government was doing was getting stuck in to help a british science, british investment and british -- [shouting] and doesn't tell you everything that given the choice of doing the right thing for the national interest, working with the government or making short-term political points, that is what he chooses to do. we might ask why the public interest test would change in the first place. it was when they were sitting in the treasury. yes, they wrote the rules. they sold the gulf. they sold manufacturing in the country declined by one half and we will never take lectures from the people who wrecked our economy. [shouting] >> will the prime minister confirmed that under his leadership this country will never spend less than the nato recommended minimum of 2% of gdp on defense? >> what i can say is we are

spending in excess of 2%. we are one of the only countries in europe to do that. the greeks a believer spending ahead of 2% but if i can put it this way, not all on on things useful for all of nato. we should continue to make sure we fulfill all our commitments in terms of defense spending. >> will the prime minister meet again with me and his fellow mps to find a way forward of consultant led maternity services to be run by the university hospitals? >> as the honorable lady has asked about this question in the past and i was very keen to make sure that in spite of all the difficulties the mid-staff hospital, there was an opportunity to look to see if will be possible to avoid for the long-term of having consultant led maternity services. people who live in the major towns want to be able to have their babies locally, and i think it's vitally important we do the. i'm updated by the member of

parliament and i continue to be happy to meet with him and, indeed, the delegation of mps if it is necessary to talk further about this point. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last week boston consulting group public research that on britain to be the number one competitive manufacturing country in the whole of western europe. and number four globally behind china, the united states and south korea. does not right honorable friend a grid would think that this is just the sort of company we should be keeping? and further evidence that our strategy to rebalance the uk economy toward manufacturing and the west midlands and other regions is working? >> i'm grateful for what my honorable friend says because for the first time in almost a decade all three main sectors of the economy manufacturing, services and construction, have

grown by at least 3% over the last year. i think this is further evidence of the economic plan is working. manufacturing is important and so much of it is tradable and want to see britain to export more, make more, invest more. the moves made by my right angle but in the budget in terms of investment allowances and backing eta is dedicated towards an angle but also as i said we must remain in the open economy that would encourage people to invest in our manufacturing base. >> later this week the opening stages of the giro d'italia will take place in northern ireland, along with the tour de france coming to yorkshire. the world-class sporting event allows to showcase the region and tourism ago the local economy. would the prime minister agree with me that as we seek to build a more prosperous and better future for all of our people in northern ireland that it is vitally important the suffering and hurt of the victims is never forgotten? and whether it is one year ago

or 10 years ago or 42 years ago, justice must be pursued and the police must be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead? >> first of all can i agree with the right honorable gentleman about the importance of these great sporting events, the one he mentioned in northern ireland and also of course the tour de france which will be starting in leeds which will be a great moment for yorkshire and the whole united kingdom. i think we should do as much as we can to promote despair i think we should properly draw the line in appearing in either event. he raises an important issue about terrorist victims. we discussed recently the important issue by trying to secure greater assistance from libya. as for his other remarks we should be proud of the fact that a free country as an independent judiciary, and independent legal system, an independent police service. these aside, who to arrest them who to question, who do charge for that's what it must remain. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

dementia is one of the biggest challenges facing our country. will the prime minister join me in congratulating public health england and launching a major new campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigmas? given a 50,000 people quit their jobs to cover people with dementia within sure there is a new dimension strategy at the end of this year because the current one in the this year so he can assure people with dementia get the support they need? >> i pay tribute to my friend for raising this issue. we turned the zero on number 100 into the dementia flaw today to to help boost the importance of raising awareness about this issue and encouraging more people -- i will look to what he says about the strategy but as he knows it's about investing in research and science were we have doubled in the budget for dementia but it's about dementia friendly communities and also making sure our hospitals and care homes better treat people come and treat people better with dementia. we will carry forward all of those and i will perhaps write to him about the update to the

strategy. [inaudible] already dead in syria. others are dying as we are here today. they need help. we've talked about humanitarian help. we haven't crossed the border to what a we doing about this? >> the right honorable lady is right to raise this. the edge to what we're doing about it is that britain is the second largest bilateral aid donor in terms of humanitarian aid going into three. and so we're helping to feed, clothe and house people oath in turkey, in lebanon, in jordan and elsewhere. i think she raises an important point about getting aid into syria. was being done on that but it is actually difficult because of the security situation but we will continue to do what we can. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as we mark the anniversary of the first world war, it is a nasa new disgrace the grace of the tory across winners -- and i

congratulate the primacy of the suggestive or local government as the patent of the victoria cross trust to help restore some of those grades -- graves? >> i join the honorable gentleman who was a patron of the victoria cross trust for the hard work is being done and also i think it's a newspaper did a good job of highlighting the importance of this issue. my right honorable friend has announced 100,000 pounds funding to the victoria cross trust which he mentioned. they should go to restoring the grace of victoria cross recipients it would also have a program for letting local authorities of the paving stones and we're looking at many other

ways to commemorate this actually vital anniversary. i think the most important thing we're doing is the huge multimillion pound investment going into the internal war museum which will open this summer which i take my children to and brings the first world war to life in an extraordinary way and that's at the heart of our important commemoration. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. my constituent -- means he needs a special adopted bed and cannot share a room with his wife. can the prime minister explained why this government is punishing him for his disability? >> as the honorable lady knows that we have the discretion of housing payments for exactly this sort of case and the money has been popped up so there's no reason for people to be disadvantaged in the way that she suggests. [inaudible] 2000 employees, i should constituent concerns about

pfizer's proposed bigger i welcome the steps taken by the government to secure initial commitments from the company to 60. and my right honorable friend tell the house what further steps are being taken to strengthen those commitments to safeguard highly skilled manufacturing jobs? >> well i'm grateful to my honorable friend's remarks. the ark 2000 people employed by astrazeneca and his constituencies and he's quite right to speak up for them to our approach is based one trying to secure the best possible deal in terms of jobs, investment and science. that is what i believe it was right to ask of the cabinet secretary to engage with pfizer just as we're engaging with ashes in it and i do find it extraordinary that we been criticized for this. the commitments that have been made so far, of course there is no offer on the table by the commitments made so far are encouraging in terms of completely the cambridge campus, making sure 20% of the combined company's total or anti-workforce is in the uk

going forward. and he specifically mentioned -- r&d workforce. commercial manufacture facilities. it also goes on to say that because of the patient box we've introduced, the company will look at manufacturing more in the uk. but let me be absolutely clear. i'm not satisfied to i want more but the way to get more is to engage, not to stand up and play party politics. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i know the premise on a number of occasions has raised the board issued a red awareness of mental health. can i thank him for that. can he explain why since 2011 there's a drop in mental health in nhs? is a right mental health patients have the travel up to 200 miles to access care? >> i think what matters in our images is a quality of provision between physical health and mental health. this government we have not sold every problem but we have put

into the nhs constitution and nhs mandate proper esteem. would also put in proper targets for some of the talking therapies that are actually vital in terms of mental health. measuring the output of our nhs purely by the number of beds is not a sensible approach. >> the government is make a substantial investment in renewing and expanding the nations infrastructure. there is however a really because more young people into engineering so we'll have long-term skills, skills base for this project. with my right honorable friend assure me that this government will do all it can to inspire the next generation of engineers to? >> ipad what my honorable friend says and he's been campaigning very hard to get the academy -- there's skills work that needs to be done but i'm sure there'll be a lot of competition but the key thing about these investments whether it's crossrail, whether it is a

just do is the plan in advance about the skills we are going to need so we can fill them with the british people leaving school and college wanted to take on the skills. today the chancellor and the minister for schools have launched the like your choice campaign which is all about encouraging young people to get into stem subjects and to stay in stem subjects because there's a massive falloff, particularly in terms of physics among young women and we need to encourage them to go on studying. [inaudible] will he also today commit personally to put an end to the scoundrel of 15 minute visits of low wages and zero hours contract for the dedicated home parent to look up to people with dementia in our country? >> first of all let me praise the right angle late for work on dementia and the amount of work

she's done to spread awareness about this. on the issue of 15 minute working times, this is an issue for local councils. my own local council has just decided to stop these days is because they don't believe you can really get any meaningful work job to any meaningful work done but i think it is for council. on zero hours contract with the first government have a proper review in 20 hours contract and we are unhappy about those with clauses that don't allow you to work elsewhere. but i think as important as those things is to make sure our care system has got people inside it that i really caring and understanding about the problems of dementia. she and i have both been through the very short dementia friend a training course and i don't know about her but i think i'm ready or a refresher. >> mr. speaker, with one point of 3% growth in manufacturing and last quarter and some strong performances from my local fir

firms, does the prime minister agree with me that one key element of the long-term economic plan is actually the lead to improve, is in need to further strengthen our skill strength so that these folks can continue to grow and work hard for britain and generate export? >> my honorable friend is right that a key part of the long-term plan is to rebalance our economy away from surely the southeast and also towards manufacturing exports and investment. i know he's been playing his par by running a festival for manufacturing and engineering in stroud. i think this is important because one of the things that got to do is inspire a new generation to think of these careers and think of the subjects they should be studying in schools and university to open up these careers of for them. >> mr. speaker, last thursday the eu ban on the import of indian mangoes took effect. as a result, hundreds of

businesses throughout the uk will suffer millions of pounds of losses. there was n no consultation with the south and no vote by british ministers. next week he will be having his first conversation with the new indian prime minister. will he do his best to reverse this band so we keep the special relationship with india which is a sure which his predecessors and he has worked so hard to maintain to weake we can have or delicious mangoes once again? >> i know how much the right honorable gentleman tells about his consumer to be delivered a tray of mangoes to number 10 downing street missing the deadline i might add so that they could safely be consumed by people inside and i'm grateful of that. this is a serious issue. european commission has to look on the basis of the science and evidence. there are concerns about particular cross-contamination in terms of british crops and british interests so we have to make sure that is got right but i understand how strongly he

feels compelled strongly the ingenuity and this country feel, and, indeed, i look forward to discussing it with the indian prime minister. >> with the prime minister join me in congratulating the world clock furniture manufacture on the decision to locate a manufacturing facility here, and the jobs it would create? i'm proud this was based in part on opportunity rich industrial heritage. will be prime minister also pay tribute to local businesses that have create jobs and reduce the number of shares paid claimants by a remarkable 54% since may 2010? >> i congratulate my right honorable friend, my audible been for the decline in unemployment in his constituency is an currently marked at age 4%. it's notable what he says about furniture factories because these are the sort of businesses that were going offshore and what we're seeing in our country is a slow trip i want to encourage it of reshoring,

getting businesses coming back to britain investing and expanding in britain. we must do everything we can to encourage this whether it is keeping their taxes down, keeping national insurance down, cutting national insurance for young people, training more apprentices and investing in infrastructure. that is what we will do so they are many more success stories like the one he mentioned. >> my constituent son has recently returned from serving our country in afghanistan. does the prime minister thinks is right she has to pay the bedroom tax to keep available for him to stay in when he is at home? >> let me look at this individual case because we made a specific exemption for people who are serving overseas in terms of the spare room subsidy. if the spare room subsidy exception doesn't apply in this case, of course there is the provision of the discretion housing payments which is another at dealing with it and i would hope this council would take up that offer. >> simon burr.

[shouting] [laughter] >> we muster the right honorable gentleman and then at my request, others. we are concerned also unsure about others. mr. simon burr. >> the prime minister will be aware the sector grew at its fastest level this year last week with the ensuing creation of jobs. does he agree with me that this demonstrates that we must stick with the long-term economic plans which is working? i hope my right of a friend has enough time to answer the question himself. [shouting] >> first of all kind of see to my right honorable friend, that it's absolutely right we have to stick to the long-term economic plan and deliver it. and perhaps i can say for him to be called at 12:33 on wednesday

shows if you stick to anything, you can when. [shouting] spent on i was practice that philosophy myself to however long it takes we will get through them. >> the prime minister will no that recently it has gone into the public -- over 365 people in northern ireland were given the royal -- mercy. couldn't he get a commitment that these will be made public? after all if the queen takes the time to send 365 names, surely the public and particularly the victims have the right to know. >> what i would say to the honorable lady, who undertakes that clay's -- clos close issuen northern other is that were difficult decisions that were taken, principally by the less government at the time of the fairest agreement that did involve as i said very difficult choices, hard choices that have to be made in order to try and

build a platform for piece and reconciliation. i'm happy to look at the pacific points she says as if it defending i can do to reassure in a letter but i don't want to try to undo the decisions that were done that were done at the time to give us the piece we enjoy today. [inaudible] when misusing and audits to such an extent that we risk returning and his managers to 19th century environment where routine operations care at grave risk of death. a couple days ago but w.h.o. issued a similar warning. on that basis surely is madness we continue to allow so many antibodies to be used on or factory farms. about half the total abuse in this country when we no that is a trading to resistance. >> my friend raises an extremely serious problem. there is global in its nature and could have unbelievably bad consequences in terms of antimicrobial resistance leading

to actually quite minor ailments not being properly treatable. one of the problems is that the current ways that research is done by pharmaceutical companies is not necessarily bringing forward new antibodies in the way we need or solving this problem but i've met with the chief medical officers to discuss this. i think there's a number of steps we can take in the uk and working with other countries and help to being saying something about it soon. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday the second estate for business innovation skills said he was working with civil servants to ensure that any assurances given by pfizer during the proposed takeover of astrazeneca could be made legally binding. does the prime minister back of this speak with as i said of the more we can do to strengthen the assurances we are given, the better. the only way you will get assurances is by engaging in getting stuck in with those companies which is what we've been doing and i find it

extraordinary that the labour party chooses to criticize us for that. >> last but not least dr. julian huppert. [shouting] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. the pfizer bid is driven by tax advantages. has the primers are spoken to you in government as they propose any changes and has pfizer as for any changes to our tax system, particularly to the patent office the? >> pfizer mentioned in a letter to me they do mention the patent box as a positive reason for wanting to invest in britain and actually to examine whether they could increase manufacturing in britain because of course the way the patent box works is you only get the low tax benefit if you make your investment investd research in the uk and then actually explore that by manufacturing in the uk. but i agree with him we should be incredibly hardheaded about this. it's an advantage that britain is a low tax country. we used to stand in this house of commons and bemoaned the fact companies were leaving because of our high taxes. and i wanted to me because of our tax system but i agree with

the business secretary that is not enough to want investment of jobs and the research that comes with a competitive tax system. [shouting] >> order. >> here on c-span2 we will now lead the british house of commons as members move onto other business. you've been watching prime minister's question time aired allies -- dared lied wednesdays. i remind you can see this session again sunday night at nine eastern and pacific on c-span. and for more information go to c-span.org, click on the series to be every program we've erred from the bridge house of commons since october 1989. we invite your comments about primers as questions via twitter using hashtag pmqs. spitfires spiegel act passed in 1933 after fdr came to power was a very clear line between the

speculative versions and services and things the bank to do and the deposits it took and the services it provided to regular individuals and small business. it was a very, very clear distinction. the bankers were on the same size fdi but the population is on the same side of fdr and things became stable for many, many decades, several decades after that. you contrast that to what happened in the wake of the 2008 crisis which has been a much more expensive crisis for the general economy, for the actual unemployment level, not the tagline unemployment level, for what was lost to individuals throughout come and go to do the bailout and subsidies that are been given since. and dodd-frank came along and did nothing remotely like dissecting speculation from

depositors and traditional banking activities. >> i look at the relationship in 1600 pennsylvania avenue and wall street saturday night at 10 eastern and sunday night at nine on "after words," part of booktv this weekend o on c-span2. and online our book club selection is it called you back. join other readers to discuss the book at booktv.org. >> a new white house report released yesterday says the climate change is already occurring on a large scale causing local governments to spend large sums of money to respond and that the problem is getting worse. the reports discuss the findings and the effects of climate change at this two-hour briefi briefing.

>> good afternoon, everybody. i'm john holdren attractor of the white house office of science and technology policy. it's my honor to be able to welcome you all to the white house and to launch this extraordinary event. we are here of course to talk about the release of the third national assessment of climate change impacts on the united states. it exists. this is the 20 page overview. this is the 140 page highlight, the eight and 40 page whole document is live on www.global change.gov, and folks are invited to go there but not while today's speakers are talking. the assessment and we're launching today is distinguished by laying out with unprecedented operatives of ms., this aggregation detail and clarity,

how the climate is changing across the united states, disaggregated by a geographic regions and also by various crucial sectors of the economy, agriculture, fishery, the ocean, energy and so on. it basically is letting americans know how climate is changing where they work and live, what impacts that is having on things they value, and how this picture is expected to evolve going forward. and, of course, a very substantial emphasis on what can we do about it. we are providing what john podesta this morning earlier called actionable size. this is a theme that president has also emphasized, information that people can use to take appropriate action to reduce their full ability to climate change and to participate in the actions that reduce the emissions that are driving climate change around the world. i think of the findings of this

extraordinary report about which we will be saying considerably more are really the loudest alarm bell to date, signaling the need for urgent action so that we can combat the threats and the risks we face from global climate change in this country. as i think you all know, president obama has long recognized the urgency of this challenge. and last june in a speech at georgetown university on a sweltering hot day, a purple in of, the president launched his climate action plan, three-part plan cutting carbon pollution in america preparing opportunities for changes in climate that already our ongoing and leading international efforts to address the challenge. now almost one year later i got has happened in executing on the commitments made in the, action plan. president has directed

environmental protection agency and the department of transportation to develop fuel economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles. department of interior has announced its permitting of the 50th renewable energy related projects on federal lands during hithis administration. department of energy has issued multiple new energy efficiency standards, ma department of ag has announced seven new climate hubs to help farmers and ranchers adapt their operations to a changing climate. the administration launched in this room and not very long ago a "climategate" initiative bringing together extensive government open dated and design competitions with strong commitments from the private and philanthropic sectors in order to develop david driven -- data-driven -- i should say the climate data initiative and result of the saxo bank study were launching today is coming together, all of the information the study has to that will be available on the web, again in user-friendly accessible forms

to provide people with information they will need to reduce their vulnerability. of course, as you all know the president has instructed the environmental protection agency to develop standards both for new power plants which have already been put out there, and soon there will be standards proposed for discussion on existing power plants. so this is a lot of progress. also announced just a couple of months ago a new strategy to reduce methane emissions that involve characterizing and quantifying the sources of methane in addition, committed to new steps to cut the emissions of the potent greenhouse gas and outlining a set of actions going forward to improve the measurements so we could tell exactly how well we are doing. then -- that i would say is what progress is supposed to look like.

today's events about this extraordinary assessment are another big step. as i think probably everybody in the room knows, a critical piece of the president's climate action plan is ensuring that we continue the steady pace to strengthen the science that informs and underpants the action that we take him to address climate change and ensuring as we do that we pursue the insights and information that are most immediately relevant and useful to the people who need that information. we are talking about the folks who in some sense are on the frontlines of climate change, the coastal property owners, farmers, fishermen, the water resource managers and others whose livelihoods as day-to-day decisions and who's longer-term planning needs to be informed by the vast data available. knowledge about what is happening today in climate change, what's likely to come down the road and what can be done to reduce vulnerability. this assessment that we are

releasing today as you might imagine from its extraordinary length, 839 pages i think on the web, is a virtual encyclopedia of that essential information. the report was four plus years in the making. it was produced under the auspices of the u.s. global change research program, 13 federal agencies and departments involved in that. leadership came from noaa. the heavy lifting by 60 person federal advisory committee writing team included some 300 individuals. i wouldn't even care to count the number of reviewers and probably one of the most extensive and transparent multistage review processes in the history of government reports. and that effort, that extra effort which included experts from government at all levels from academia to business from nonprofits has really produced

this exceptionally detailed disaggregated accounting of what climate change is overdoing in every geographic region of the united states, and the most effective sectors of our economy. the single most important bottom line that shines through all these hundreds of pages is that climate change is not a distant threat. it is something that is happening now but it is affecting the american people now in important ways. summers on the hold or longer and hotter with extremely. wildfires in the west start earlier in the spring and continue later into the fall. rein in many parts of the country is coming down into lucius in heavier downpours. people are expecting changes in the length and severity of seasonal allergies and climate disruption to agriculture and water resources have been growing. and, of course, again key insight of the support is not the same everywhere.

climate change is a uniform. it is having different impacts in different parts of the country and that's why it's so important that this database on advancing science over the past five years since the last one came out has been able to disaggregate these ongoing and expected impacts regionally. when the president launched his climate action plan he made clear that the information in this new climate assessment would be used and it will be used to inform the efforts of the federal, state and local levels to increase preparedness for and resilient against the impacts of changes in climate that can no longer be avoided. i think it's important to say this report is not just a bad news story about all the impacts that are happening. it's a good news story by the many opportunities to take cost effective actions to reduce the damages. i want to acknowledge a number of folks, including the stakeholders in this room who

have gathered to hear about this and who will be crucial actors going out and promoting, propagating and has been the findings of this support and we are grateful for all of your engagement but if you want to thank for key individuals without him this report would never have come to fruition. kathy sullivan, the administrator of noaa and undersecretary of commerce whom you will hear from later in the program for noaa key partnership in bringing this assessment to fruition. and i should mention as well her predecessor who regrets that she couldn't be her but i spoke with her last evening and she had the reins over to kathy sullivan from jayne's earlier involvement in noaa, and again without noaa's partnership support from this essay also money, this study would not have been

completed. jerry, the chair of the national climate assessment development advisory committee of actually called the ncadac fact. jerry's leadership in this endeavor ensured rigor, scientific integrity at every step of the way. there to here, jerry in a moment as well. kathy jacobs was the first executive director of the assessment whose vision and dedication really make this the most transparent national climate assessment ever and to kept the trains running on time for more than two years. kathy was a great contributor. and then kathy's successor, who seamlessly picked up the ball and saw this report over the finish line with dedication, focus and confidence. i think of these folks into the entire national climate assessment team, the whole ncadac five, 300 office, even more numerous reviewers, i think we owe them a big vote of thanks

and i want to lead with that. [applause] >> and to the rest of you who are here today, our partners and our possessions and institutions standing ready to disseminate and to mitigate the findings of this report and its message that we need to take action and we can take action, i asked each of you here to absorb the energy and enthusiasm that were generating today, carry it back, share it with your constituency, share it with your communities. this is in a sense a new beginning of this effort to reach out all across the country and incentivize and organize the kinds of actions we need. tell folks to visit global change.com, to get informed about what climate is doing in the regions with a live and work, ask them to share that information further and invite them to share stories about what their doing, what the communities are doing by using

the hashtag actonclimate. i will act -- strap on my master summers at and proceeded introduction of the next speaker who is none other than doctor jerry melillo. jerry, surprise to say, given the numbers amount of work you have to put in to help bring the study to the shiite led a day job. he is a distinguished scientist and director emeritus of the ecosystems center of the marine biological laboratory, and he also just about a week ago received the distinction of being elected to u.s. national academy of sciences. so jerry, please accept my thanks and my congratulations, and please accept the podium. [applause]

>> iq set up as well. first let me thank you all for being here. this is a long-awaited day for meaning of the ncadac members, authors and all of our partners. it's been a team effort, and we really appreciate all that you have done over i think it's been almost four years, not just two years. so thank you very much. so let me begin by repeating the headline that john issued for the report. climate change once thought of as a problem for the future has moved firmly into the present. the take-home message is it's happening now and we need to pay attention. it is affecting us in our pocketbooks and on our land in every region of the united

states. it is changing the lives of farmers, mayors, engineers, town planners, truckers and forrester's. this national climate assessment which is exclusive at the united states of breaking it down as john mentioned into eight distinct regions. in contrast to the global assessment that look at north america as a single region. the national climate assessment digs deeper and global and national average is to reveal specific regional impacts the matter to people every day. this report is about what is happening to people in this country. with five more years of uncertainty since the last assessment, and by the way, a few of us, tom, karl, and i, rosina, have been with this assessment process since the beginning. so we have tracked its progress.

this new report revealed specific climate related changes and impacts already occurring in every region and in economic sectors such as health, agriculture, energy, water and transportation. the report also reveals linkages among the impacts. this is something new in this report. for example, reduced water availability in already entered a region can increase competition for water resources among the uses such as irrigation, electricity production and the needs of the ecosystem to sustain us. this effort of beginning to think about connections across sectors is something that we hope will continue because it's absolutely a critical area. this assessment is the result of remarkably inclusive national process him as john mentioned.

a lot of that thanks to kathy. author teams are made up of top experts from around the country and elsewhere. we had one australian a member on our team as a matter of fact. thousands of people were involved participating in the listening sessions, providing technical input and producing everything the report concluding reduced by the national academy of sciences, and other scholars, federal agencies and the public. the multi-year process, as john mentioned, was guided by an independent federal advisory committee. that included experts from universities, federal, state and local government agencies, and industry, including monsanto, chevron, conoco phillips and zurich insurance. this committee reached unanimous agreement on the reports contents after very serious consideration. all americans will find things

that matter to them in this report, from impacts in their own regions to those elsewhere that affect the air we breathe and our food, water and energy supplies. we are all bearing the cost of the increases in extreme heat, heavy downpours, and higher coastal storm surges. for decades, we have been collecting the dots. now we have connected those dots. the picture is clear, and it is stark. climate change is bringing serious challenges to our way of life, but that's only the beginning of the story. as john mentioned there are opportunities and there's a lot they can be done about it. across the country, americans already taking action. the good news is that many of the actions taken to reduce climate change and its impacts have a variety of additional benefits for our health and for

our economy. it is not too late to change out emissions path and reduce future climate change, and its impacts. the choices we make, or don't make, today, will shape our future climate and the sustainability of our way of life. now i want to spend several minutes highlighting a few examples of what's new in the 2014 national climate assessment. this is a question we've been asked a lot by our friends in the press. the latest scientific analyses using satellite data since the early 1990s show that sea level rise has accelerated in recent decades, in some areas of the globe including our atlantic coast north of the cape. with summit of our cities located on low-lying coastlines, this matter is of tremendous importance.

for example, in 2012, one foot sea level rise that needs it had already experienced meant that the floodwaters for sandy surged further inland and did more damage than they otherwise would have. ..