to keep to lower costs margins good are you have to find a new place to get them. they're attacking both of the things. attacking the revenue side, looking for new ways to lie to consumers -- if you look at comcast, if you can make video-on-demand easier to use, the interface is more delightful -- you can innovate. you can also see them taking advantage of broadband. it is a blessed source of new business opportunity for our industry. it is growing much faster. and as good economics. the rapid change and telecommunication technology advances in the future of the cable industry. 8:00y night at

during this week's question and answer time, david cameron insert questions. he also answered questions about long waiting times for passports. this is about 55 minutes. >> questions to the prime minister. >> number one, mr. speaker. >> thank you. i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in wishing the england football team, the very best of british before their first world cup game this saturday in brazil. mr. speaker, i had meetings this morning. i'll will have further such meetings later today.

>> i wish every football team in the world cup, everyone -- they have received decisions. if we continue at the street, it will take more than 40 years to get to the point where everyone gets a say. what is he going to do about that? troduced these new benefits that we make sure it is done in a way that works well. so i would say it's very important not to have an artificial deadline of replacing one benefit with another. the whole point about the personal independence payment is it is more accurate and more targeted than disability living allowance. it will need more help for those with the greatest disabilities and are determined we get it

right. >> would've the prime minister join me in congratulating the foreign secretary on organizing this weeks important global summit to end sexual violence, and agreed indeed it is time to act? >> i think it's huge credit to the foreign secretary for the work that he has done but also i'd like to pay tribute to all of the ngos across various countries of the world who all come together for this extraordinary summit in london. it is absolutely vital that we never forget about the victims of sexual violence in conflict. this is something that is still far too prevalent in our world, but real advances have been made by having a declaration that countries are signing up to and then even more important, an action plan of how to gather evidence, prosecute the rockers are make sure they're properly punished while helping the survivors and listening to the testimony of survivors of yesterday in downing street was immensely powerful. >> mr. ed miliband. [shouting]

>> mr. speaker, let me first join the prime minister in wishing the team the best of luck in the world cup. the whole of the country well i'm sure to be behind them. now thank you, everybody will have been concerned about what is been happening in certain schools in birmingham including girls being sent to the back of the class and the forced removal of head teachers. mr. speaker, at the heart of this story is a failure of accountability locally and nationally. but the key question for parents is this. if there is a serious problem at their school, where do they go to get it sorted out? >> first of all let me echo what the right honorable member has said about how important is to get a grip on this issue. the problem of extremism in our school is series. the situation not just in birmingham and elsewhere is action is serious and i'm will be determined as is the home secretary, ma as it is of the education secretary, to make sure this is unacceptable in our

country. people should be being taught in our schools in a way that makes sure they can play a full part in the life of our country. in terms of where you go to, if you're concerned about what is happening in your school, the first place to go is to the headteacher into the chair of government. and while i hope we can forge real unity across the house of commons on combating islamist extremism in our schools, i hope that it isn't used as an agenda to try and knock down successful school formats, whether academies greater under the last government or free schools created under this government. >> mr. speaker, they're certainly a degree of common ground on what our kids are taught in schools and having a proper upholding of value but the prime minister said that people should go to the headteacher or the chair of governor. in this, in certain cases the headteacher was removed and the governing body was part of the problem.

and the truth is it's a very hard question to answer as to who parents can go to because we have been incredibly fragmented school system where no one is properly responsible. now some of the schools, some of the schools are local authority schools and some of the schools are local authority schools, and some of the more academy. but what parents want is someone responsible on a day-to-day basis who can intervene quickly when things go wrong. now doesn't there need to be one service of accountability for all schools for the education of our children's? >> as i said the first protocol is the headteacher and the chair of governors. if people believe there is a real problem, there is one organization that has responsibility for checking standards in all of these schools and that, of course, is off state. that is why one, why it's a important what education sector has said about no notice inspection. with one of the opposition just asked is how can this happen

quickly. it will happen quickly if it is no notice inspections. the point i would make to the leader of the opposition is this is an important debate. this is an important debate. if we are saying there is only one model of accountability, that will work and some people in the south believe the only model of accountability is local government accountability, it is worth making the point that birmingham city council failed in their duty to these parents. and, indeed, when we look at what it was that caused action to happen it was only when the department of education was contacted that proper action was taken. so yes let's learn the lesson and let's listen to the permanent secretary of the education department when he reports, but let us learn the right lessons. >> he -- only if the ofsted inspections been happened only

once every five years. that is not the kind of system and candidly that you need. that is the thing, mr. speaker. here's the thing of think we should be up to agree on. nobody surely believes that the department of education can run 20,000 schools. may be dissected stable is that but i don't think anyone can possibly do. no one is arguing to go back to the old local authority system. isn't it time, isn't it time -- [shouting] is in a time if they just listen to the question, isn't it time for a proper system of local oversight, council, responsible for standards at all schools to prevent what happened in birmingham happening elsewhere in? >> i have to say i always listen very carefully to his proposals but this sounds like creating a new local bureaucracy where we need to make sure that the resources are going into the school for the teachers and the computers and the books and the

equipment. and he says that a ofsted inspection can only take place every five years but the point about these no notice inspections if we're going to give this issue the attention it deserves, that a report and a suspicion to ofsted about these problems could result in an instant inspection and instant action. let me make one other point because it's often said that some of these new formats for schools, results are academies which is not the party opposite they used to wonder sensible still, supported, that they don't act as us as local authority schools. in fact, completely opposite is the case when there's been a problem in preschools or in academies far, far more action been taken than other schools and been left in the state of failure for far too long. >> mr. speaker, i do have to say to him that he has no answer on this question of accountability.

ofsted inspectors are not going to do the job. everybody knows it. now, try to want to turn to the failure in the education department to failures in the home office. can the prime minister update the house on his latest estimate of the backlog of people waiting for the passport applications to be processed? >> the situation with the passport agency is extremely important that we get it right because i understand people are anxious, they want to get the passport, they want to be legal and holiday. let me give him the fact, that we have 300,000 extra applications that is normal at this time of year. we have increase massively the staff, the level of applications outside the normal three-week limit is less than the 10% of the 300,000. >> mr. speaker, the truth is that is tens of thousands of people who are finding the holidays are being canceled because they're not actually getting a passport. and he said they've increased

the resources, increase the resources at the passport agency. that is not the case. there are greater responsibilities for the agencies and fewer resources. will the prime minister tell the house went to the government first know about this problem and how has it been allowed to develop? >> well, the government has taken action to deal with this problem -- not today but in weeks contest. we got 250 staff already redeployed to the frontline, prioritizing all outstanding applications but that would allow for extra 25,000 examinations weekly. we are having -- asked the question. people would be concerned about this, they will want to be the answer. >> order. that's certainly true. and they say to mr. robertson, you do have something of a lion's roar and it rather let you down because i can have very clearly. and as for you, mr. lucas, i told you commuted to go on some sort of therapeutic training course. lets you the answer.

prime minister. >> the government has major as i said 250 extra staff deployed, longer opening hours in the passport office, now seven days a week, 650 extra staff on the help line to support customers and the home secretary has announced today that new offices will be open in liverpool next week with an additional 100 step if the home office has been on this from the very start but it all begins with 300,000 extra people applying for passports compared with the previous time last year. those are the actions that are being taken but i hope you will be careful not to try and frighten people in the way they did with his opening question. >> mr. speaker, he says the government is sorting out the problem but there are tens of thousands of people who we understand a wedding for the application to be processed, and you are finding their holidays have been canceled. the truth of the picture of this government is we have the home

secretary fighting with the education secretary but not paying attention to the business of government. [shouting] and here's the thing, mr. speaker, to add insult to injury people are being told that if they want their applications processed in the three weeks target, they have to pay 55 pounds extra. can the prime minister to get a grip on the situation and tell families when is the backlog going to be cleared? >> we will be clearing the backlog not least because we're not wasting time with a national identity card scheme from the party opposite. but isn't it interesting, isn't it interesting, mr. speaker, not a word about the unemployment figures? [shouting] he simply cannot stand the fact that in our country we've now got 2 million more people in work in the private sector. [shouting] he cannot stand the fact that unemployment has fallen yet again. the claimant count has come down. he is absolutely allergic to

good news because he knows that as our economy gets stronger, he gets weaker. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker. it's now 28 years since the devastating accident happened in chernobyl and the effects are still in fac effect today, particularly by children. last year -- [inaudible] to come to uk for care while many were dying. will they pm we look at our policy because since charging for these these as we've seen a 50% reduction in the young people being able to come to the uk for respite care? >> i'm happy to look at the kc raises and we all remember the appalling incident that took place at chernobyl and the long-term effects that it had on people. we charge for visas because we have to cover the cost of these operations to make sure that we're protecting ourselves and people who shouldn't come here but to come here and that's important but i will careful at what he said and perhaps i will write to him.

>> mr. speaker, will the prime minister agree with me that now more than ever we need to bend our efforts to build a strong, robust civil society? 100 years ago this august a war broke out that killed 16 million mainly young men but devastated communities. the lack of active participation in politics is declining rapidly. only 34% of people voted in the recent euro election. can he agree with me to meet at a cross party basis to look at citizenship in this country in a serious way so we can look at how we build society that encourages active citizenship? >> i agree with what they write honorable gentleman said. returned to some of these elections is very depressing but i think people feel with respective european elections that these institutions are rather distant from them and they don't see the relevance of them. of course, i'm happy to look at what he says about citizenship, but i would prefer that would put our resources and effort

into practical programs, things like national citizen service which is i think now a superb service and that many young people are taking part in so they can see the importance of engaging in their jimmy discoe engaging in the world and that i think will lead among other things to greater political participation. >> will be prime minister join in welcoming the 2 million new private-sector -- [shouting] jobs that are being created census 2010 quickly continued with the long-term economic -- [shouting] go up? >> i think my friend makes an important, this is an important milestone that we have reached which is there are now 2 million more private-sector jobs than when this government came to office, that is 2 million reasons for sticking to the long-term economic plan that we set out. can i think and particularly for the work that he has done for his constituents in terms of running a job club after job club to help make sure that the businesses that need more work i

put in touch with the people looking for a job? ikebana important service that members of parliament are delivering and he is leading the way. >> thank you, mr. speaker. given the revelation that the royal prerogative of mercy has been granted in at least 16 cases relating to terrorism in the days and weeks immediately following the belfast agreement, stretching back to the 1980s, would the prime minister agree in the interest of openness, transparency and not least an interest of justice to the victims in northern ireland and, indeed, cases here in britain itself, that he should be intervened to ensure that the circumstances of these exercise of royal prerogative of mercy should be rebuilt as it is in the rest of the united kingdom so that people will know the facts -- the facts of these cases? >> i will look as i always do very carefully to what the audible chairman says about this. what i would say is that the last government did have to make very difficult decisions to try

to get the piece process started by john major on track and working. i don't want to undertake all those difficult decisions or second-guess those difficult decisions because we have in northern ireland now, yes, we have frustrations and difficulties and many of issues that need to be subtle but we have the basic architecture of devolution and parties working together across historic divide and i don't want to put that at risk. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today's employment figures show unemployment is down by 37% since may 2010. since doing to i have held a job fairs advertising hundreds of local jobs. to some of the 2 million private sector jobs have been created since this government but there's still more to do. together with the jobs are, i'm launching a mr. engler jobs beach where local members will be paired with local people looking for work helping to find them with one to one support.

>> can i thank my friend for what he's doing in terms of these job fairs, to the people who want work in touch with businesses. and this is absolutely key because there is no complacency on the side of the house about an opponent whatsoever. use on a punt, long-term unemployment, we still need to remove these scourges from our country. we have a goal of full implement and the way we will achieve that goal is not simple to a growing economy, growing faster than other countries in the g7, but also by making sure we help people, trained people and give them all what his message to get on and get a job and have security and stability in their lives. >> thank you, mr. speaker. shockingly, one in three children in the northeast are now living in poverty, the highest rate in the uk. significantly, two out of three in people who are living in poverty are living in working households now. would be prime minister agree with me that something went wrong suddenly with regard to child poverty and can he say

please, please, tell me where it all went wrong? >> what i would say to the honorable gentleman is the best route out of poverty is work, and if we look at the northeast, the number of people employed in the northeast is up by 47,000 over the last year. that's what's happening in the northeast. now, i know the labour want to have this narrative in our country but let me give them some facts. inequality is at its lowest since 1986. there are 300,000 fewer children in child poverty than when i became prime minister. there are half a million fewer people in relative poverty than at the election. that is what is happening but a bubble -- >> mr. campbell, when you're eating curry -- order. when you're eating curry indicating in canberra, you don't yell across the restaurant. don't yell across the floor of his house. the prime minister. >> what we need to do is to

tackle the causes of poverty underachievement at school, homelessness, lack of work, drug addiction. that is what drives this government. is that we did with and their 250,000 fewer children in failing schools and when this government took office. >> mr. speaker, it's longer to carry out medical assessments of applicants for disability benefits than they do for people living elsewhere but this is because the other reluctant -- [inaudible] i'm sure the primacy will agree this is unacceptable, but will he tell why they discriminate against people this way and they must receive ss that's as good as people in the rest of the country? >> obviously there are challenges and particularly far-flung rural constituencies like he is with so many islands with in the air tonight except we have to make sure we make sure people get their system

probably dig up these assessments are important to the whole point of our program is we don't want to leave people on unemployment or other benefits year after year but we want these assessments probably could as we can see whether they are applicable for benefits and what help they need to get work. >> dr. alan whitehead. >> is the prime minister's intention to help people with the cause of insecurity of renting their homes lose its slot -- [inaudible] or did he perhaps not have any proposals in the first place? >> what this government is doing is making sure we build more houses. that is what we absolutely need to do to help either those were renting or buying. yes, we need greater transparency in terms of what leading agencies do, and we're delivering that. out as part of our program, but i don't live a policy of rent controls which arose -- letting agents themselves instead would

put up red is the answer. >> mr. speaker, metal fabricators, hydraulic, cnc turning, mechanical engineers and maintenance for friendship are some of the real jobs for local people offered at jobs there. with the news to many -- [inaudible] will the prime minister continue to support creating real jobs and quality apprenticeships of? >> look, absolutely i will. the point my for next is a good one which is we are seeing a rebalancing of our economy. just this week say manufacturing figures with growth in manufacturing. we've seen all those elements of gdp, construction, manufacturing grown. what we want to see his recovery that is broadly based across the difference sectors and every part of the country. when it comes to the figures today you can see pay levels in

industries like manufacturing and services rather than financial services on the rise. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. last week the right tribal member said that people in uk have not yet felt any sense of recovery. and today, the north east full-time workers are 36 pounds a week worse off than they were last year. does the prime minister agree with his cabinet colleague? >> the point of would make to the audible lady is i just said that there are 47,000 more people in work in the northeast than the were a year ago. the best route out of poverty is work and what that needs to be followed by are the tax reductions that this government is bringing on to make sure that you are in work and better off in work. that's going to make a difference. >> thank you, mr. speaker. they increase the turnover by 10% to over 2 billion pounds

last year and increases the workforce significantly, constituting 2 million private sector jobs but on top of that they'vthey just been voted euron family business of the year. will my right honorable friend join me in congratulating them and agreed to visit? >> i'm sure i will be visiting my honorable friend's constituency before long. i join them in congratulating this great british country this great british computer completely came with me on my visit to china where we were pushing speed does as hard as we could, including -- [laughter] including getting them on the vital chinese equipment to amazon to make sure that they could be sold at very happy to come and visit. is a part of the economic success story and export success story of our country. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on monday i'm going to united nations to address a number of member states and to present a cross party petition in support

of the inclusion of the right to healthy early childhood into new post 2015 millennium development goals. this petition has been signed by people from 170 countries around the world. can i, therefore, ask the prime minister to support with his advocacy and to support of his government this leadership by the united nations to create benefits for at least 200 million of the world's poorest children? >> i pay to do the right honorable lady and what she was doing in this area. britain has tried to put a leading role in making sure that the world has a good replacement for the millennium development goals, and i co-authored a report with others about what should be put into place. at the heart of this was the idea of better maternal health and better health services, particularly for women in childbirth. i am very happy to look at the

proposal that she makes to make sure we put the full ways -- the full weight of the british government behind it. >> could i join my right honorable friend in wishing the england soccer team every success in the world cup? could also raise one of the darker aspects of the game? mr. speaker, recently my constituent was a series of salted by refereeing and local football game by one of the players on the field. he was very seriously injured. but i therefore ask the prime minister what steps the government is taking to ensure that violence whether editors on the field or off the field history with equal seriousness and is never tolerated? >> my audible for next and more but which is of course passionate it's good to say that again but there is really important that we crack down on all forms of bad behavior whether on or off the football pitch. referee should have the full protection of law to ensure committee football is safe and enjoyable your ip treated for

all the work they've done in terms of training but also explained the importance of respect and good behavior in our game. we need more of that in the years to come. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i have nightmares this evening about the prime minister modeling speed does. thanks for sharing that. [laughter] and on a series note, mr. speaker, in scotland alone since the prime minister took office the number of people that a been forced into using loan sharks is up 37%. affected this made the total 85,000 people in scotland and that's an estimate it can ask the prime minister what is good is going to do about this and you think that is acceptable? >> personal library sure the audible lady that speedos also

makes surmake sure to avoid andt of vermont. [laughter] look, there's a series of issues that audible members quite rightly raise that we need to properly tackle to make sure that we have everyone in our country benefit from economic recovery. on the minimum wage which was a declining when i became prime minister, it is now increasing. on zero hours contract, nothing done under the last government. now legislation to get rid of it. on payday lending, nothing done in the last 13 years. now we are properly regulated it with a cap on payday lending. on minimum wage would also make sure that the penalties for not paying the minimum wage have been quadrupled under this government. i'm determined to make sure that everyone who wants to work hard and do the right thing can benefit from economic recovery now underway. >> the prime minister must know that every member of this house collectively and jointly shares a total repentance that a young woman has been sentenced to 100 lashes and a death penalty

simply for wanting to practice her faith. will my right honorable friend request the uk delegation, to united nations council on human rights to present the case that the concept of -- is in direct and total conflict with article 18 of united nations convention on human rights? and will my right honorable friend assure the house that the sudanese government will be left in no doubt of the awards in which the sentence is held? >> i think my right honorable friend speaks for the whole house on this issue. i completely share his of boards about the way this case has been treated. it has been absolute barbaric and it is no place in this world. i can confirm we will be raising this case at the forthcoming u.n. human rights council. sedan instrument on the agenda at this comes out of think we should bring the full weight the totally accept a way in which this woman is being treated. >> it was good of the prime minister to which the england

team every success in the forthcoming world cup, but with the cabinet split and his coalition fractured, should he not be picking up the phone to the royal hudson and asking some tips from team discipline? [laughter] >> i wouldn't want to offer roi too much advice can but what i would say about his government, what i would say about his government, we've had the same chance for for four years and we have record growth in our country. we have had the same non sequitur for four years and with that record false of crime in our country. we have had the same education secretary and we are delighted 50,000 fewer children in failing schools. i say if you have a strong team with a strong plan, stick with the team, stick with a plan and keep on putting it in the back of the net. [shouting]

>> mr. speaker, the prime minister will have heard calls from audible members on all sides of this house or an independent inquiry on the model into organized child sexual abuse in this country. can he truly be satisfied that currently to investigations are sufficient for the public to have confidence that we are both willing and able to get to the truth? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very important point and i've looked at this carefully with mr. collins because of course we have a series of inquiries taking place into what happened in various hospitals and care homes and, indeed, media organizations and i think it's important the government keeps a clear view about how these are being coordinated at how the lessons are being learned. if there is a need for anymore over arching process to be put in place i'm very happy to look at that but at the moment i think led by the home secretary and our colleagues we do have a

proper view of what's happening at all of these organizations. >> analysis has shown the labour policy to allocate funding based on house needs actually reduced -- by 85%. why, why should the government scrap it? >> what this government has done is actually to make sure that the public health budgets are properly -- and to deliver the money according to need to the various areas of the country. the only part of the country i am aware, where labour policy is put in place, is in wales where they haven't actually had a health target since about 1989, and were experts are saying people are dying because of the length of time they spend in waiting list. so issues concerned about labour health policy, i think that would be a good place to start. >> thank you, mr. speaker. youth unemployment today stands

at 50, not a% of the total. and it is down 83%. it reflects the 2 million new private sector jobs great and so will my right honorable friend be building upon the success by providing more opportunities and skills with young people in our area by expanding apprenticeships? >> i think my honorable friend is absolute right that even though 50 is a very small number of people to be young and unemployed, it is still 50 to me. are ambition and the next parliament should be to make sure that everyone has the chance either of going to university or taking on the petition and we leave out fully no one behind as they leave school and look for the stability and security that a future and work provides. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this government said it was going to recruit 11,000 reserves to make up for the cuts to the regular army. what in fact has happened is the

number is declined since 2012. is -- if he continues to reside not only the passports but as for the example of governments in competence and, frankly, -- spent i'm afraid to say what we inherited in terms of defense is not only a 38 billion pounds black hole but a situation where the military reserves, where they have been under resource and undervalued fo four years. we now have a five year program for building them up. the program is underway. it is gathering pace and what we're going to see is the strongest possible professional army with all of the best equipment that they could have and a very strong reserve force backing up, making sure t