mr. speaker, on a happier note, on behalf of the government i extend our warmest congratulations to the leader of the opposition and his partner on the birth of their baby boy. >> thank you, mr. speaker. >> a hemophiliac was injected with infected blood. it gave them the hiv. when will he and the 2000 other survivors of the shocking scandal get their compensation? >> i know my friend is a vigorous campaigner for all of us whose lives had been so tragically affected. it is a dreadful catastrophe for all of those affected. we intend to report of the

outcome of the review to see what can be done for those infected by contaminated blood by the end of the year. the minister will also be holding an open meeting for everybody. all the members from all bawdyhouse and other members can raise any concerns they have. >> the leader of the opposition. >> mr. speaker, i would like to join the deputy prime minister in joining the tribute for scott hughes. we honor his memory and sent condolences to his family. we remember all of our service men and women on our member states. i would like to echo the best wishes to the leader of the opposition and just been for the birth of their baby. in april of this year, the deputy prime minister said it was his aim to end it university tuition fees. can you update the house on how

this is progressing? [laughter] >> mr. speaker, of course i acknowledge that this is an extraordinarily difficult issue. i have been entirely open about the fact that we have not been able to deliver the policy that we held in opposition because of the compromises of the coalition government. we had to put for a different policy. we have stuck to our ambitions. [laughter] to make sure that going to university is done in a progressive way so that for those people who are presently does courage to go to university, discouraged by the

system we inherited, that is why our policy is more progressive than hers. >> i am glad you think so. i hope you are going out there and telling that to all the students and lecturers. in april, he said that increasing tuition fees to 7,000 pounds a year would be a disaster. what word would be used to describe fees of 9,000 pounds? >> mr. speaker, there is more consensus than she concedes on the simple principle that people who benefit from going to university should make a contribution for the cost of that education. the question is, how do you do it? do you do it fairly? the you do it in a progressive way? the progressive -- those who

earn the most will pay a subsidy to allow people from poor backgrounds to go to university. it will for the first time and at the discrimination against the 40% of people who are half- time students in our universities. >> none of us agree with tuition fees of 9,000 pounds a year. mr. speaker, this is not about the deficit. the deficit will not be dealt with by 2014 when this new system goes into effect. this is not about the deficit. it is about him going along with eight tory class. mr. speaker, we all know what it is like.

you meet up with someone and do things that you regret. [laughter] is it not true? is it not true? is that not the truth of it? >> mr. speaker, i know she thinks she can reposition the party as the champion of students. let's remember the labor party's record. the manifesto in 2001 introduced those fees and set up the browned review. now they have a policy to tax graduates which part of the bench and does not agree with. maybe she will go out to the press students and explain her

policy. >> as a result of this plan, in which students will pay the highest fees of any public university system in the industrialized world. why? do we give universities are more funds? no. mr. speaker, can he tell the house what is the percentage cut to the university teaching grant? >> i can certainly confirm that she and her party also have plans to make massive cuts in the department's budget that will affect higher education. here are the facts. every single graduate under our feet will pay less per month than they do under the scheme we inherited from labor. the bottom 25% of earners will pay much less in their

contributions to a university education than they do at the moment. half-time students will pay no upfront fees and not a single student will pay a penny of up- front fees whatsoever. it is a fair and progressive solution to a very debacle problem. >> it looks as though he has been taking lessons from the prime minister on how not to answer the question. i asked him about the cuts to the teaching grant. the truth is, it is a staggering 80%. no wonder he is ducking the question. the real reason he is hiking up these is because he is pulling the plug on public funding and dumping because on the students. he is betraying his promise on tuition fees. >> mr. speaker, the graduate tax that she advocates would be more

unfair. it would allow higher earners to opt out of the system altogether. we all agree across all sides of this house that graduates should make some contribution for the benefit of going to university. the question is how? we have a regressive plan. -- we have a progressive plan. she has no plan whatsoever. what's he is the one to walk around university campuses, but did against raising fees, and by the time it was over, he broke his promise. he signed the pledge not to cut tuition fees. every single one of them is about to break that promise. he must honor his promise to students and their families up and down the country. >> it is something to take lectures from the lady about

party management after monday. they are cheering are now. they were not at the mutiny on monday night. the truth is before the election we did not note the unholy mess -- we did not know the unholy mess that would be left to us by her party. on this issue as with so many issues, the two parties on this side of the house have come together to create a solution for the future. the two parties on this side of this house have one policy. they have to policies. what's thank you, mr. speaker. in this international debacle about democracy that we are witnessing, what we say to those who would welcome elections in burma? elections that were nothing more than utter sham? >> mr. speaker, i strongly agree. they were a complete and utter

sham. the conclusion of those elections was already decided well before they took place. it reserved seats for the military. it reserved seats for policies that were put up by a ministry that is simply dropping their military uniforms for civilian clothing store. she should be released when her house arrest comes up in the coming days and democracy should finally be introduced to burma. >> given how important we know consistency is for the deputy prime minister, could he explain to the house why there are pictures leading a campaign against setting up a forestry in london? >> someone was -- did the lady

make an unfair impact assessment of those unfair discrimination remarks? >> order. >> this must be heard. the public disapproves of this level of destructive arguing from whichever side of the house at times. >> if discrimination is wrong. on this issue there is a division of responsibility. he should know that better than anybody else. >> can we tell the house whether the prime minister will allow committed the rights as planned by the previous labor

government? >> mr. speaker, i am pleased that there is such a strong community interest in the future of the port of dover. the campaign has seen a stellar backing for that campaign. i wish them the best of luck. as he knows, the assets of the port of dover are owned by the dover harbour board. they are not owned by the government. we are currently considering proposals that will allow the board to sell the sport. it would be inappropriate to comment any further on that decision. >> mr. speaker, this is an asset lee -- this is an excellent company providing jobs in denver. white did the government decide to support one and not the other? >> of course i agree with the

hon. lady that both companies are outstanding companies. the difference, of course, is that the decision -- the announcements to provide was made 11 days before the general election was held with there was no money in the budget to make that promise. it was a promise made by the previous labor government knowing the checks would bounce. we have made a decision on westland in light of our controversial decision to bring it to the public finances. >> the deputy prime minister may be aware that in response to these pending review, the three most senior officers announced a wage cut of 27%. a 90 day consolidation has been started in dublin. does my friend agree with me that the chief constable should

support that? >> i want to hear the reply. >> we welcome the decision to reduce the kelso's weights. we have called on all chief executives to take a 10% pay cut we are those with income over 100,000 barrels to take a 5% pay cut. attachments -- i think it would be a breach to start second-guessing constables. i think we need more visible police. the system we inherited from the opposite party maine's all other% of our officers are only

seen on the street. >> thank you, mr. speaker. tens of thousands of students are outside this place to protest. he received a request to address the crowd and has yet not responded. can we give you the opportunity to respond now? >> students, leaders, and representatives -- what i hope he will do when he joined the demonstration is first explain what the policy is. heat we have a policy. he has no policy and no plan. >> thank you, mr. speaker. we are aware of the great work being done by the energy group in your book. the benefits are getting economic growth in generation.

will he and the government support that work to ensure that we get a fair opportunity for this new market? >> i strongly agree that renewable industry is one -- renewable energy is on the great industries of the future. there are some of what to exploit those opportunities. we are establishing a grain investment bank with the explicit aim of creating further investment opportunities in green infrastructure in areas where private sector investment is currently low. >> in answer to a question i ask the deputy prime minister's colleagues last week, he indicated that the major reason for the support of his

introducing the fis was to change the way higher education was funded at to shift the burden from the state to the students. how does the deputy prime minister square that with his party's a bruised -- his party's views that this is a deficit reduction measure? >> as i said earlier, everybody in this house icily agrees that funding for universities is a mixture of contributions from the state and contributions made -- we looked exhaustively at the option of a graduate tax proposed by some members of her party. what we discovered is that would be much more unfair and would allow high earners to opt out of the system altogether. that is compared to the graduate contributions that we are now proposing. >> revenue and customs has a

business and at fort service which has held many businesses in my constituents to fix short- term problems and delayed taxes. this is a valuable service. it should be providing as much flexibility and support as possible if we are to get out of this recession left by the previous government. >> i strongly agree with my hon. friend. i think the payment support services is indeed a very valuable and important service. it remains in place. by the end of september of this year, 371,200 arrangements have been granted. 6.3 8 billion pounds. that is extraordinarily valuable to enterprises and who are in the struggling and do deserve all the support that

they require. >> mr. speaker, the universities have made it clear that all public funding will be withdrawn from universities. last wednesday, the minister told the was minister people that we will continue to support the arts and teaching in university. who is right? >> mr. speaker, the statement that we made is very clear. what i hope he will accept is the model of next financing for our universities. part of this is from the government and part is from graduates. hundreds of thousands of extra earnings after getting a

university degree is something we need to follow as a progressive manner. >> are center provides valuable support. while i welcome the continued support from the government, the prime minister reassured me that the program would be right refocused said that those with integrated need would give greater support. >> children centers to play a vital role in helping a a family, and giving them that hooked when they need it and early intervention. in the spending review we have said that funding would remain. in terms of how that funding is allocated is the question. the way in which that money is allocated is already waited so that local areas with higher levels of disadvantage get higher levels than others.

there is a high degree of flexibility and latitude. we proposed to change the system. >> thank you, mr. speaker. may i bring the gentleman back to higher education. higher education will be played partly -- will be paid partly by the individual and partly by the government. when does the changes might? in the best possible scenario, which he still believes that higher education should be played partly by the state and partly by the state? >> i find it extraordinarily -- i find extraordinary that she can ask questions about changing our minds on this issue. she said yes to the brown review, now know to the brown reviewed. yes to graduate taxes and then

go to graduate taxes. and make up your mind. >> the coalition continues to save lives and the economy -- >> providing long-term relief and support to businesses remains high on the government's list. >> as i said, that is why we have helped small and medium- sized enterprises, whether it is introducing the smaller corporation tax, introducing a new rules of any new regulation comes up again, another one has to be scrapped didn't -- has to be scrapped. the enterprise finance guarantee fund will be increased by two

and 2 million pounds. that is real support for the future. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on may 6, hundreds of constituents were denied the right to vote because occurrence legislation. why has the deputy prime minister not take the opportunity of the ministrations currently before parliament to change the law so that all those in the polling station can vote? >> i am acutely aware of the problem. we visited the police station several times on that day. many people were denied their democratic right to vote. what we do about it? i happen to think that in this particular instance, simply passing a law will not deal with the problem. the problem is a lack of

resources. that is what we need to address, not simply reached for the statute book. >> the partnership between schools and universities is absolutely critical and is working well at the moment. can the prime minister assure me that the universities will continue to have the leading role in the training for the future? >> of course we must sport all the institutions that produced the great teachers of the future. without great teachers, we are unable to lift the aspirations of young children in this country particularly bright, young people from poor backgrounds who feel completely intimidated from university. i hope teachers will explain to

them so they can live out their hopes and their dreams at our great universities. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday there was a report that a first-time buyer in london needs a gallery of all was 100,000 pounds to buy an average price property. could the deputy prime minister tell me how many of low-cost homes will not be built in the capital as a result of his government's decision to cut the affordable housing budget by 63%? >> i do know that we inherited a situation -- i know you do not like to hear it, but you have to hear it. it is the truth. more and more families ended up on the waiting list for affordable homes. we have a plant, finally, to increase the construction of new affordable homes at a rate that

the previous administration never achieved. >> it has been suggested that not one of the preconditions for success to control the borders is credible. does this not beg for more realistic situations? >> mr. speaker, i think we have sought to try and introduce a sense of realism, not only in the extra resources and support required for our troops in afghanistan, but also to recognize that there is a military solution for the conflict in afghanistan. if it has to be a marriage of the military strategy, which is to apply pressure to those insurgents with a political process of reconciliation and

reintegration. >> order. i want to hear our deputy prime minister. >> i was taught to address the person who asked me the question. to marry a political strategy with a political strategy -- to marry a political strategy with a military strategy will allow us to leave afghanistan with our heads held high. >> what were the pre-election promises of the deputy prime minister? >> i am not sure that was a question. as for the issue of prisoners voting rights, the court justice

in 2005 who was consulted by the previous government at some point regrettably we need to bring our law into line with the court justices. that is what we seek to do. >> excuse me, is the deputy prime minister aware of a report that graduates earning 25,000 pounds after fees will only have to face -- will only have to pay back 30 pounds a month? >> this is a place where members are accused of knowledge. it could be 25% of lowest graduate of earners -- they will pay much less than they do it now. as seems to me to be a strong indication of the progressive nature of our proposal. >> take you, mr. speaker. does the deputy prime minister

-- is the deputy prime minister aware of the anchor of policy holders and will the advance that? hopefully with this support, people will come to a more satisfactory co -- a satisfactory conclusion. >> he would also note that the compensation package we have announced is far in excess of the compensation level recommended by the independent review conducted. it is difficult. we would always like to provide more compensation. but the opposition we are providing is much more than expected. >> the education supplement recently published a statement