parts his biography of the 36th president, next sunday at 8:00. >> next, david cameron takes questions at the british house of commons. after that, a senate hearing on lessons learned from the mf global bankruptcy. gen napolitano talks about the secret service cost conduct in colombia. tomorrow, robert draper talks about his behind-the-scenes books. douglas elliott evaluating u.s.

federal credit programs, it examines the ways the federal government provides loan guarantees to private industry. "washington journal" is live at 7:00 a.m. on c-span. david cameron tip several questions this week concerning his colter secretary. james murdoch testified before a british phone hacking scandal on his relationship with the culture secretary. the opposition claims their relationship was improper and bias towards news corp. this is just over 30 minutes. this is 30 minutes. >> i'm sure we want to pay

tribute to the explosive ordinance specialist who tied from wounds sustained in afghanistan. he was the scribed as a superb soldier and we send our condolences to his family and his loved ones. this momping i tissue this morning i had meetings with my ministerial colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further meetings today. >> i should like to associate myself with the prime minister's tribute to conner ray and ask my right honorable friend if he'll confirm that although british servicemen and women are scheduled to leave afghanistan in 2013, the actual pace of withdrawal will be determined by the need to minimize risk to our armed forces serving in afghanistan at the time. >> i can confirm that by the end of 2014, we won't have

anything like the troops' numbers we have now and we won't be in a come pat role. post-2014, we do believe in having a training role with the afghan army, particularly the officer training role that president karzai has personally asked for us to undertake. the speefed the reductions between now and the end of 2014 will be done in acofferedance with the conditions on the ground and what is right in terms of transitioning from allied control to afghan control and at all times, of course, paramount in our minds, is the safety and security of our brave armed forces who i pay tribute again to today. >> can i join the minister in his tribute, he had the utmost courage and save maryland afghan and british lives and

our deepest condolences to his family and friends. today we the catastrophic news that britain is back in recession. i'm sure the prime minister spent the last -- -- -- spent the last 24 hours thinking of an excuse why this has nothing to do with him. what's his excuse? >> these are very, very disappointing figures. i don't seek to excuse them, i don't seek to try to explain them away. and let me be absolutely clear, there's no complacentcy at all in this government in dealing with what is a very tough situation that frankly has just got tougher. i believe the truth is this. it is very difficult recovering from the deepest recession in living memory, akochnied as it was by a debt crisis, our banks have too much debt, our households have too much debt, our government had too much debt. we have got to rebalance our economy. we need a bigger private sector, we need more exports, more investment.

this is painstaking, difficult work but we will stick with our plans, stick with the low interest rates and do everything we can to boost competitiveness and jobs in our country. >> mr. speaker, should the talk of this arrogant prime minister, the reality is, this is a recession made by him and the chancellor. over the last 18 months since his the catastrophic spend regular view, our economy has shrunk and this is a slower recovery from recession even than the 19 poss and the reality is that it's families and businesses who are paying the price for his arrogance and complacency. why doesn't he admit it, it's his scat strosk economic policy, his plans for austerity, cutting too far and too fast that landed us back in recession.

there's not a single business organization or serious commentator or international body that thinks these problems emerged in the last 24 months. the debt crisis has been long in making. the failure to regulate our banks has been long in making. the government overspending has been long in making. this is a tough and difficult situation that the economy is in, but the one thing we musten -- mustn't do is abandon our plan because the solution to a debt crisis cannot be more debt. we must not put at risk the low interest rates that are absolutely essential to our recovery that would be absolute folly and that is why there is no business organization, no international economic organization that suggests we follow that course. >> it's all bluster. his plan has failed. that is the reality. stay with the people, mr.

speaker, who said that britain was a safe haven. the chancellor said it on monday and we are back in recession. he was the person, he was the person who said we were out of the danger zone and this is what has happened. as even his own ventures are say, the complacent, arrogant boys don't get it. now let's turn p the economic disaster of this government to the political disaster of the culture secretary. we now know from the evidence published yesterday that throughout the time the culture secretary was supposed to be acting in an impartial matter -- manner, he and his office were providing a constant flow of confidential information to news corporation about statements to be made in this house in advance, in private cushion with the regulation yacht and his discussions with opposing parties. having seen the 163 pages published yesterday, is the

prime minister seriously trying to tell thinks secretary of state was acting as he should have done in a transparent, impartial, and fair manner? >> let me finish off on the economy, which he has moved off. >> order. let's hear what the prime minister has to say on the economy or anything else. prime minister. >> we will not let anyone forget who got us into this mess in the first place. more spending, more borrowing, more debt that is what caused these problems, it cannot be the solution to these problems. now let me turn, mr. speaker, let me turn, mr. speaker, to the inquiry. i set up the levinson inquiry. the terms of reference of the inquiry were agreed by the leader of the liberal democrat

party and the leader of the labor party. and i believe that to step in and try and prejudge that inquiry would be wrong. and let me be clear. let me be clear, lord justice levinson has made that precise point this morning. let me read to the house what lord justice levinson has said. perhaps the house would like to listen. let's hear -- >> let's hear what the prime minister has to say and then the questioning will continue. prime minister? >> lord justice levin said said this this morning, it is very important to hear every side of the story before drawing conclusions. and then he said this. although i have seen requests for other inquiries and investigations, and of course i do not seek to constrain

parliament, but it seems to me that the better course is to allow this inquiry to proceed. now having set up this inquiry, having agreed with this inquiry, he should listen to the inquiry. -- >> mr. speaker lord justice levinson is responsible for a lot of things but he's not responsible for the integrity of the prime minister's government. in case he's forgotten, that's his responsibility as prime minister. now, mr. speaker, it beggars belief that the prime minister can defend the secretary because he wasn't judging this bid, he was helping the bid by news corporation. two days before, on the 25th of january, they were not only oco-lewding with news corps to provide them information in advance, they were hatching a plan to ensure, and i quote, it would be game over for the opposition to the bid.

does the prime minister really believe that is how a judge and his advisors are supposed to act? >> the leader of the opposition clearly doesn't think what lord levinson this morning mat -- said this morning matters. let me remind him what he said yesterday about the levinson inquishry. he said this. i think -- this is the leader of the opposition speaking. i think that it's right that the levinson inquiry takes its course. he went on, the most important thing is that the levinson inquiry gets to the bottom of what happened, of what labor did, of what the conservatives did, and we reach a judgment about that. isn't it typical of the right honorable gentleman, in the morning he sets out his very clear position put in the afternoon, he cannot resist the passing political bandwagon.

totally, totally, totally -- >> order. i said the prime minister must be heard. the leader of the opposition must be heard. both will be heard, however long it takes. it's very clear. >> totally pathetic answers. he's the prime minister. if he can't defend the conduct of his own ministers, his ministers should be out the door. he should fire them. now, now, he doesn't even try to defend the secretary and what he did. the secretary of state told this house on the third of march of this year in answer to a question from the honorable members of banberry, and i quote, today we are publishing the consultation dumont, all the submissions we received, all the exchanges between my department and news corporation. but he did not.

because 163 pages have now emerged. the prime minister doesn't defend him over giving confidential information to one party in the case he doesn't defend him over co-lution. is he going to defend him about not being straight with his house of commons? let me make absolutely clear about the culture secretary -- >> let me make clear about the culture secretary who has my full support. the culture secretary, the culture secretary will be giving a full account of himself in this house of common this is afternoon and in front of the levinson inquishry and he will give a good account of himself for this very simple reason, that in judging this important bid, the culture secretary sought independent advice from independent regulators at every stage although he did not need to and the culture secretary took that independent advice at every stage, although he did not need to. the way that the culture

secretary has dealt with this issue is in stark contrast to the governments in which he was a member. >> mr. speaker, i do say this to the prime minister. while his culture secretary remains in place, while he refuses to come clean on his and the chancellors' meetings with rupert murdoch, the shadow of sleaze will hang over this government and mr. speaker, mr. speaker, it's a pattern with this prime minister. paulsen, rebecca brook, now the culture secretary, when is he going to realize -- now he is flip-flopping all over the place on it.

the closeness between politicians and media proprietors has been going on for years and this government is going to sort it out. whether it is a proper regulation of the press, whether it is cleaning up our financial system, whether it's dealing with our debt, i don't shirk my responsibilities, what a pity he can't live up to his. >> order. >> thank you, speaker. if my right honorable friend brings good news to the manufacturing and engineering secors in lincoln. we've seen an increase in turnover to around 70.5 million , confirms a circa 50 million investment and they are involved in the first new engineering school.

what -- would my right honorable friend accept my invitation to visit for himself and see the excellent progress? >> i'm very grate to feel my honorable friend for the invitation, i will try to take it up. what is happening in our economy, the very disappointing news today, but underneath that, there is a rebalancing that needs to take place and that is taking place in terms of manufacturing investment, in terms of exports, in terms of government getting behind that with more investment in apprenticeships, more investments in technical hubs like the one at the university of lincoln and cutting business taxes so we get britain working and making things again. >> mr. speaker, on monday, the prime minister said that he'd gone on an economic rescue mission. is it not fair to say that that mission has failed

spectacularly in lifingt the figures today? >> if you look at the recession that we suffered a 7% contradiction of our g.d.p., much bigger even than what happened in america and it is worth remembering, the biggest bank bailout anywhere in the world, it wasn't in america, it was here in britain. getting out of the recession, the financial crisis and the debt crisis is difficult, painstaking work but this government is committed to do do -- to doing just this. >> gordon burgewhistle. >> i met the chief executive of the fourth largest manufacturing group in the u.k. they have a substantial factory in berlin. he has been instructed by his u.s. board to increase the turnover of his u.k. operations. he's concerned about the lack of skills. can my right honorable friend assure me that the investment

is coming? >> what is interestinging mr. speaker, is that if any member of parliament wants to talk about manufacturing success or business success in their constituency, they are shouted down by the opposition. because all they want to hear is bad news and to talk our economy down. we are investing in skills. we are putting more money into apprenticeship schemes, putting more money into the technical colleges. i was seeing expanse and growth plans and it's good to hear what's happening in his constituency. >> does the prime minister agree with his chancellor who said in 2008 that, and i quote, once you've got a down turn, you cannot possible stop public expenditure. will he stick to his complacent plan of cutting too far. >> well read. point is, we inherited -- we --

we inherited from the party opposite a budget deficit of 11%. the budget deficit we inherited was bigger than greece, bigger than spain, bigger than portugal. if you don't deal with your debt and deficit, you will never keep interest rates low and it is low interest rates that offer us the best prospect of getting out of this difficult economic situation we're in. >> thank you, thank you mr. speaker. >> order, let's hear from mr. lefroi. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i think half a million children died from malaria last year. on world malaria day may i thank the prime minister for his personal commitment to combating this disease and will he join me in recognizing the

international leadership which british scientists, aid workers and volunteers, including rotarians in my constituency show in combating malaria? >> i am very grate to feel join the honorable gentleman and wish the people of the area well, he did better in con vising the people there to society for him than i did in 1997. he's right to raise the issue of malaria on world malaria day. 15,000 children die every week from what is a preventable illness. that's why i'm proud of the fact that britain is leading on this issue, is putting money into our aid budget, putting money into malaria and the scientific advances. even in difficult times, i think we're right to pursue this. >> does this out of touch prime minister still believe, still believe that the british economy is out of the danger

zone? >> one of the biggest problems we've faced of taking office was the danger that financial markets would take a view of britain like they've taken a view of greece or of spain or of portugal, where interest rates were rising. the fact that we have such low interest rates in britain demonstrates that we have credibility. these are difficult decisions to get on top of debt and deficit and to deal with public spending but they're the right decisions, not least because the shadow chancellor once said that low interest rates are the mark of economic credibility. >> the high school very much welcomed the government's educational reform, two schools that never qualified under the b.s.f. under the previous government have attained that. can the prime minister tell the people when they can expect an announcement on the priority

school buildings project? >> what i can tell him is compared with the first two parliaments of the party opposite were investing more in school building than they did, i think the figure now is something lie along the lines of $17 -- of 17 billion pounds in the spend regular view period so there are opportunities for new classrooms and new buildings and i'm sure the secretary of state for education is listening carefully to my honorable friend and will be in touch with him. >> ian mckenzie. >> does the prime minister agree with the member when she said -- [inaudible] >> order. let's hear the question. ian mckenzie. >> showing no compassion or understanding for the ways of others and though he meant that that's further evidence of being out of touch and why we are in a double dip recession?

>> i agree with my honorable friend that many, many things. -- about many, many things. >> andruw jones. >> mr. speaker, over the last two years, u.k. exports have grown by 23% with faster growth to the brick countries. will my friend join me in congratulating 151 winners of the queens award for enterprise in their success in international trade, particularly gspk circus in my constituency? >> i join him in congratulating this business for its export performance. when we look at some of the fastest growing markets in the world, whether india or china or the southeast asian markets, i visited some days ago, export performance care compared with 2009 in those markets is up by as much as 60%. but as well as those markets, we've also got to remember our old friends, as it were, and the fact that we still export more to the republic of ireland than brazil, russia, india, and

china combined. expanding our existing market but much more work to get in the fast growing markets in the world. >> david simpson. >> thank you, mr. speaker. recently the prime minister conceded that the government had made an important mistake in the handling oof this fuel cry sess. can i ask him, wouldn't it be a positive step in correcting that mistake if the government were to scrap the piece in august in order to help motorists, companies and families in the united kingdom? >> the government has actually used around four pl bel pounds of budget money to keep petrol prices down and petrol prices are about 6 p lower than they would be under the plans of the party opposite. let me update the honorable gentleman and the house on the issues of fuel strike. it now looks as if there is a longer period of time before

any potential strike could take place. i'm determine wed use that time to make sure there is every piece of resilience in place. the plans we inherited would have allowed the military to provide maybe 10% of our fuel needs. we've now managed to lift that to something like 60% or 70%. we're in a much better place now because of the proper emergency planning that this government has done lawyer han -- rather than the party opposite that crossed their fingers and hope nerd best. >> my mother will celebrate her 100th birthday. living as she does five minutes from the olympic stadium, she has agreed to give up her pacemaker to give the other athletes a chance. will themy right honorable join

me in recognizing her? >> i will certainly do that. i have written to her to congratulate her on this fantastic milestone and i'm sure that as she speeds past she will just turn around and reflect that indeed the only way is essex. >> i'm delighted the prime minister has written to us. that makes two of us. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the prime minister has spent plenty of time cozying up to corporates -- -- to news corporation and -- [inaudible] he is well qualified to answer this question. when he agreed to act for news corps, was he acting in self-interest or the interest of scotland? >> that's something only he can

answer for himself. secondly, i think this is another issue that the levinson inquiry, prop ler i -- properly set up, properly established, that's going to interview all the politicians, including all sorts of people who cozied up to news international over the jurors and on all sides of the house there's a need for a hand on heart, we all did too much cozying up to rupert murdoch, i think we agree. on that basis, i'm sure lord levinson will make some important recommendations. >> thank you, mr. speaker. has the prime minister seen the research published today by the taxpayers' alliance which shows that there are 3,097 town hall employees earning more than 100,000 pounds and 52 earning more than 250,000 pounds? my constituents can't understand such exorbitant salaries. what can we do about it? >> i think you're entirely right

to raise this issue and the important thing we have done is made completely transparent the pay in our town halls and in local governments. sadly i believe there is still one local council, a labor control council, that is not making this information available. every council should be transparent about how they spend council taxpayers money. barbara kingly. >> thank you. last year the prime minister said to people warning him that cutting too far and too fast would make a double dip recession should apologize. now he's delivered a double dip recession, shouldn't he apologize? >> we face a very difficult situation, with an 11% budget deficit. if we had listened to the plans of the party opposite and spent more, borrowed more and increased our debt, that would only make the debt crisis worse. how can the answer to a debt crisis be more borrowing? that is the question the party opposite can never answer.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. after weeks of diving, ken livingston has given an indication of his [inaudible] sadly he refuses to publish the tax affairs of the company set up. does my friend agree with me that ken livingston has ceased to be the old pretender and has become the dodger? >> i think you speak for all of london when he speaks on this point. ken livingston owes the people of london some proper transparency, about his company and about his tax bill. there are still several days to go before this key election. he should make that information available. and have to say that it's something of a shock this week when i hardly ever agree with anything allen sugar has ever said. but he's saying londoners shouldn't back kent, he was spot on. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

now that the prime minister has created the economic mess the country's in, can i be helpful to the prime minister? drop these ridiculous proposals for genal bakeoffs and celebrate the capital program for covetry. >> as i said earlier, we are spending more on capital on schools in this parliament than on either of the first two labor parliaments. i'm very happy again for education ministers to look specifically at the case in his constituency, see what can be done. i also hope he'll be joining me and inviting people on the third of may to votey yes -- vote yes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. every year millions of british people donate money to charities. they do it for the simple reason they want to help. help others worse off than themselves. i would call these actions honorable, kind and selfless. we have all heard recently that

some, not all, but some of our wealthy citizens only want to donate money to charity if they can continue to reduce their tax bill. does the prime minister think their motives are honorable, kind and selfless? >> first of all, i think we should support in our country people who give money to charity and that's why this government has expanded gift aid in a very generous way and made available a change to help people with inheritance tax if they leave the quest for charity. there were set out in the budget a number of limits to reliefs. we specifically identified the potential problem for charities. am i right, the chancellor is going to consult wisely with how he'll make sure we encourage proper giving, encourage charities and encourage what they do in our country. >> mr. speaker, the

prioritizing the investment in our infrastructure. we are doing all of these things and we will do more things to help our economy gets out of the mass. -- mess. >> i think the prime minister acknowledged that the figures

were disappointing. getting out of the debt crisis, you do not spend more money. >> there is no business organization making that case. there are both saying today, while these figures are disappointing, we must not give up the low interest rates and a credible fiscal policy that we have. >> the economy is in -- >> i think russell brown -- >> you have been watching the prime minister's questions from the british house of commons.

lodge any time at c-span.org. -- watch anytime at c-span.org. next, a senate hearing on the lessons learned from the mf global bankruptcy. after that, in a senate hearing on u.s. efforts in uganda. >> the aclu has believe that police departments around the country are tracking people's cell phones on a routine basis. >> should it require a warrant? aclu attorney on police use