>> as the house will be aware, today is the fifth anniversary of the seventh of july terrorist attacks in central london. i am sure people in our country will remember where they were and what they were doing when the dreadful news came through. our hearts should go out to the family and friends of those who died. they will never be forgotten, and our thoughts are also with those who were injured by the dreadful events of that day. .

arget countries. and as he knows an important conference is taking place this weekend in south africa which i very much hope the prime minister will be able to attend. >> allen michael. >> number one, mr. speaker, thank you, mr. speaker. as the house will be aware today is the fifth anniversary of the seventh of july terrorist attacks on central london. i'm sure everyone in this house, people in our country will remember where they were and what they were doing when that dreadful news came through. our hearts should go out to the families and friends of those who died. they will never be forgotten. and our thoughts are are those with those injured by the dreadful events of that day. it was a dreadful day. but it is also a day that will remain, i believe, a symbol of the enduring bravery of the british people. >> here. >> mr. speaker, i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others in addition to my duties in the house i shall have

further such meetings later today. >> mr. speaker, can i ask the prime minister if he will join me in congratulating the people of somali land on the successful peaceful and transparent election of a new president? as the somali land republic has now been a beacon of democracy for 20 years will the prime minister promise that a new country with democratic credentials will receive increased engagement from the u.k.? >> engine the right honorable gentleman is important it's an important issue and an area of world for our own security. i join him in welcoming the peaceful and credible elections in somali land. these are an example of genuine democracy in an area of the world not noted for it and the u.k. provided funding for election supervision. i believe the whole house is to

prevent terrorist groups establishing their foothold in somali land that they have in somalia. this is vital and yes the government will continue to engage. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister will not be surprised to hear that i keep campaigning to keep the fleet line in my constituency as long as i possible can but at the end of the day it doesn't move in his constituency and takes with it -- takes with it the jobs and economic prosperity that goes with it will he at least use every good effort to find some way of bringing jobs and economic prosperity back adlightum? >> my honorable friend has fought a long and noble campaign over this issue. [laughter] >> and has made very strong arguments. i know how strong the arguments are, because every time i get into a hercules in afghanistan the pilots complain to move from his constituency to my constituency.

if this goes ahead, that we do see good, strong economic development in his area. >> mr. speaker, can i support what the prime minister has said on the fifth anniversary of the terrible 77 bombings. to date we remember those who were killed and injured and their families and friends. we pay tribute to the emergency services who responded with such care and such courage and we stand with the government in our determination to defeat those who would bring terror to our streets. mr. speaker, there's been a lot of progress on tackling domestic violence but still every year hundreds of thousands of women are victims. many of the perpetrators are sent to prison rightly in my view. now the justice secretary has embarked on a sentencing review and has suggested that short sentences don't work. but it's often not rehabilitation that's needed in domestic case but a very clear message to the perpetrator that

it musn't be repeated and the justice system takes this seriously and that's what a short sentence can do. can the prime minister confirm that the sentencing review will not stop magistrates giving short prison sentences for domestic violence? >> well, i think the honorable -- first of alalalalai thank her for what she says for the anniversary and the tribute she rightly paid to the emergency services. you played an unbelievably role on that day and the many people who helped them. i think she's absolutely right to raise the issue of domestic violence. for too many years this was an issue that police forces and prosecutors didn't deal with properly and to be fair to the last good has been made over the last issue. i do agreeing there are occasions when short sentences are required and indeed the lord chancellor takes exactly the same view. he said in the speech -- [laughter] >> very important to -- very important to read the speech and not just the headline.

he said in my opinion abolishing short sentences all together would be a step too far. we need penalties and ensure that the magistrates have that power but we need to make sure we get this right. >> well, i thank the prime minister for that reassurance. it is reassuring the liv dem promise they made in the election is not going to be carried forward. and can i congratulate -- i mean, i noticed the justice secretary is not looking very cheerful. perhaps he should go down to ronnie scotts to cheer himself up. [laughter] >> can i congratulate the prime minister for instead of listening to his new partner listening to his mother. because in the election he told us that his mother was a magistrate. and that she told him magistrates need the powers of short sentences. quite often it is the right thing for somebody not to listen to their new partner but to listen to their mother. so i'm glad he's done this on that occasion.

[laughter] >> can i turn to something else mentioned in the election campaign. in the election campaign he said, any minister who came to him with cuts to front line services -- he said, and i quote will be sent straight back to their department to go away and think again. does that apply to the home secretary? >> well, first of all, can i say in my experience there's very few people more cheerful than the lord chancellor. he's celebrating his 40th anniversary in this house. he likes to -- he likes to point out he was elected before the counselor of exchequer was actually born. [laughter] >> and he brings enormous experience and good humor to all our counsels. i'm excited the right old lady has brought up the issue of my mother who served on the bench for many, many years.

i have to say one of the biggest challenges she had and the most often -- as well as me. [laughter] >> and one of the -- and one of the reasons she needed to hand out so many short sentences was mostly to badly behave protesters outside of green commons. [laughter] >> so -- i don't know if she was there. if the right honorable lady wants to have more episodes with listen to mother, that would be fine. in terms of the home office, of course, we have to make savings. we have to make savings across government. it's not going to be easy but absolutely. we must make sure that we do everything we can to protect the front line. but i simply don't believe when you look at the home office budget there aren't examples of waste and inefficiency and things we could do better. and i would say to the honorable

lady this, she went into the election calling for 20% cuts in every department. that was her policy. a policy of 5% cuts each year as is 6% cuts each year. so these are labour cuts as well. >> well, we went into the election very clear to protect police numbers. i'm asking him a straightforward question, which he has so far failed to answer. because of prime minister's questions, he was asked by my honorable friend the member for westminster north this very simple straightforward question. will there be fewer police officers at the end of this parliament compared to now? that's what she asked him. he skirted around her question and didn't answer it. will he answer it now? >> of course, there's going to be difficult decisions. a very -- a very simple question

was put to the shadow home secretary before the last election. the question -- just wait foisht. -- for it. andrew neil. can you guarantee if you form the next government that police numbers won't fall. alan johnson, can you confirm that? alan johnson, no. >> but what he did -- what he did go on to stay -- i think that's a selective quoting. yeah. what he did go on to say that we would guarantee the funding which would ensure the police numbers and the numbers of police community support offices. we were absolutely clear about this. now, his liv dem partners said that they would have 3,000 more police on the beat. he said he would protect front line services. are either of those promises going to be kept? people who are concerned about

crime want to know. >> there's nothing selective about the word no. that is what the shadow home secretary was asked when he was asked if he could guarantee there wouldn't be cuts in police numbers. let's remember why we're here. we got 155 billion-pound deficit. the labour party went into the last election promising 50% cuts in capital spending and 20% cuts in department spending. we are clearing up the mess that they he made. -- that they made. when i sat at the g20 table last weekend and you look around the table and think who's got the biggest budget deficit, is it brazil? no. is it spain? no. is it argentina, no. they left us in a situation where we get lectured by argentina on the state of our budget deficit. >> harriet harman. >> well, if he had read the obr report he'd seen that their forecast for government borrowing was lower than the forecast that we made before the

election and probably if he had read the obr report he wouldn't have found the chair has resigned straight away after being appointed. but isn't it clear that this is the government's crime policy. he's threatening to take away police officers that people want on the beat. he's cutting down the right of local residents for cctv. he's making it harder for the police to use dna evidence. those are his policies. let me ask him a very straightforward question. does he think those policies are more likely to make crime go down or go up. >> the point is after the last government violent crime and gun crime went through the roof. the honorable lady, they almost doubled. yes, i think it's time for

honorable members -- there's going to be a rush of new labour memoirs coming up. perhaps they should start with their spin doctor who worked for the last prime minister. >> no, we went bother with that i say to thee, mr. prime minister. harriet harman. order, order. i'm very clear what is in order and what isn't and that's the end of the matter. harriet harman. >> thank you, mr. speaker. from the conservatives it was all about tougher policies and more police. now all that seems to have sailed off with those prison ships he was promising to buy. now, we were very clear. we said when we first came into government, we would bring crime down and we did. will he promise that under his government he will keep crime coming down? will he make that promise. if he won't make that promise, he knows as we all know his policies will put crime up.

>> mr. speaker, i was only trying to boost sales. i can promise the honorable lady one thing, let me promise the right honorable lady one thing i won't be wandering around my constituency in a stab-proof vest. that's what it came to under the last government. gun crime went up, violent crime went up, reoffending of prisoners went up. 45,000 pounds for the cost of every prison place, more than 10% of them shouldn't have been there because they're foreigners. half of them are on drugs and 40% of them commit a crime on the way out. that's their record and that's what we'll be cleaning up. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the late report from the u.s. department of defense to congress highlighted the speed and propaganda in afghanistan as a key threat to allied forces. what can coalition do to counter this threat the longer it goes

on, the harder it is. >> we have to demonstrate the progress that we're making in terms of training up afghan army, afghan police and spreading security and governance across afghanistan particularly in our case southern afghanistan. we will be publishing quarterly updates in this house so we make sure we keep the publish public fully informed and on side as we take difficult decisions in this conflict. >> in the run-up of the general election, the party that would support small businesses and yet -- on their first budget they counseled out tax breaks for computer games industry crucial to my constituency of dundee west, can the prime

minister tell me and not only others who are employed in the computer games industry and the students who study that at the university in dundee just why head chancellor feels that this tax break was clearly targeted? >> well, we believe what matter is low tax rates what and we did in the budget which the house voted last night cut it down from 20p from 22p and set out a path of getting corporation tax by 2% by the end of this parliament which will give us one of the lowest rates in the g8, the g 20 or anywhere in europe. that's what we benefited for. the i know the party opposite voted against those tax reductions. >> how can my right honorable friend talks about the last government. my local council turned down some massive developments since as the mega depo only to find

them overturn those decision business government ministers who never even visited the site? how can we reengage local people in these local decisions? >> well, i do want to reassure my right honorable friend and those decisions should be taken as locally as possible. and we are scrapping the targets and the bureaucracy that we inherited party opposite. and i can tell him since the election, we've actually scraped the unity councils and the area assessments are gone, regional spatial studies gone, regional assemblies gone, and labour's port tax and bin tax both gone. >> thank you, mr. speaker. if the respect agenda is to mean anything than surely it should include proper consultation with the involved governments and literatures on fundamental constitutional and political reform which affects all parts of the united kingdom and indeed

will affect the composition of the literatures. will the prime minister discuss with the administrations and it necessary revised its proposals in light of what it has to say and have a proper respect agenda? >> of course, these discussions need to take place and they will take place. but i listened -- let me answer the question very directly 'cause i listened very comments on this issue. the date and the nature of the referendum is a westminster parliament issue and it's right. it is brought before the westminster parliament first. it doesn't make sense to to take it in other parliaments and other assemblies first. that's the way to do it. >> order. let me just say to the house that members shouldn't shout at the prime minister in that way. first of all, it is rude. secondly, it delays the progress of our proceedings. and we really musn't have it. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

can the prime minister reassure victims in my constituency that this government remains committed and ensuring -- to ensuring justice for policyholders? >> i can certainly give my honorable friend. we are committed to a billing in this needs to happen. the parliamentary ombudsman referred to a decade of regulatory failure and the fact we're having to wait for this to be done is wrong. the last administration had a way to combat this and they were waiting more for the policyholders were actually dying off. it's disgraceful and we need to get done. >> mr. speaker, in the afternoon now i join with the community in my constituency to welcome home sergeant gary jamison. sergeant jamison from the scot guards lost both legs and his left arm in an explosion in afghanistan. the most humbling aspect of

meeting sergeant jamison was his distinct lack of bitterson. he fully supports the mission in afghanistan. and he strongly believes the british forces there are making a difference. can i ask the pm, in joining me a british hero and also agree with me that the my guest fitting way to pay tribute for those who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who have suffered the most terrible is to stay in afghanistan until the job is done? >> well, i certainly join the honorable gentleman in paying the right tribute he does to sergeant jamison and to all those who have served and any of those who have met with some of the soldiers who lost limbs in combat through ieds and other ways and elsewhere you can't help be incredibly impressed by the spirit and the bravery and the determination of these people to go on and live as full lives as possible. we've set out very clearly what we want to achieve in afghanistan.

this is the key year when we surge up the military forces. we surge up the political pressure. and my honorable friend the defense secretary making a statement and how we do that best and make sure our forces are properly spread across helmand province so we can really have the effect that we want. but let me be clear, that we should be there in a combat role or significant numbers in five year's time no, i don't. this is the time to get the job noun and the plan envisages making sure we won't be in afghanistan in 2015. we have been there for four or five years in helmand and since 2001 it's time to maximize the pressure and to bring our forces home as we train up the afghan army and police force to do the job that needs to be done, which is to keep that country secure. that is our goal. that's in our national security interest. and that's what we'll do. >> annette brook. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

some of suffer greatly from the actions of a small minority of site owners, threat, neglect, intimidation. will the prime minister meet with myself so that we could discuss how park homeowners may be better protected? >> well, i have every sympathy with the point the honorable lady motions. -- mentions. i suspect many myself included had occasion where you had problems with park homeowners who have been really badly treated by frankly pretty disreputable park homeowners. we all know those people who people want to sell are pressurized and the rules are used to prethem from getting fair value. it's not right and fair. the housing minister is looking into this issue and i think probably best if she would meet with him in order to make sure we have robust rules and the right approach to make sure park homeowners have their rights respected. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on friday, my constituent zach

was murdered in a planned attack close to his school. he was just 15 and i know the thoughts of the entire house will be with his family in this very difficult time. he is the 13th teenager to lose their life. needlessly in our capital city. can the prime minister tell me and the rest of the house and the country what his government is doing and will be doing going forward? to stop this happening in our communities? >> well, i think the honorable gentleman is absolutely right to raise this case, which everyone will have read about. it is absolutely horrific. and it seems so planned and premeditated and it's appalling that things happen on our streets. there are short term measures we need and much longer terms measures as well. in terms of the sentencing review, i'm very clear we do need the strongest possible signal about how carrying a knife on our streets is just unacceptable. we need to send auto signal that it's not a defensive measure. it's not a cool thing to do.

it's not what -- it should not happen and the punishment will be tough. that is the short-term measure in my view that we need. the longer term measure is we've got to do more to strengthen communities, to strengthen families to give people an alternative to the gangs that that are otherwise towards. they join a gang because other networks and hope and respect in their lives. it's a long-term agenda and it's an agenda shared on both sides of the house and we must pursue it. >> can my honorable friend give an insist further move of the european union that we will not see the investigate of our budget plans by the european commission before those plans are presented to this house. >> my right honorable friend is entirely right the u.k. barometer should be shown to the parliament before it's shown to anyone else and that's always going to be the case under this government.

i am pleased to report that subsequent to its publication a number of international bodies have all recognized it was an extremely good budget that's going to help put this country back on track. >> thank you, mr. speaker. can the prime minister give the house a clear pledge on child poverty today? will there be fewer children in this country living in relative poverty by the end of believe apparent? -- parliament? yes or no. >> we're committed to meeting child poverty. please remind him this budget in spite of all its difficulties does not add a single family to child poverty. wherein in contrast to the last government that put up child poverty in -- by 100,000. they shake their heads, check the figures and come back and have another look. >> mr. robert buck land. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will my right honorable friend give an assurance that all new

academies who will be set up will be obliged to accept children with special educational needs? >> i can absolutely give my honorable friend that assurance. academies will be required to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are admitted on the same basis as other schools. children with special educational needs have special needs. a compassionate and tolerant and decent country will make sure they get the help and the support and the education and also the love that they need. >> angela smith. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the chief head secretary was last year presented with a lifetime achievement award by the institutes of directors. and yet various members of this government front bench have made personal unwarranted attacks on him in the media. will the prime minister apologize now for these unjustified attacks made on a highly regarded businessman? >> i'm sorry to disagree with the right honorable lady.

this is an excellent company. it's an excellent business. the question issist whether is it an appropriate use of terry money to give money to a business that could actually raise that money by diluting its share holding? the party opposite simply doesn't understand. they go out handing out money before the election without asking is it value for money? no wonder we're in such a mess. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the u.k. has a splendid reputation for the quality of its agricultural, science and research and these schools will be needed to face up to the challenges of climate change and an increasingly rural population. will the prime minister confirm that government and e.u. policy decisions in these matters will be taken on the basis of sound science and proportionate regulation? >> well, i know the honorable member is a member on science and technology and agriculture. these are difficult issues. my view is yes we should be

guided by the science but we should be guided by what consumers want. and accurate labeling to making sure we make progress with this issue in a way that keeps the public onsite and allows them to understand what it is they're buying and consuming. >> david anderson. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the whole house will be aware and concerned about the ongoing incident in the northeast. the killer of chris brown took place in my town of berkley and our thoughts and prayers should go with their families and friends and david rathbun and his family. and where we are with this issue can he assure us all lessons should be learned from this incident and look again in getting guns off the street. >> the right honorable gentleman is right of this and the whole gun of those who have lost their lives and injured. it is a horrific case. i don't think it's right now to

start talking about the process of learning any lessons. this is an ongoing case. the home secretary has been briefed by the chief constable and i know the whole house and the whole country will be wishing the police well in their search for this individual so that we can put a stop to the horrendous spree that's taking place. >> thank you, mr. speaker. voting by nonresident second homeowners in regions is becoming a contentious issues. councils are not checking in the local elections and some are worried results may be skewed. will the prime minister meet with me or in the one of his ministerial counsel to discuss this issue. >> it is important we make sure electoral registers is accurate. it is an offense to vote in an general election in two different places. i have to say there are problems, i think, in saying whether or not second homeowners can vote. i think a number of