genocide prevention with our live coverage beginning at noon eastern over on c-span 2.

>> what a timely reply. very timel >> questions to the prime minister. mr. mccann. > question number one. >> before i list my engagements, i'm sure the whole house would want to join me in paying tribute to lance corporal jamie jonathan webb of rcian rst battalion me regiment who died in afghanistan on tuesday, march 26. he was an outstanding professional, and we must pay tribute to the service to our country. in addition to the duties of this house, i have further such meetings later today. >> mr. michael mccann? >> mr. speaker, the whole house

will wish to associate itself with the prime minister's tribute to lance corporal webb and we give our condolences to is family and his friends. e labor markets are sure the earnings dropped 1, 700 pounds since the last election. knowing that hard-working families are getting hit hard in their pockets, does the prime minister want to show remorse or indeed apologize for giving millionaires a tax cut, including himself? >> the people who should be apologizing is the party for creating this mess in the first place. specifically on his point, we will be asking the richest in our country to pay more in every year of this parliament than he ever did in any year of his parliament. that is the truth. >> mr. amess. >> my mother was very sad about

the death of baroness thatcher but was delighted that my party signed a referendum on the relationship with the european union. given my mother will first base 01 next thursday, she wondered if the referendum could be brought forward. [laughter] >> can i, first of all, send my fond regards to your mum and wish her a long and happy and healthy life and remind her if she votes conservative in 2015 she will have that in our referendum that the country eserves. >> mr. miliband? >> may i join you in paying tribute to lance corporal jamie webb to the first battalion mercian regiment. he showed the utmost courage and bravery and the thoughts of this whole house are with his

family and friends. mr. speaker, people are hearing today about patients waiting on trolleys in a&e, in some cases for more than 12 hours. we heard of one hospital pitching a treatment tent outside its premises. what does the prime minister have to say to those patients waiting hour upon hour in a and e? >> prime minister? >> first of all, this government believes in our n.h.s. is and is expanding funding in our n.h.s. and will not take the advice of the party opposite who thought increases in the spending of the n.h.s. were irresponsible. that is our view. we will go on investing in n.h.s. and need to make sure with a million extra patients visiting a&e every year we need to make sure we continue to hit the important targets we have that people get treated promptly. >> mr. milliband? >> the prime minister doesn't realize he is failing to meet the targets he has set for himself. the number of people waiting

for four hours in a&e are three times higher than when he came in office. first he downgraded the a and e target and now is not even hitting it. as he approaches his third anniversary as prime minister, he needs to explain why an a and e crisis is happening on his watch. >> first of all, let me give you the figures. for the whole of last year, we met the target for a and e. that is the facts. if you take the number of occasions on which it was breached, 15 times in the last year, that is lower than the 23 times it was breached when he was in power in 2008. those are the facts. the other point i would make to him is there is one part of the country where labor has been in charge of the n.h.s. for the last three years. that is wales where they haven't hit an a and e target since 2009. he should apologize for that. >> mr. miliband. >> there speaker, let me give him the figures.

waited 340,000 people longer than four hours in a and e. last year it was 888,000 people. and if you want to talk about records, this government left office with the highest patient satisfaction ever before in the n.h.s., the lower waiting list ever before in the n.h.s. and more doctors and nurses than ever before in the n.h.s. that rt of the problem is his replacement for the n.h.s. director service is in total chaos and how has a patchwork fragmented service where over easter 40% of calls were abandoned because they weren't answers. what's he going to do about this? >> if anyone wants to remember the labor's record of n.h.s. they only have to read the report in the stafford hospital. he mentions the number of

people waiting a long time for n.h.s. operations. that number has come down since this government came to office. the fact is which he cannot ignore is since this government came to office there is one million more people walking into a and e. there are half a million more people having in-patient treatment. and the fact is that waiting times are stable or down. waiting lists are down. the n.h.s. is performing better under this government than it ever did under labor. >> mr. miliband? >> what happened at stafford was terrible. and both of us talked about that on the day. would a eaker, disgraceful slur on the transformation of the n.h.s. that took place up to 1997 and the doctors and nurses that made that happen. now, the main reason, the main reason why he is failing to meet his a and e target month

after month is because he decided to take three billion pounds away from the front line in a top-down reorganization that nobody wanted and nobody voted for. and as a result, there are 4,500 fewer nurses than when he came to pow per. can he now explain how it's helping care in the n.h.s. to be giving in yours their p-45's. >> first of all, the gentleman is clearly in complete denial about what happened to n.h.s. under labor. let me just remind him what his spending plans are. his health secretary was asked, does he stand by his comment it's irresponsible to increase n.h.s. spending? and the gentleman said yes, i do. that is labor's official policy is to cut spending on the n.h.s., just like they're cutting spending on the n.h.s. in wales where waiting lists are up and quantity is down, too. that is what is happening in the n.h.s. under labor.

now, he also mentioned what we have done in terms of reorganization. that reorganization is going to see 4.5 billion pound extra put into the front lines compared to the cuts from labor. >> mr. miliband. >> mr. speaker, let me say he is the guy that cut n.h.s. spending when he came into office and was told off by the head of the u.k. statistics authority for not being straight to the people about it. a and e is the barometer of the n.h.s. and this prime minister may be totally out of touch but that barometer is telling us it is a system in distress. according to the care quality commission, one in 10 hospitals do not have adequate staffing levels. during the winter, mr. speaker, every hospital was at some point operating beyond the recommended safe level of bed ok pansy. hospitals are full to bursting. he's the prime minister. what's he going to do about it? he sponsors a cut in n.h.s.

spending whereas we are investing. let me give him some simple facts what happened to the n.h.s. under this government. 6,000 more doctors under this government. 7,000 fewer managers under this government. a million more treated in a and e, half a million more day cases, mixed sex wards, commonplace under labor, virtually abolished thund government. infection rates in our n.h.s. at lord low levels. as i said, waiting times for in-patients down, waiting times for outpatients stable. all of this happening under this coalition government, a far better record than he could boast. >> mr. miliband? >> mr. speaker, people up and down the country will have heard this is a prime minister with no answer for the crisis in our a and e services across the country. there is a crisis in a and e and there's no surprise he has cut the number of nurses, his n.h.s. help line is in crisis and he's wasting billions of pounds on a top-down

reorganization that he promised wouldn't happen. the facts speak for themselves. the n.h.s. is not safe in his hand. >> let us examine the n.h.s. in labor's hands in wales. here are the figures. the n.h.s. budget, is it being increased? no, it is being cut by 8% by labor. last time the urgent cancer care treatment was met in wales, in 2008. last time a and e targets were met, 2009. the welsh ambulance service has missed its callout target for the last 10 months. and of course there is no cancer drugs fund. that is what you get under labor, cuts to n.h.s., longer waiting lists and all the problems we saw at the stafford hospital will be repeated over again. >> james wharton. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday, figures showed this government reduced the deficit by a 1/3. does the prime minister agree to borrow and spend more as the

shadow chancellor has confirmed will belabor's policy in 2015 would risk the progress? >> these are very tough times we're operating in, my friend is absolutely right. we've gotten the deficit down by a 1/3 and there are 1.25 million extra jobs and we've seen a record creation of new businesses in our country. the differences between the two parties is we believe in cutting our deficit. it is their official policy to put it up. if they did that, it would be higher interest rates, more businesses going bust, harder times for homeowners. that is what labor offers. >> angus robertson. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the government is absolutely right to prioritize the combating of sexual violence in conflict under its chairmanship of the g-8 but the prime minister would have more credibility on the subject if he didn't accept hundreds of thousands of pound and private dinners at downing street for mr. ian taylor. mr. taylor's company vitol has admitted dealings with the

notorious serb war criminal arkan who is indicted for, and i quote, willfully causing great suffering, cruel treatment, murder, willful killing, rape and other inhuman acts. will the prime minister stop hosting mr. taylor at downing street and give the money back? >> first of all, let me thank the honorable gentleman for what he says my right honor friend, the foreign secretary, efforts to make sure that rape and sexual violence are no longer used as weapons of war and conflict. the government is putting a huge impetus behind that through the g-8. it's regrettable he tries to play a political card in the rest of what he says. >> mr. speaker, does the prime minister agree with me helping people who want to work hard is the right thing to do, take them out of tax altogether is the right thing to do, and making work pay is the right thing to do and not insulting them as some politicians have done by calling them trash? >> i think my honorable friend

is absolutely right. it is this government that is on the side of hard-working families. we kept interest rates low and frozen the council tax, cut income tax for 24 million people. we've taken more than two million people out of income tax altogether and our welfare reforms sadly not supported by the opposition are making sure that work always pays. >> sharon hodgson. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today's "daily telegraph" reports one million people are being declared fit for work by the d.w.p. and does it include my constituent michael moore who despite multiple illnesses and disability was declared fit for work july 2011. mr. speaker, michael died in february this year, age just 56. >> i'm very sorry on behalf of the whole house about the loss of her constituent, but i'm sure that she and, indeed, i would have thought everyone in the house would accept that it is necessary to have a system to check who is available for

work and who is able to work and who is not. of the hole point employment and support program is we judge those people who can work but need extra help and those who can't work who should always be looked after. i find it extraordinary heads are shaking in the party opposite. i thought it was the labor party, not the welfare party. >> amber rudd. >> it is essential this government continue with much needed welfare reform because coupled with the tremendous increase of private sector jobs of 1.25 million is having a real effect in hastings and rye with unemployment falling 7.4%. could i urge the prime minister to stay on this track and make the difficult decisions when he has to for the good of this country and not listen to the voices opposite which only have one thing to suggest, which is to borrow, borrow, borrow? >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right. the fact is since the election, the number of people on

out-of-work benefits has fallen by 270,000. it's absolutely essential we continue with programs to boost enterprise but also to make work pay. and we shouldn't listen to the party opposite on the issues like the benefit cap which the shadow chancellor was on the radio last year saying that 26,000 pounds was an unfair cap. i think people right across this country will be incredulous that that is the labor position, but it is. >> stephen hepburn. >> bankers bonuses at 15 billion pound, executive boardroom pay of up to 27%, tax cuts for millionaires, tax cuts for wealthy corporations, and the ordinary members of the public have got to pay for it. when is the prime minister going to represent all the people in the country and not just his privileged chums? >> well, i tell you what this government has done is taken two million of the lowest paid people out of income tax altogether. we have delivered a tax cut for

24 million people. it has frozen the fuel duty. it's freezing the council tax up and down the country. and if people want to make an impact, they should vote conservative on may 2 to make sure they keep their council tax down. >> richard ottaway? >> may i congratulate the prime minister on his support for the exhibition of modern slavery in the upper waiting hall? 200 years after it was abolished slavery continues throughout the united kingdom and is the buying and selling of people and is the second most lucrative crime in the world. can he confirm his government would continue to engage with this issue? >> i'm very grateful for what my rightful friend said, this is an immensely serious issue and i pay tribute to the all-party group in the house of commons and the house of lords and i pay tribute to anthony steen who campaigned long and hard on this issue. anyone who thinks slavery was

abolished in 1807 has another thing coming. and i would urge members who haven't seen that excellent exhibition in the chamber in the house of commons to go see it and see all the different ways people can be trapped into slavery. it is notable this is not just people who are being trafficked from eastern europeo or elsewhere, there are examples of slavery of british citizens in this country being put into forced labor. it's an excellent exhibition and there's more for the government to do. >> elan jones? >> mr. speaker, i wonder if the prime minister would be kind enough to tell the house how much he would benefit personally from the scrapping of the tax rate? >> as i said before, i will pay every appropriate tax. but like everybody else, every single taxpayer in this country is benefiting from the rise in the personal allowance that we put in place. everyone can benefit from a freeze in the council tax. everyone can benefit from what we've done on fuel duty, and everyone would pay the price of another labor government.

>> mr. speaker, are the government's cap on benefits already has incentivized 8,000 people back into work. doesn't this demonstrate how important welfare reform is, getting people back to work, making work pay, a policy opposed by the party opposite? >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right. the measures on welfare reform we're taking, like the benefit cap, like the 1% increase, making sure the people are available for work, making sure that you can't get job seeker's allowance unless you take proper steps to find a job, all of these are about fairness to our country and making work pay. what is interesting about all of them, even the proposal to stop paying housing benefit of sometimes up to 100,000 pounds to a single family, every single one of those welfare changes has one thing in common, they've been opposed by the party opposite. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on the subject of jobs, last

week 21 tory m.e.p.'s voted against the e.u. emissions trading scheme, meaning the british industry will face much higher energy prices than the european competitors,, threatening jobs and investment. when will the prime minister get a great office party and stand up for british business? >> well, i thought the honorable gentleman might start by thanking the chancellor for the move taken in the budget to help very important businesses in his constituency with excessive energy costs, but clearly the milk of humankindness is running a bit thinly with the honorable gentleman. and i have to say, if we're going to get into lectures about m.e.p.'s, perhaps he could get his to stop voting against the british rebate. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister will offensive board wear that last week three people in cumbria were arrest who had were apparently blowing the whistle in the public interest over the actions of the police commissioner. will he agree with me that this

is a threat to freedom of speech, an outrage in a democratic society and will he intervene to make sure there is an independent investigation? >> i will look carefully at this case. in general, we should support whistle blowers and what they do to help improve the provision of public services but i will have a look and get back tom. >> nick smith? >> thank you, mr. speaker. the willful neglect of residents in their care homes is a crime. but too often the victims and the victims' families don't get justice. time and time again we've seen injury, we've seen abuse and sometimes we've seen death. given that it's your third anniversary, why don't we have a law that is fit for purpose? >> well, first of all, i think the honorable gentleman is right to rise that issue. we've seen over the last few years some frankly shocking examples of not just malpractice but let's be frank, crime taking place in our care homes, and there are a number

of investigations underway. i think one of the most important things we can do is make sure the care quality commission is up to the task of investigating these homes properly and has robust structures in place. that wasn't what we found when we got in. in terms of making sure the criminal law is available, it is already available, and when there are bad examples, the police and prosecuting authorities can intervene and should do so. >> caroline nokes? >> 62 people have died using d.n.p., a highly toxic herbicide banned for use as a slimming drug but easily available online alongside other dubious slimming products. what commitment might my honorable friend give to work across government to make sure this trade is stop and in so doing will help prevent the deaths of more young people? >> this morning i read the tragic case of the girl who died from taking this substance. one can only think of the heartache her family and other families are going through when

things like this happen. i will very carefully look at what the honorable lady says. this isn't an easy issue because the substance is banned as a slimming drug but is legal as a herbicide. we have to look carefully, as she says, across government about what more we can did to arn people about these things. >> irranca davies? >> thank you. was the prime minister consulted on the decision to reject the appointment of baroness tanni grey thompson to the chair of the sport england? >> these decisions are made by the secretary of state for culture and sport and i think she reached a very good decision. >> nick de bois? >> mr. speaker, the armed forces covenant is something members on this side of the house are proud of. the prime minister will also be aware of the community covenant launched by the british legion to which 300 local authorities have signed up to, sadly not

mine in enfield council nor another 132. will the prime minister join me in urging these councils to sign this covenant locally and help support work across the constituency and in particularly before armed forces day? >> i'm very grateful to my honor habble friend -- honorable friend for raising this issue. my local authority in oxfordhire was one of the first to sign the community covenant with the largest air base in the country. i urge all authorities to look at this. i think the armed forces covenant is a breakthrough for our country in a way to show respect for what our armed forces and their families do. i commend the fact this government is using the libor fines to help fund some really powerful elements of the armed forces covenant and means those people who behave badly in our economy, some of the banks, are paying for some of those who behave the best.

>> mrs. ritchie? >> thank you. will the prime minister explain the 11th hour postponement of the universal credit pilots, and is this the beginning of the unraveling of his unworkable and unfarewell fair reform proposal? >> i hate to correct the honorable lady but the pilots are going ahead starting in parts of the northwest of england. i think it's very important that we do have proper pilots and evaluation of pilots who want to learn the lesson of some of the failures of the tax credit system brought in in a big bang and ending up with big disaster. it is right we are piloting but as the secretary of state, his program is on target and on budget. >> sir bob russell? >> council taxpayers in essex pay 5,000 pounds for the leader of the council and his cronies to attend the conservative party conference. this is one of hundred of dodgey transactions using credit card over eight years totaling 500,000 pound in an average of more than 1,000

pound a week including 60 overseas visits to the australia among other places. does the prime minister agree that such an extravagant misuse of public money be the subject of a inquiry? >> it's obvious important that all such issues are properly looked into but i am sorry to disappointment my friend but on this issue it is important that they back the conservatives. >> prime minister believes food banks are a good example of big society. ast year 7,400 people across stoke-on-trent including 2,600 children needed food banks to stop them from starving. been eek, food banks have forced to restrict food to family with children and people over age 65. isn't it true the prime minister has failed britain and big society is overwhelmed?

>> i'm disappointed in what the honorable gentleman says because it was the last government in 2003 that gave to the tressel trust, the organization behind britain's food bank, gave them a golden jubilee award for voluntary service. and this is what, and i'm blad to see in his plate the right honor habble member for sheffield brightside, he said this, it's an opportunity to enhance the opportunity and life for others in the community. of course these are difficult times and of course food bank use went up 10 times under labor but i think we should praise people who play a role in our society rather than center at them? >> john stevenson? >> thank you, mr. speaker. the chief executive of cumbria county council is to leave the authority with an agreed package and would be substantial and run into hound of thousands of pounds. would the prime minister agree this and similar arrangements are difficult for the public to

accept, and are certainly not good use of taxpayers' money? >> i would agree with what my honorable friend says. we do now require councils to publish their pay policies and councils should all be voting on these deals so they can vote against excessive deals. that's something that's changed under this government but i would urge all councils of whatever political persuasion to look what they can do to share chief executives to share finance executives and combine their back office costs. everyone knows who is in government right now, public spending reductions would have to be made. let's make them by taking it out of the back office rather than the front line. >> sandra osborne? >> mr. speaker, is the prime minister aware the scottish coal went into liquidation last week and 600 hard-working people in scotland have lost their jobs, the majority of my constituency? the tories closed the deep mines during the 1980's. will he stand behind the open cast industry today or will it

be the same old tories? >> i'm very happy to look at what she says and we want to support all of our industries in britain including the coal industry whether in scotland or england. obviously in scotland since the election, the number of people in work has gone up but we need to see that go further and faster and i'm very happy to look at the particular industrial example she gives. >> pauline latham? duresta, nd went to and at the same time he visitted a manufacturing company. does he not agree with me to get manufacturing companies to continue to export and expand their exports, especially the in in my constituent derbyhire is the best way out of recession? new saw them go into

export markets and investing in atrent usships and doing everything this company is supporting and we want to back many more firms doing that. but people in derby hire who want to see another year of a council tax freeze need a vote very carefully on may 2. >> joan walley? >> will the prime minister give careful consideration to the recommendations of the nvironmental report on pesticides and will he on monday of next week give his government's backing to the european commission's proposed moratorium on the use of three neonicotinoids? >> i will look very carefully at what the honorable lady says. i am the live patron of the oxfordhire bee keepers association. i have i thinkee