they gave their lives in the service of their country and we are forever indebted to them. i'm sure the house would join me in welcoming the renaming of the clock tower today as the elizabeth tower, following the campaign led by my friend the member of formoth east, i believe it's a fitting tribute to the queen and the service she's given to our country for 50 years. this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and will have meetings in addition to my duties in the house today. >> i pay tribute to the troops that have died. we often vote for war in this house but it is far braver people than we have to do the fighting. the number of women who have lost jobs under the government's cuts has been twice the number of men and the statistics out today show that the number of female redundancies is rising over the last few months. in addition, of course, we now

have nine government departments with not a single woman minister. now, i know the prime minister likes to think of himself as butch. he told us so last week in this very house, but what has the prime minister got against women? tofirst of all what i'd say the honorable gentleman is the unemployment figures today do actually have a number of very encouraging figures in them including the fact that women's employment, the number of women in employment, is actually up 128,000 this quarter and that is up 250,000, more women in work than at the time of the last election. i think that is encouraging. obviously, the way we've treated public sector pay and the public sector pay freeze and particularly low paid people in the public sector, that has

helped women but do we need to do more to help women in work? yes, do we need to do more to help women with childcare? yes. do we need to do more to help women in politics, yes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. local businesses and industrious people are working hard to aid the economy. with my right honorable friend the prime minister join me in condemning the irresponsible threat of coordinate strike action by the trade union where they do nothing but undermine the efforts of my constituents. >> my honorable friend is absolutely right to speak up for her constituents who work hard and do the right thing and today's unemployment figures show an extra million private sector jobs net since the election which i think is something that shows our economy is rebalancing but she's right

to say that the trade unions do provide a threat to our economy. the party opposite has received 12 million pounds since the honorable member became leader of the party from the three unions who are now threatening a general strike and i have to say they threaten a strike to stop our fuel supplies, threatened a strike to disrupt the olympics and threatened a strike to stop the economy. i think it's time he stand up and say he'll take no more money from the unions while they threaten to strike. >> mr. speaker, can i join the prime minister in paying tribute to carl whittle of first battalion of the grenadier guards. both showed the utmost courage and bravery and our thoughts are with all their family and friend. can i also join the prime

minister in celebrating today the renaming of the clock tower as the elizabeth tower. it was done with all party support. it is a fitting tribute to the service of her majesty the queen. mr. speaker, the falling unemployment today is welcome but all of us -- but all of us will be concerned for the number of people out of work for more than a year stands at 904,000, its highest level for 17 years. does he agree with me this is a particularly troubling statistic because the longer someone is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into it and the more damage that is done to them, their families and to our economy. >> i absolutely agree with you about the dangers and the threats of long-term unemployment. it is worth to put in front of the house the full figures today. unemployment is down by 7,000. employment is up by 236,000 over the quarter. i think it is significant

because it's a realtime live figure and that is the claimant camp. those claiming unemployment in august was down 15,000 and as i've just said, when you look at the private sector jobs number which is vital when you think we need to rebalance our economy, there are over a million new net private sector jobs over the last two years. he's absolutely right that the long-term unemployment figure is disturbing. that is what the work program is designed to deal with and the work program we've got up and running within a year, it's helped already 690,000 people and the key part of it is that those who are hardest to help, people on the incapacity style benefits and also who have been long-term unemployed, we pay their training providers more to help them into work and that is the key for dealing with this problem in the time ahead. >> he talks about the work program but not only is long- term unemployment at its highest level for nearly two decades, but over the past 12 months, we've seen a 240% rise in the number of young people on

the dole for over a year. and that is happening throughout the country. mr. speaker, isn't it the clearest evidence so far that his work program just isn't working? >> i don't accept that. first of all, on the youth unemployment picture. it is disappointing that youth unemployment is up 7,000 over the quarter but of course the youth unemployment figures do include young people in full- time education. if you look at the picture of the number of young people in work, youth employment, that is up 48,000 over the quarter so more encouraging picture. in terms of the youth contract itself, that is now up and running. 65,000 young people have taken part in work experience programs which were criticized by some people sitting opposite and some trade unions but actually within 21 weeks half of them have been taken off the unemployment register with proper work and i think that's very encouraging because it actually means it's about 20

times more cost effective than the future jobs fund it replaced. >> mr. speaker, i have to say to him, to all the young people looking for work around the country, that sounds like a rather complacent answer and the reality is that because of his failure on long-term unemployment, borrowing, the key test he set himself, is up 25% in the first four months of this year. he's borrowing 9.3 billion pounds more in the first four months of this year than last year, that's 1.6 billion pounds in the hour of prime minister's question. when we gather today -- and we gather today -- and we gather today for the government may miss the overriding economic test that he set himself which is the debt will be falling by the time of the next election. isn't the fact that he's

failing the very test he set himself the surest sign that his plan's just not working? >> first of all, there's absolutely no complacency in this government over the issue of either youth employment or long-term unemployment. that is why we are putting so much energy and effort into the apprenticeship program and we've seen 450,000 apprenticeship starts over the last year which is a record figure and something we want to build on in the years ahead with 1.5 billion pounds invested. he raises the issue of borrowing and this government has cut the deficit by a quarter. but i have to say to him, if he's concerned about borrowing, why does he have plans to put it up? there are many ways you can reduce borrowing. the one way you can't reduce borrowing is to increase spending and increase borrowing which is what he tells us to do. >> ed miliband. >> the reality that this speaker can't get away from for 2 1/2 years is rising on his watch. that is the reality. borrowing is up.

borrowing is up 25%, 9.3 billion pounds in the first four months of this year. and maybe when the prime minister gets up to replay he can tell us whether the reports this morning that the government is not going to meet its target, that debt will be falling by the end of this parliament are correct or whether he sticks to that promise. the reality is, he's failing the test he set himself and it shows plan a's not working. >> it is this government that has cut the deficit it inherited by a quarter. that's what we've done in two years. normally mr. speaker, this stage in the proceedings, i say that the party opposite hasn't got any plans but on this occasion i can reassure the house they have got some plans. they've got a new plan. it's called pre-distribution. i think what that means is that you spend the money before you actually get it. and i think you'll find that's why we are in the mess we are in right now.

>> mr. speaker. mr. speaker. i'll tell him what it's about. ans an economy -- it's economy that doesn't just work for a few at the top but works for everyone else and it's not about a prime minister who cuts taxes for millionaires while raising taxes for everyone else and perhaps when he gets up to reply he can answer the question which he so far hasn't answered -- is he going to be a beneficiary of the 50p tax cuts? >> this is an economy that generated a million new private sector jobs. i know he doesn't want -- i know he doesn't want to talk about pre-distribution, but i've done a little work, mr. speaker. i can tell him about his new guru, his new guru is called -- i'm not making this up, the man who invented pre-distribution -- he's called -- i'm not making

this up -- they don't want to hear. >> order. the house -- order, members on both sides of each, calm down. let's hear the prime minister's answer. >> i'm surprised they don't want to hear from their new guru, called mr. jay hacker. and mr. jay hacker's recommendation is that we spend an extra 200 billion and borrow an extra 200 billion in this parliament. that is his recommendation but in the work i've done i've discovered his new book published by princeton university press called "the road to nowhere." he doesn't need to read it. he's there already. >> ed miliband! >> let me compliment mr. speaker on such a butch answer from the prime minister. and what are we seeing from mr. butch, mr. speaker? newuse he's against the

international development secretary, the former transport secretary. he was not backing the clerics while backing the well secretary and when it came to the environment secretary, mr. speaker, she was sacked because she was too old and replaced by a man who was older. very butch, mr. speaker. the reality is this, the prime minister is going to have to answer between now and april and he didn't answer the question as to whether he is going to get that top rate tax cut, a tax cut for millionaires by millionaires. the reality is this, their fain. they stand up for the wrong people. plan a's not working. he should change course. >> on a day where we hear this economy has created one million net new private sector jobs, all we have learned from the labour party is they have learned nothing. they are still committed to the spending, the borrowing, the

debt that got us into this mess in the first place. that's the truth and they can't hide it from the british public. >> annette brook. >> this year, the beneficiary of breast cancer campaigns wearing pink day. over that time, we've seen improvements for breast cancer sufferers but there is more to be done including improving early identification of this disease for all ages. will the prime minister meet with the charities for breast cancer in leading discussion? >> i'm very happy to have that meeting. i think we made big leaps forward under governments of all parties in terms of advancing the agenda on breast cancer and she's absolutely right that early identification, early diagnosis is vital but there's still more to be done. i would pay tribute to the thousands up and down our country who not only wear those

ribbons but take part in so many different campaigns, so much fundraising and awareness racing and would like to welcome her to that meeting. theroud of it's links with royal regiment. we know the decision to ax the second battalion was taken by ministers now the professional leadership of the army. with morale at an all-time low in the armed forces, why won't the prime minister reconsider? >> these are obviously very difficult decisions as we move towards a regular army of 82,000 but expanded territorial army of 30,000. clearly we had proper discussions and these are for ministers as well as for the armed forces to make these decisions about how best to structure the army to maintain as many cap badges and historic regiments as possible in all of the united kingdom and we defend those decisions but if people have alternatives we of course always listen to them. >> john stephenson.

>> would the prime minister agree with me that the improvement in the balance of trade figures are very welcome and demonstrate we can rebalance our economy by expanding our trade with the rest of the world as well as europe? >> i think my honorable friend makes an important point. the trade figures out yesterday show the biggest cash decline in the trade deficit for 20 years and as i said many times this dispatch box, we do face great economic difficulties in this country and across europe but we are seeing a rebalancing of the economy, a growth in terms of private sector employment that i've talked about, manufacturing now accounting for a growing share of the economy rather than a shrinking share of the economy, a big increase in exports particularly to the fastest growing parts of the world. we need more of that to happen alongside small business creation and entrepreneurs in order to rebalance our economy and make it stronger for the future. >> mr. sharma. >> thank you, mr. speaker. before they lecture, the prime

minister promised a moratorium on hospital closures. last year, he told me, the hospital would not close without the support of doctors and patients so why are the doctors and patients have to march on saturday to keep our hospitals open? >> let me say, again, to the honorable gentleman who quite rightly raises this issue. this are no plans to close keating hospital. i understand the trust is planning a program for 2013 to include refurbishing wards. as he knows and others in the house know, any proposed changes to clinical services have to be subject to the full test of commissioners, strengthen public engagement and support for patient choice so

he's quite right to raise this issue but this is how it should be approached. >> like many other constituents who have written to me was turned down due to the way the new national blue badge improvement service is implemented locally. will the prime minister intervene to make sure it is being implemented fairly and appropriately across the country? >> i will look carefully at the case that my right honorable friend mentioned because i think it is important that reform is carried out properly. i think all of our constituents get some complaints sometimes

who see people who have the blue badge who don't merit it and also to who want it and can't get. can i pay tribute to my right honorable friend for his long work on educational standards and believing in true rigor in schools. he has seen many of his ideas put into practice and that is what we come into politics to achieve. >> andrew guynn. >> should have taught important lessons to ministers about becoming too close to outside advisers. now it appears that his climate change minister may be making similar mistakes. given major reports today, does the prime minister have the same complete confidence in his climate change minister has he has in his former defense secretary? >> the climate change minister is doing an excellent job and i want to put that on the record.

i've consulted the cabinet secretary over this issue. the permanent secretary at the department of energy and climate change has examined this issue. the cabinet secretary heads examined it, too, and i don't see a need for further inquiry on that basis. the key point that i would make is that the individual in question was hired by civil servants after a properly run competition. >> shiless vara. >> mr. speaker -- mr. speaker -- mr. speaker, this month marks the 40th anniversary of the expulsion of asians from uganda by idi amin. they came to this country with nothing but the clothes on their backs but they picked themselves up and soon integrated themselves into the fabric of britain. will my right honorable friend the prime minister join me in

commending this community and also the conservative government of the time which had the courageous decision to let them in, notwithstanding the enormous opposition in the house and in the country at large? >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right to raise this, the asians who have come from kenya and uganda have made an extraordinary contribution to this country and it was an absolutely right decision to welcome them here as happens in the 1970's and those that opposed it i believe were profoundly wrong and i would also say to him who is from that background, what an incredible achievement it is for someone from that background within one generation to come to parliament and make such a distinguished contribution. >> mr. speaker, last week reshuffle was a painful experience for many but can the prime minister advise us why he recommended knighthoods for five of his redundant -- but there was nothing like a dame.

>> i actually take the view that when people come into public life and work hard in opposition and in government and make a contribution, then that is something we should recognize. it shouldn't only be -- it shouldn't only be permanent secretaries that receive these honors. we should be prepared to honor ministers who've worked hard and served their country, as well. >> amy borden. order, order. the honorable member must be heard. penny borden. >> our armed forces are always willing to do what we ask of them without complaint but there will be a detrimental impact on individuals' training, deployment opportunities and r&r if we ask them to keep this country going in the face of strikes. isn't this another reason why those unions should think again? >> i think my honorable friend makes an extremely good point

and i hope these trade unions meeting and discussing this appalling idea of general strike think again and think of the good of our economy rather than their selfish interests. she's makes an important point about armed services and it's right to put on the record again what a fantastic job they did with the olympics and paralympics, stepping up to the plate and putting a friendly and smiling face to the games. whatever i saw at the olympic games, our armed services were pleased to play that role and there are times we can call upon them and they're pleased to serve. >> pamela nash. >> children find it necessary to launch the first ever appeals for jesse's children. unfortunately, members opposite, even accuse them of publicity seeking. will the prime minister take this opportunity to distance himself from those comments?

>> i'm a strong supporter of save the children. i think they do an excellent job and as long as we recognize that the sort of poverty that we tragically still have in britain is different from the poverty of those surviving on a dollar a day in subsaharan africa, as long as we recognize those differences it's right that they campaign on those issues here and overseas. >> andrew stephenson. >> in a commons debate last year i highlighted how poor the services in kendall including in the village of new church might be unique in the country for having particularly poor service when it rains. does the prime minister share my joy this week to cut the red tape holding back the rollout they needed for businesses across the u.k.? >> i certainly join my honorable

friend in his campaign to make sure that all our rural communities have access to super fast broadband. it isn't just an issue of money and this government is putting the money in. there are also planning issues because some councils have held up giving permission to necessary cabinets and other things that have to be put in place at street and village level and that's why our planning reforms announced by my right honorable friend will sweep through that bureaucracy to get broadband everywhere. >> despite the prime minister's recent valiant efforts, does he not realize that denying thousands of our disabled constituents levels of benefit is merely underlining the fact that the tories really are the nasty party? >> i simply don't except even the premise of the right honorable gentleman's question. we are not cutting the money going into disability benefits. the question is, how best to

reform those disability benefits so disabled people actually get access to benefits they require and i think anyone who's looked at d.l.a., disability living allowance, or has had to fill in the forms knows it needs reform and the reform has been led by many of the disability groups who want to see something much more related to people's disability and faster to access, as well. >> steve baker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will my right honorable friend join me in celebrating a major investment by the chinese firm hu-wei, investing 1.5 billion over five years to encourage job growth in the u.k. and encourage them to come to wickham? >> i do welcome the investment by hu-wei and met with the chairman on downing street. i'm afraid to say some of the jobs will be created i hope in baneberry next to my constituency but with bandwidth of this scale, i'm sure there will be other opportunities. they're coming here not for the

weather but because we've got highly trained engineers, excellent universities, leading role in the telecoms and mobile industries and they think this is a government open for business. >> jim dowd. >> thank you very much, indeed, mr. speaker. can i ask the prime minister to explain why in the previous parliament members of either house who were shown to have deliberately abused the expense system were quite rightly forced to face the full rigor of the law, but why is it, in this parliament, the same probe in dishonesty results in the restoration of ministerial office and a feet at the cabinet favor? >> i think if the honorable gentleman is referring to my right honorable friend, the minister, who is attending cabinet and minister of state in the department of education, he made very clear the mistakes he made in terms of the expenses system. he resigned from the government

and i think you should -- >> the prime minister's answer must be heard. the prime minister. >> as i've said in relation to this in the past, i think it's right to give someone a second chance. >> thank you, mr. speaker. does my right honorable friend agree with kevin o'toole, managing director of euro limited in dudley who contacted me about the government's plan to sweep away necessary health and safety red tape so at least years of regulation have been replaced by simple common sense. isn't common sense to remove the headache of inspections for low-risk businesses and isn't scrapping unnecessary and unpredictable inspections a valuable piece of deregulation to help more small businesses to grow? >> my honorable friend is right to highlight this. we have 3,000 regulations in our sights we believe can be reduced. alreadyde good progress and believe there's more we can

do to exempt small firms from regulation and the new minister in the business department will press ahead with the full support of the secretary of state on this important agenda. >> andy slaughter. >> four years ago, the prime minister gave support to high speed ii as providing alternative to short flight for the third runway of heathrow. as he's dithering over heathrow, is he also dithering over h.s.2? >> i thoroughly support h.s.2. >> following the recent reshuffle, there has been speculation in the press that some new appointments indicate a shift away from our green agenda. would my right honorable friend take this opportunity to scoff these scurrilous allegations and reaffirm our commitment to

be the greenest government ever? >> shall i first of all congratulate the honorable lady in her new role. in the treasury she has every ability to make sure this government delivers on its green commitment but what i would say to her and all right honorable friends, it is this government that is set off a green investment bank with three billion pounds to spain, it is this government that has committed a billion pounds to carbon capture and storage. we have the first incentive scheme anywhere in the world for renewable heat. we are putting money into low emission vehicles. and we are the first golf introduce a carbon floor price. these are all steps of a government committed to the green agenda. >> the chairman of the conservative party said if the money was stolen it will be returned. returned.