questions for the prime minister. >> number >> 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. >> time and time again, the prime minister has said that he wants to protect the poorest and most vulnerable while reducing the budget deficit, so can he explain to me and to residents of my lewisham east constituency why he is heaping huge cuts on local councils, which tend to spend half their overall budget on child protection, care for the elderly and services for the disabled? >> let me tell the honorable lady what we are doing in lewisham to protect the most vulnerable. the per pupil funding in our schools in lewisham will be

maintained at £6,951 per pupil- that is the 10th highest in the country, recognizing the level of deprivation. on top of that, for the first time in our history we will be adding a pupil premium of £430 per child. that is an excellent policy. >> the bbc reports that the german finance minister wants to set an interest rate to punish ireland. will the prime minister confirm that this country wants to help ireland? >> my right honorable friend the chancellor of the exchequer will be setting out the details of the loan on second reading of the bill today, but i think that it is worth standing back and asking ourselves, "why is it that we are able to make a loan to ireland? why is it that people are asking us to do that?" it is because britain's economy is out of the danger zone and recovering. if we had listened to the labor party, we would still be in a hole.

>> may i start by paying tribute to our troops serving in afghanistan? we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for everything that they are doing for us, and our thoughts will be with them and with their families, who will be apart from them at this time of year. their families who will be a part common this time of the year. mr. speaker, does the prime minister recognize that concerned about the rise of unemployment of 35,000 that we saw this morning? for all those families around the country, does he understand his confidence and, indeed, his restatement today that britain is out of the danger zone being very hollow? >> first of all let me join the right honorable friend in paying tribute to our forces in afghanistan. i visited last week there and also paying tribute to all of their families who will be missing them at christmas time. and i think to be fair, uder the government he was part of and under this government we are making big improvements on the contact at home, on facts time, telephoto and all the context

they need. on the unemployment figures, everyone should be concerne i'm concerned by a rise in unemployment. anyone who loses a job is a tragedy for that person and we must do everything we can to help people into work. with the work program we will be launching the biggest back to work program in this country for 70 years. to be accurate, these are whilst part of the figures e disappointing, they are mixed because we do see the claimant count has come down in the unemployment figures and also we are seeing an increase in the number of vacancies in out economy every day. there are another 10,000 vacancies so yes, we've got to get the prvate sector going, increase the number of jobs available, and over the last six much we have seen 300,000 new private sector jobs. we need more of them and keeping r economy outf the danger zone is the way to get them. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister does sound like he paints himself as a bystander in

relation to unemployment figures. [laughter] he should not be pressing ahead with a rising vat on the fourth of january and 20 billion of public spending cuts. i want to turn to another financial plan. candi prime minister confirm the government has now sense to break a promise made ithe coalition agreement, we said we guaranteed the health spending increases in real terms in each year of the parliament? >> first of all, being a bystander would be having no plans to deal with our economic problems. [shouting] and the fact is is this government is cutting corporation tax, abolishing labor job tax, reducing national insurance, increasing our jobs program. and you can see no one should be complacent, but complacency is having no answers. no one should be complacent, but we do see retail sales up,

exports up, manufacturing up, interest rates coming don since the election and growth higher than expected. i'm not the slightest bit complacent about what we need to do. but let's not talk down the performae of our economy. [shouting] >> now, turning to the nhs, we have increased the nhs budget by 10 billion pounds in this parliament. and i have to say to him there was only one party that stood on the election of saving the nhs and its spending, and it was right here. [shouting] so i am confident, i am confident that we will fulfill our goal of real terms increases every year at the nhs. >> david miliband. >> he says he's confident. he should listen to what the conservative led health select committee said only on monday. they said this, with inflation now higher, and i quote, the government commitment to a real-time increase in health fuing will not be met.

now, we all remember those duringhe election we all remember his face airbrushed on those posters. will he now admitted that he is breaking that promise? >> we are not breaking that promise. [shouting] >> we want to see nhs spending increased by more than inflation every year. let me just to be clear. let me be clear about who supported this policy. the shadow chancellor aid this, it's not vague, it's pretty clear. when asked is it right to protect nhs spending, he said, there is no logic since our rationality to it at all. now, let's be clear. on the side of the house we want real terms increases in health spending to make sure that we approve-- improve the nation. the party opposite wants to cut it. >> i know he is good with an

airbrush. he doesn't do detail. but he should read -- [laughter] >> he should read the report. he should read the report. he should read the report which says health service spending will be cannot next year in real terms. now, let me turn to his next broken promise on the nhs. he pledged on the coalition agreement says, we will stop top downe organization of the nhs that god and the way of patient care. but that is exacly what they are forcing on health service. fewer than one in four will improve. an independent expert, they will cost 3 billion pounds. after six months is at an old truth been confirmed? when it comes to thenhs you can't trust the tories. [shouting] >> that are most i think i'm up against docile brush. [laughter] >> first of all, first of all,

fit of all when it comes to protecting the nhs there's nly one side of this house that is committed to protecting the nhs spending. that is a decide. now we come into reformed nhs. we are ot reorganizing the bureaucracy of the nhs. we are cutting and abolishing the bureaucracy. [shouting] because we are making a 45% saving in the bureaucracy of the nhs that is going to save 1.9 billion pounds. because we're increasing the spending of the nhs that money will be going into hospitals and beds and nurses and doctors. all of those things wld be cut if it was up to the party opposite, but they don't have a commitment to maintain nhs spending. >> tragedy is breaking his promise and he doesn't want to admit it. what does he wnt to do? he wants to leave it tothe fatcats by the boards, the deputy prime minister to break

promises. it time for fun and took some responsibility or want to ask him about another broken promise. the broken promise on education maintenance allowance. [shouting] why doesn't he go a couple of miles away from you, i know e doesn't talk to students, only those in china, why doesn't he go a couple of miles away from here to southern colge and talk to the student and the teachers of here? that this is a teacher there wrote to me and said this, i would've thought they want to listen to failing studen and young people in this country. i see the benefits, the educational allowance provides for many of my learners. i see how they struggle to pay the transport, books and other essentials. how can we expect them to aspire to a better life if we deny them the means to do so? >> if the honorable gentleman wants to doc patton mine, it

won't be very long the 40th eaking look behind you. [laughter] >> the problem the problem with the educational maintenance allowance is that 90%, over 90% of those who receive it would stay on at school anyway. so the fact is becausee are raising the school participation age to 18, it's right read replace the educational allows with something that is targeted at but i have to say, he's got to look at the bigger picture. the bigger picture is that we inherited a completely wrecked set of finance. and all the questions he asked, it's always about this cut or that cut. we know which cuts he's against. but he hasn' made one single suggeson of how you take the country out of the pit of debt he left us in. >> david miliband.

>> truth is, mr. speaker, he began the year making promises, and now he is breaking them. the promise on nhs spending, broken. the promise on education maintenance allowances, broken. that promise on universal child benefit, broken. that promise our lifetimes, broken. new politics, broken. showed his new year's resolution for 2011 is to keep the promises he made in 2010? >> mr. speaker, i thk it is quite sily they srted the year with a leader who is dithering and had no answers on the economy. that ended the year with a ader who is dithering and has no answers on the economy. [shouting] >> i suppose in labor terms that's what part of being progress. >> my constituents is hoping to buy the personal papers of the

heroic wartime persevered by confidence of raising the funds to buy these papers, there is a danger the option may take place before we get a chance to do so. will my right honorable friend do all he can to give the part a fair chance to secure these important documents for the nation? >> well, i would certainly like to do that because i think my honorable friend is right there he was a remarkable man come and all those people who worked at the park during the war, cracking the enigma code company of them are still alive. we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. they made a difference in whe in where in the second world war. we should price all of those. of course, i hope that prite owners would support the fundraising campaign and i'm very happy to work with him to do anything i can to help make that happen. >> thank you, mr. speaker. rlier the prime minister expressed concern about unemployment. unemployment in his constituency is 1.5%.

in my constituency, 7.3%. a full job center is available decided to close down. this can not need any test of fairness. will be personally review this disastrous decision to? >> i would very happily look at the discretion of job centers but the fact is through local government and other spending we do put a lot more money into the deprived areas in our country. yes, we do. and if you look, i had a little check before coming, if you look at what's happening to grant changes, for instance, comparing my constituency, but cuts in my constituency is 27% greater than in districts i simply don't accept that this government isn't being fair and helping those who need help the most >> thank you, mr. speaker. all of us in this chamber would have had tragic cases of late

diagnosis of cervical and common cancers that should and can be survive. the prime minier promised to do more while in opposition. now that we are in government what is my right honorable friend doing about the unacceptably low survival rate? >> his actually right to raise this issue. the first thing we did was we made good on our promise of a cancer drug fun. we put money into that kind of thousands of people who were without the drugs they needed cannot get them. them. we want to see further improvements on cancer screening, we want to see much more focus on cancer outcomes. and unlike the party opposite we're prepared to put the money and to make sure it happens. >> john macdonald. >> over the last year on six under 65 occasions asylum seekers were put in detention centers but it means this christmas is highly unlikely there'll be children in our detention centers. could ask the prime minister on

half of the whole house to do his commitmenthat by the next christmas, 2012, therel be no children in visitation centers and there never will be again? >> he makes an important point that we made a commitment and our coalition agreement to address this issue and the deputy prime is will be making a statement to mark about how we are going to end the scandal. >> mr. edward lee spent as naval aviation celebrates its centenary, well my right honorable friend guarantee that the promised transfer of 20 merlin helicopters on the raf to the fleet does indeed tak place? otherwise critical masmay be lost, and the first 100 years of service may be the last 100 years. >> can i make this point to my honorable friend. is right to raise this year, look at the issue of the right honorable friend raises, but we should be clear.

greatest of going to have the fourth largest defense budget anywhere in the world. and in terms of the navy will have seven as two class submarines, 19 destroyers, 14 minesweepers and other vessels. the royal marines and our nuclear deteent, we're going to have a large and fit navy of which the country can rightly be proud. >> does the prime minister will be aware there are two great football clubs in north london, he will also be aware that they are considering moving across london to the east and to the park. will you join me to sign the petition to say no, to urge the first chairman to put the club and its history before shareholder value? >> i think the reason express has taught me to stay out of international football management. [laughter]

>> i think if it's all right while paying tribute to his club, and, of course, to others as well, i think we'll be riht to do that. i think i will let them make the decision,but it is true to say in the olympic site will be a fantastic stadium that helped one football club will take advantage of. >> thank you, mr. speaker. with the prime minister join me in thanking those postal service workers across the u.k. who are struggling to deliver through snow and ice come and they should be appreciated? kenny also agree with me those who are canceling christmas in scotland for refusing to accept orders should accept that they cannot and do not match the universal service in postal service? isn't that why should be secured and protted? >> i think he makes an extravagant point and i'm sure everyone in this house on all sides of this house, will take the opportunity to visit sorting, will put on record our support and thanks f the very

go work the postal workers do right across the country in making sure everything is delivered in time for christmas but i know in scotland are having a particuladifficult time. they have been late on tuesday the movement of mail in and out of scotland. as i say, mr. speaker, let's all pay tribute to those who are going to make sure the cards and presents are delivered on-time. >> davey hamilton. >> i wonder can i follow on that question. is that hubbard is in scotland, people grew up, priate companies have honored their commitment to royal mail. is he going to gurantee the universal service, and can he make sure that privatization is stepped back for a moment because the whole point about

trying to get private capital and management involved in the royal mail it to make the service better and to make sure it can go on doing all the things we want it to do. honorable members opposite shake your head, including the leader of the opposition. the fact is in the last parliament they're going to bring forward plans but even they realize this needs to be done. >> mary mcleod. >> with the prime minister join in paying tribute to the service and especially to my residence who died on december 12, 1892. he was serving with the rifles in 1945 actually demonstrated outstanding gallantry. >> i would certainly join audibly in paying tribute to both past and present and anyone who goes to afghanistan and sees how many workers there are not just in the kirker rivals but also in some of it such as suggested regimens as well as

serving our country extreme low. we owe them the greatest debt of gratitude and we always make sure it is paid in full. >> this is a momentous week with the tuition face students and, of course, the average rise of grants, decrease in grants of 10% of local councils. and, of course, we were told this week that the chancellor has to build up a war chest of 50 billion pounds, just for the general election. [inaudible] that's a question. spent i'm not sure quite what the question was. let me answer on theater group at this point on the record the institute study has looked carefully at our plant and a fi and i quote, a graduate lifetime earnings the government's proposals are more progressive than the current system or that proposed by lord browne. the highest earning graduates would be more on average than both the current system and that

propos by lord ground while lower earning graduates would pay back less. and i was a to the party opposite, including the honorable member come if you want a progressive system for tuition seek reform, this is what we offer. in terms of dealing with the defit what is violate his wicket on top of it. that is good for everyone in this country. his constituents included. >> will the prime minister, the primarcare trust, the strategic health authority and all the nhs bureaucracies serve the patients not their own interest? and what he is sure that the secretary of state for health stamp out any excessiv failures caused by this unnecessary bureaucracy? >> i agree with the honorable lady, but the key is to try to get rid of so much of the bureaucracy. under the last, the numbers of managers went up faster than the number of nurses. are in is to reduce that bureaucracy, and the ower in the hands of gp's and their patients so that the decisions

that are taking in our constituencies about hospital, about services e driven by the choices are constituents make rather tha decisions made by bureaucrats. that's the key to these reforms. while i hope everyone in the house will support him. >> mr. speaker, is there any truth in the rumor that the liberal democrats will be moving for the old -- [inaudible] for january the 13th, denying the good people of all, a politician free christmas and new year? isn't this over the festive season a cynical attempt by the government to avoid the wrath of the public? and especially students, to which school cuts have reached. [shouting] >> i gather the party opposite is frightened having an election? [shouting] >> i would put the question -- i uld put the question the other

way. why should the people of that constituency put up with not having a membeof parliament? houting] >> and what have you got to be frhtened of? >> thank you, mr. speaker. with the prime minister outlined to the house of steps the government taking to cut the legacyf red tape and bureaucracy wead in the last government? and the real value for money or my services? >> there's no doubt that regulation has gotten out of control in this country. that is why my transit is introducing a new 110, one out rule so that anytime the government wants to legislate or regulate it has to move a regulation first but it is sort of discipline i think and make a real difference. >> thank you, mr. speaker. can i put in the record my appreciation and the appreciation of many for the goodwill and the practical neighborly support the prime minister and the chancellor has shown to ireland during this difficult time. it makes very good sense that

they are closely intertwined. but the economic indications in northern ireland are that northern ireland is still in decline and that the economy is insisting of a boost. could ask the prime minister for his assessment of the possibility of a boost to the north island economy to tax is being reduced? >> the honorable memb makes a good point about the economy and northern island of we want to see it recover. we want to see ago but i think i put in northern ireland knows a summit of the state, government in northern ireland has gotten too big and we've got is a private sector recovery. we are looking at ideas including the enterprise of that my right honorable friend referred to the i would also like to put on record my thanks for the northern irishman who will support us in what we're doing to to help the republic of ireland in its time of need. >> the people are immensely proud of our grade -- brave servicemen and women.

will the prime minister join and congratulate this decision of the council and does he believe we can all do more to honor our heroes? >> i certainly join my honorable friend and i think they are right to honor the regiment in this way. get brings an important point at which is yes, we have responsibly as a government and as a house of commons to deliver on the military cabinet for our personnel in this armed services. but think there's a broader responsibility, which is on businesses, on the media, on us as individuals, on the whole country to work out what more can we do to recognize the bravery of these people to do so much on our behalf. >> the r. 1238 students in your college who come from families poor enough to qualify for a full education maintenance allowance. there is one child in three in the college, and a chair of governors described the government plans as totally unacceptable, and replacement as

woefully inadequate. i know the prime minister visited north yorkshire from time to time. will he show that he cares about mobility, he really is a one nation tory, and meet people from the college to discuss? >> i think we have the thrust of it, prime minister. >> i think we've got to do more to help people to get them the very bottom to the very top. that's why we have saved the per-pupil fun. that's why we are increasing the pupil premium. i have to say to them when we look at what happened over the last few years since 2004 child poverty rose by 100,000, and equally reach the highest level since 1961, and five people were stuck in adequate benefits. that's what we need to change the way that we help able to get on in life and that's exactly what we are committed to doing. [shouting] >> as we approach holocaust, they will he confirmhat this government will generously

donate to the auschwitz restoration fund? >> i can do. auschwitz is a very owerful reminder of the ultimate consequences of intolerance, and it is only right it should be preserved to bear witness to the death of the millions of victims who perished there. and is a stark reminder of manage inhumanity to man. the director of auschwitz foundation has recently visited the u.k. to discuss any with a number of director, were also involved in e.u. discussions as well. i think everyone in this house knows how important it is to maintain these memorials so that it is for us ,-comto remember the holocaust but we all -- we must acts of gross inhumanity more recently. we have to go on remembering to stop that from happening again. >> david baron. >> with the prime minister tell the house when he appointed a member to the other place? did he know it was an incentive

to brief? is an example of a new politics he promised the constituency? >> i don't know how long that what was thoughto think of it the honorable member completely with you and apologize for what he said which was completely unacceptable. and i think i'm prepared to leave it at that. >> is my transit aware of the concern of many people who report in the press that he plans to deport high-speed rail regardless of the consultation next year, and would he spread christmas cheer by showing my constituents that he will keep enough money and that he won't derail the railroad? >> i completely understand the concern that there is all the way along the proposed line. and people are worried about it. and yes, this s a proper consultation. it must be a proper consultation, and it will be. but i would just say this as i said before, for 50 years went

on to do with the north-south divide your grip and tryto a more effective regional policy. and i do believe high-speed rail has got a really effective role to play in bringing our country closer together and spreading economic benefit throughout all of our country. >> thank you, mr. speaker. they tell me they need their money to travel to go to the college of their choice. ahead of the south wales school said witut age and diversity it is not supported does the prime minister support choice of courses only for those who can afford it? >> i have to say to the honorable way that we look very carefullat the study that was completed under the government of the labour party that show that nine out of 10 of those people receiving education maintenance allowance would have stayed on at school anyway, and you have to ask the question, this is why the party opposite landed in such a mess over the