minister's questions from the british house of commons. this week government spending nominated most of the questions during question time. gordon brown also answered questions on unemployment in the uk. . to see christie is organization the help it needs. >> number one, sir. >> with your permission, mr. speaker, the whole house will wish to join me in welcoming her majesty the queen's approval for a new form of recognition because of

terrorism. her imagine try will be making a recognition in which she will make clear her personal attachment to this new recognition. i'm confident that this would be a very special and tribute for the great debt and the enduring loss shouldered by the families. mr. speaker, i met the colleagues and i will shall have other meetings today. >> mr. speaker, armed forces is b what is he beginning to be doing next to tackle this problem? >> let me say, i share with him, the respect he has i share with

him the respect for armed forces and armed forces day, where thousands of people in all parts of the country wanted to give recognition to the work the armed forces do every day. he raises the question of swine flu and may know we have had an emergency meeting of the group today to look at the incidence of the disease. the total number of confirmed cases for the u.k. now stands at 6,538 this compared to just 2,236 last week. now this large rise in numbers of confirmed cases means there are more -- that a more flexible and local approach will be used in areas where higher numbers are reported. the n.h.s. is doing excellent work to limit the spread of the virus. we continue to monitor the situation closely, making sure arrangements are in place so the u.k. remains well placed to deal with this pandemic.

we will make a statement on this house tomorrow on the outcome of our deliberations. of our deliberations. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i welcome what the prime minister has said about the armed. my godfather served in the second world war and the if the house will excuse my vernacular and i might be turning belly in his grave knowing it will be no more. not only to me but to the personnel and to veterans who i met on saturday that they will remain the identity of the black watch. >> i too met black watch servicemen saturday and people who have contributed greatly to our armed forces and i can assure him that the traditions he talks about will be maintained as long as the army exists. >> david cameron.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. can i welcome what the prime minister said and agree with him about the queen's new recognition for our armed forces. we should all be incredibly proud of what they do on our behalf. last week i think it was demonstrated for everyone to see that capital spending under labour will be cut. now i want to turn to total spending. will the prime minister accept that his own figures show that once the treasury's forecast for inflation of total spending will be cut after 2011? >> no, mr. speaker. total spending will continue to rise and it will be a 0% rise for 2014 and 15 last. in 2011 and '12 and '12 '13 -- >> order, prime minister's answer must be heard.

>> i think that answer gets 0%. the prime minister said very clearly, no, it will lies well, can he explain this? this is a treasury presentation that has been given to us and on page 7 -- on-page 7 it says very clearly with headings for current spending and capital spending the headline in reduction in medium-term spending. so can i ask the prime minister if the treasury -- if even the treasury is going around giving presentations around the country saying public spending as a total is being cut why can't he admit to the truth? >> because, mr. speaker, i've told him previously that current spending is going to rise and that capital spending as i explained last week -- last week will fall after 2011. that is -- that is the -- these are the public spending projections for the future. but i have to say to him, the debate on public spending is about this. how we return to growth and jobs in the economy.

the reason that -- the reason we have advanced spending to 2009 and '10. we have proposals for homes and jobs for 2009, '10. the opposition rejected this proposal and increasing the expenditure and the opposition has rejected that. the capital spending that we have proposed is not available, therefore, after 2011. this is precisely the way a government will act to take the country out of recession. and i've together ask him, therefore, why -- oh, yes. his shadow chancellor should explain why he was going to television studios yesterday saying that he was going to cut schools now, cut the september guarantee for school and do nothing about unemployment. that is surely the issue we

cannot get out of recession unless we spend now on the services we need. >> mr. speaker, today we see a prime minister in full retreat. in the first answer -- in the first answer he says we're going to get a 0% increase in public spending. that's a new one. in the second answer he finally admits he's going to cut and cut deeply capital spending. he talks about the debate over public spending. the debate is about whether the prime minister can be straight with the british public. so let me ask him again -- he has stood at the dispatch box and talked about total spending year after year. that is the figure people are interested in. now, when the treasury themselves are saying -- when it comes to total spending there is a reduction, not a freeze but a reduction in medium-term spending and i'm glad the prime minister is talking to the treasury. given they are talking about a cut, will he stand there, give the straight answer and say once you allow for inflation, total spending is being cut? >> i've already said current

expenditure will rise and continue to rise. capital spending will rise until 2011 and will fall. i already made clear spending for health and education and for all these public services current spending will continue to rides but the issue surely is this. in 2009/10 we are raising spending substantially. we are doing it in 2010, '11. there is only one serious party in the world that is trying to tested that we should be cutting spending now and is that is the conservative party. he has to admit schools will be losing money now. teachers will be made unemployment, services will be going, child care services will be at risk. no teenager would get a guarantee for jobs. that is the future if the conservatives were ever to implement it. >> it is complete nonsense and nobody -- not even -- what is interesting is not even his own cabinet now backed the ludicrous

line he has taken about public spending. he keeps talking about this 10%. i don't know whether he realizes how much damage it is doing to him. it's not doing any damage to us. let's just -- shall we just explain -- let's just explain for a second where this deceit about the 10% comes from. let me explain to the house. >> order. leader of the opposition must be heard. >> if you take the government's own spending plans, you take off debt interest, you take off the increase for unemployment, which sadly is going to go up, you are left with a 7% cut in every department. the government's own figures. if you exempt the nhs, you get a 10% cut. the government's own figures. if you take out -- thank you, school secretary. if you listeno the school secretary and you take out health and schools you get a

13.5% cut. that's the prime minister. mr. 13.5%, his own figures. let's see if we can answer the simplest of questions. is he going to have a full departmental funding review before the election, yes or no? >> mr. speaker, the first thing that he said is unemployment is going to continue to go up. that is the conservative policy. it's the prediction -- but that is when they say -- that is when they say -- that is when they say unemployment is a price worth paying. is he basing his assumptions on unemployment rising to 2014? no wonder he wants to cut public services. he's basing his assumption on unemployment continuing to rise because he will do absolutely nothing about it. now, we have taken action -- we have taken action that is preserving 500,000 jobs.

two and a quarter people are leaving the registry each month. we are putting more money so there are more money for young people and summer school levers. we will not forecast or spending plans on unemployment being higher in 2014 and rising every year. but if that is what he wants to do, then he cannot afford public services and, therefore, the truth is he will be cutting public services by 10%. >> david cameron. >> i have to say, mr. speaker, this is one of the most feeble performances i've ever seen. if peter mandleson hadn't been so busy this morning on the tv studio he could have given more tuition. i did ask a very simple and straightforward question perhaps he could now answer it. peter mandleson said there will not be a spending review before the election.

can the prime minister tell us will there be one or not? >> mr. speaker, it would be completely wrong to have a spending review now at this stage. because we're in the midst of a recession and it is not possible to say what unemployment and growth and all these characteristics that he's been referring to are likely to be in 2012, '13 and '14. they are the party of unemployment. they're premising all their spending plans on unemployment continuing to rise. he said himself, unemployment will keep on rising. now, if that is the basis of their spending plans, then people can look forward under a conservative government not just at 10% cuts but to rising unemployment. and do you know why, mr. speaker, why they want these public spending cuts to pay for inheritance tax cuts for the very rich. we know once again they are the party of the few and we are the party of the many. >> david cameron.

>> i know the walls of the bunker are thick but the prime minister knows the unemployment is rising across the country because of the policies of his government. we've seen hundreds of people lose their jobs in scotland, another tragic case and yet the prime minister seems blissfully unaware of what's going on in the country he's meant to be governing. everyone will conclude that they are not going to have a spending review because they do not want to own up to the cuts they are planning in department after department. the truth is, this government is planning to cut capital spending, fact. and total spending fact. and they are incapable of bei >> mr. speaker, this opposition would cut public spending this year and deprive people of help with unemployment and housing. this opposition party would cut spending next year and cult it savagely in schools and education. we now know the truth about the conservative assumptions about the future, they're assuming

unemployment will continue to rise to 2014. that is not the policy of this government, we want to get people back into work. >> doesn't the second franchise fiasco on the east coast mainland in two years tell us the torey privatization of rail experiments have finally hit the bumpers. now that we're taking the east coast mainland into public ownership, can we keep it that way? >> mr. speaker our first and overriding responsibility is to ensure continuity of service for passengers. the east coast mainline company will take over all points, existing assets will transfer to the new company. we are making sure the service continues to run, passengers continue to be served and jobs continue to exist.

>> i'd like to join in welcoming the announcement from her majesty today, such a fitting tribute to recognize the bravery and sacrifices of the armed forces. this morning, we've see -- seen the bogus debate on this alone, i'm tempted to suggest that lord handleson and the economic spokesman should go on another cruise together to make up for it. but the real failing is that the conservative party leader wants to cut spending when the economy is still on its knees, economic madness, and he won't tell us how and he prime minister is in complete ke file about -- denial about the long-term spending that will be needed. isn't it the case that they're deliberately not exchanging info so they can avoid the truth? >> he doesn't tell us what his

policy is at all. the fact of the matter is, if spending were to be cut this year, jobs would be loss as well as services being put at risk. if spending were to be cut next year, jobs would be lost and spending and services would be at risk. we are determined to ensure that spend regular mains to increase job opportunities to protect homeowners, and to make sure our public services are there. i hope you will join our side of the debate in protecting public services for the future. public services for the future. >> he's avoiding once again is that difficult choices on long-term spending do need to be made now if we're going to get any grip on the country's finances and that's why we should admit that we neither need nor can afford to replace -- now, he's planning to sign the first contracts for the new submarines this summer during the recess when we are all away. isn't it obvious that he shouldn't do that?

>> mr. speaker, we've already announced a deficit reduction plan for the next five years. we've taken difficult decisions about efficiency savings and asset sales and raising the top rate of tax, about measures that make sure that people are in a -- who are in a position to pay more do pay more in the taxes and that is at the top rate of tax. i hope he will support these measures that are designed to both get the deficit down and make sure there are sufficient resources for public services. i've already made my position in the debate on monday. >> angela c. smith. >> thank you, mr. speaker, last week horace announced 379 job losses in the steel working town in my constituency. job losses which will have a devastating impact on the economy of its town which has a population of only 13,500. will my right honorable friend make a commitment to do whatever he can to make sure they can secure a long-term future to

steel working in places like scotts bridge. >> whenever there are redundan y redundancies is sadness and regret. what we're dealing with is a fall of demand in the steel industry around the world which is affecting britain and every other country. we are in talks with them. we have provided extra money to them in the last week for help to secure jobs. and we will continue to talk with them about what more we can do. we're also in negotiations with them about the relationships that they have with a conglomerate of steel producers. that contract is broken down. it puts jobs in britain at risk and we'll try to do what we can to make sure that a new arrangement is agreed that can protect more jobs in print. >> the red book shows capital

spending at 44 billion pounds this year and i'm sure the prime minister shows cuts starting next year. will he correct the record now? >> we're bringing spending to 2009, '10 and '11 and the reason that we're doing that is we can help get the economy out of the recession. the capital investment would not be supported by the conservative party. as a result, projects like housing that we're -- housing that we're investing this monday could not go ahead. i've already explained to the house that while the previous budget announced there was a rise of capital expenditure over that period of time, more money has been reallocated so that we can help ourselves out of recession. >> there's been a great deal of talk about modernization so i would like to ask the prime minister if he could go back to

a time in a time we had prime minister question times on tuesdays and thursday it would make it much more accountable to the backbenches and we would get a better attendance on thursday. >> mr. speaker, that is an idea that perhaps the speaker may want to consult on. >> simon hughes? >> as more than a million of young people leave education thissummer, the government rediscovered commitment to training and apprenticeship is growing. the number cannot be completed in the time the government has announced. is there a group of us to make sure we don't consign for the qualifications to be made. >> in 1997 there were 7,000 apprenticeships in britain this

year there are 225,000, three times as many so to say we've reduced the number of apprenticeships or not taking it seriously is wrong. on monday we announced how we will do for summer school leaves and for people under 25. i hope he will support the new investment we made in measures. i hope his party is prepared to support it even if that party is not. >> mr. neil turner. >> the government made a lot of progress in my constituency through the neighborhood renewal fund. but local authorities, on building on that success because they don't get the amount of money that the government formula tells them they are entitled to. would my right honorable friends meet with my colleagues and other constituencies to find ways to tackle these problems? >> yeah, i understand they will receive 21 million in 2008, 2009, and '11 and '12.

of course, i'm happy to meet him to talk about the neighborhood renewable fund and other aspects of central funding to local authorities but i do say that over the last few years we've increased these resources substantially and where there is unemployment there will be increasing resources to help people get back to work. >> mark simmons. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in light of recent cuts to the department of health spending the 3.9 billion which is announced in the budget can the prime minister confirm what they are planning for 2011 and 13? >> he should know perfectly well that we have done so against the advice of the conservative party. it would prefer -- mr. speaker, if we had not taken the decision to raise national insurance to put investment in the national health service we could not have had the 90,000 extra nurses and

20,000 extra doctors and the new hospitals that that was opposed by the party opposite. >> in a few days time the newly elected european parliament sits for the prime time. can the prime minister assure me that labour would not sit with those who are homophobe and check with those who believe global warming is a myth or dutch who think abortion should be abolished and suddenly shopping stop.uñu which party supports these alone -- loonese and weirdos. >> perhaps he should admit there's a need for cooperation all over europe to deal with these issues and what people will find very sad is a conservative party now on the fringes of europe with some of the extreme parties on the right wing of the european political family. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

news of tomorrow's statement is welcomedéndqu pandemic were to trigger triggers in the government approach during the recess will the prime minister recall parliament so there can be proper scrutiny of the government's actions? >> mr. speaker, she will know that there will be a statement made tomorrow by the health secretary on the issue of swine flu and we will make sure that the treatment of that disease in every part of the coun >> gordon banks? >> thank you, mr. speaker. my right honorable friend on the restructuring of jobs in scotland which the leader of the opposition has received to. indeed, it was mixed news 500 job losses over two years but also 100 million pound investment including in my constituency. will my right honorable friend do everything they can to negate these jobs and also agree to meet with1d the company to diss

their continued plans for investment in scotland? >> mr. speaker, can i say that whether there is unemployment we are toward1áu and the measures that we've announced on monday will move in to helpsñ youn8j people but also help adults who are losing their jobs. where there is capital investment being made by firms it is possible forñ them to get new capital allowances that were in%ltt in the budget to stimulate new investment and whatá:ur(áq seeking to do is have an investment-led recovery. the capital spending that we have 2008, 200'2009, to '9 and is vital to doing that and we will continue to bank private investment in our country and these are the figures i want to make clear to the house. >> as chair of your party the hyde group i've become deeply concerned about by trial in a revolutionary court with no evidence being offered against

them. will the prime minister be willing to meet with me to underline his and i hope our collective support for the fundamental principles of fairness and tolerance in the treatment of these and of all of those in iran? >> mr. speaker, these are very difficult issues that he raises and i'm sure the whole house will share my concern with the recent behavior of the iranian regime in which legitimate demonstrations are suppressed and the freedoms of the iranian people, people due to stand before a closed court on the 11th of july, disappointment that the iranian government has expelled two of our diplomats and detained several of our embassy staff. this action is unjustified and it's unacceptable and some people in iran are trying to seek to use britain as an explanation for the legitimate iranian voices calling for the greater openness in democracy but we will continue with our

international partners to raise our concerns with iran including on the issue that the honorable member has raised. >> linda reardon? >> thank you, mr. speaker. following the announcement, will the prime minister assure banking staff in my constituency that it will do all it can to protect their jobs? and will he join with me in sending a clear message to lords banking group that further job losses would be totally unacceptable? >> mr. speaker, i visited the area'ma and i've talked to staf. i understand their frustrations at what is happening. they have served their bank well and they are the victims of what happened in its worldwide activities and particularly its failures in other countries. we will do what we can to help the staff of halifax, lords tsb. we are also making it possible for people to have new facilities to find jobs in the area and we'll do what we can to reduce unemployment in these difficult circumstances.

that's why we set aside 5 billion to help the unemployed and that is only possible because we made these additional >> adam holloway. >> another opportunity for the prime minister to be straight with the british people in which department does the prime minister expect to see spending fall in 2011 through 2014. >> being straight with the british people means talking about how we get out of recession and how we build for growth. and this -- it is not much good, the opposition talking about 2011, when they're cutting spending in 2009, 2010, and 2010-2011. throughout this debate, they have refused to support the action we're taking on job, they have no plan to come out of recession, they have no plan for jobs and they have no plan for growth in the economy. they have nothing to offer the british electorate but cheap

jibes. >> does my friend believe that for britain's future we need to invest now in helping people through the downturn, especially young people's training and skills? will he reaffirm his september guarantee of a place in education and training for all 16 and 17-year-olds? >> mr. speaker, i don't know why the opposition knock this. it's never been done before that there's a guarantee for school levers to get a school place a college place, an apprenticeship or work experience, some form of activity that prevents them being unemployee. that costs money, we are prepared to spend that money, the opposition party would refuse that money an thousands would be unemployed as a result of the opposition's policy. >> jeffrey clifton brown. >> mr. speaker, is the prime minister aware that some of the finest residential training for severely disabled people