Prime Minister's Questions
April 27, 2011
PMQ’s: Wednesday 27th April 2011
Jim Shannon: Asked about the Real IRA march in Northern Ireland, the threats they made and asked for a forceful response. DC gave assurances and called the march unacceptable, remembering PC Ronan Kerr.
Brian Binley: Asked about lending to businesses by banks and the construction industry dropping. DC – Agreed that construction industry figures are disappointing. We have introduced the new homes bonus. But economy growing and manufacturing and exports up. Banks must increase lending. We have an agreement with them to do this.
EM: Asked if flat-lining economy is a mark of success or failure. DC – the economy is growing so a success. 400,000 more people are now in work in the private sector compared to a year ago. EM predicted a double dip recession – two quarters of negative growth – he should stop talking down our economy.
EM: What complacency from the PM. He told us we were out of danger zone six months ago. No growth at all since then. The Chancellor tells the cabinet the economy on track, but it is not meeting the OBI figures from just last month. His cuts are too far too fast. DC – EM was desperate for the economy to shrink today. He had prepared for it. But the economy grew, and they should welcome it. The danger zone is countries like Portugal, Greece and Ireland who didn’t deal with their debts. We are dealing with ours.
EM: It is not me talking down the economy, his austerity rhetoric has put consumer confidence at its lowest. He has been PM for a year. He can’t blame the last government any more. Six months of no growth is his fault. DC: Economy has grown 1.8% over last year. All the time he was in cabinet, it never grew in a quarter more than 0.5%. We are in a new financial year when the Darling plan would have cut deficit. They would have cut £7 for every £8 we are cutting. He has no sensible proposals, just opportunism.
Nadine Dorries: Will he condemn a leaflet from Yes campaign, chaired by ERS. It diminishes parliament and democracy. DC: What matters is to get back to the real arguments about the two electoral systems.
Kevin Brennan: Is the Health Secretary’s job guaranteed? DC: He does an excellent job. Contrast what he is delivering - real terms increases in health spending - with Wales, where the NHS is being cut in real terms by Labour led Assembly.
Adrian Sanders: Everyone was shocked at phone hacking allegations. Will he instigate a full judicial inquiry? DC – Phone hacking unacceptable and against the law. We urge police and prosecutors to follow the evidence where it leads.
Debbie Abrahams: Why are inception-cluster PPC’s being brought forward if the Health Bill is paused. The pause is just political manoeuvring from him before elections. DC: The pause is a genuine exercise to get the best out of reforms. We have got to go ahead with driving out bureaucracy and excessive spending.
Peter Aldous: Suffolk broadband is amongst the worst in the country. Does he agree that investment in it in the region is essential for recovery. DC: We are spending £530m on broadband. It is essential, particularly in rural areas like Suffolk.
EM: Can the PM say why 98.7% of nurses have no confidence in his Health Service reforms. DC: Changes mean a challenge to take people with you. We have paused to get them going again with greater support. If he wants to, he can make constructive suggestions.
EM: Not a very good answer. Why do they have no confidence in policy? It is a bad policy. No-one voted for them. They are not in coalition agreement or either party manifesto. Two years ago he said there would be no more pointless top-down reorganisations. Why did waiting times drop under the Labour government but have gone up under this government? DC: Outpatient waiting times fell last month. He says we are introducing EU competition policy, GP;’s charging, patients without services. We are doing none of these.
EM: Hopeless answer. Department of health figures say waiting times are up. One reason is because billions is going from patient care to pay for the reorganisation. Will he listen to doctors, patients, and nurses and scrap this reorganisation? DC: Howard Stoate, former Labour MP for Dartford is now a GP. He says, “my discussions with fellow GP’s reveal overwhelming enthusiasm for the chance to help shape services for their patients.”
William Cash: Asked abour recent European issues, including the budget and Portugal bail-out. Will the PM say no to all of them? DC: Important point about 5% euro budget increases. That will not happen.
Phil Wilson: Asked about a large wind-farm in his constituency. It is less than a mile away from homes and in beautiful landscape. What can his constituents do to stop this? DC: Will arrange a meeting with the planning minister. Where wind-farms do go ahead, they should benefit local area.
Dr Sarah Wollaston: In 2007, Labour medical training applications service was introduced. It was a disaster. Is he aware that current proposals for training reorganisation could have similar consequences? DC: I guarantee that we will not make the mistakes of the last Government on medical training.
Bill Esterton: Asked about a constituent getting treatment in hospital. His operation was cancelled four times. He was also told about the closure of beds and redundancies of nurses. These are cuts. DC: Of course things go wrong, that why we need reform. Only one party will increase NHS spending. That’s what we are doing.
Stephen Gilbert: Two million families are on waiting lists for social housing, There are one million homes empty. Is this a housing crisis? DC: I do acknowledge we have a difficult situation. House building was at a sixty year low when we came in. The New Homes Bonus and other incentives will see extra houses.
John Woodcock: Will he explain why waiting times are going up. DC: He is wrong about that. Waiting times have been broadly stable over the last couple of years. He is a moderniser. If you want waiting times down, you need a system with greater choice.
Fiona Bruce: Is engaged in consultation process on the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. Does he agree action is needed? DC: Completely agree. As a parent it is worrying to see what is available and we are asking kids to grow up too soon. The Chief Executive of the Mothers Union is conducting an enquiry and we expect a report in few weeks time.
Ian Lucas: Hospices are described as a big success of Big Society. Why is Nightingale Hospice in his constituency paying £20,000 more in tax? DC: The hospice movement is fantastic and gift aid has been increased. Why is he supporting an NHS cut in Wales?
Jonathan Evans: Younger Women drivers face hike in insurance as a result of Euro court judgement. Why has it been warmly welcomed by a Labour London MEP? DC: Shows that the loony left is alive and well. Insurance premiums ought to reflect risk.
Jamie Reed: The PM visited West Cumberland hospital following the Derrick Bird shootings. They will suffer from his reforms. Will he remove GP commissioning from health Bill. DC: He doesn’t need to worry about West Cumberland hospital. The Department of Health is working on plans to redevelop the hospital.
Richard Harrington: He will know we lost 1.7 million manufacturing jobs under last government. DC: We are seeing an increase in manufacturing output and we are backing it with low tax and other incentives.
Paul Flynn: Fukushimi shows that we should plan for a future free from the costs and fears of nuclear fuel. DC: Of course we must learn lessons, but it is a different design in different part of the world. The industry has got to keep proving safety record.
Ian Swailes: The PM is an opponent of AV system. Will he therefore stand aside for David Davis MP, who was ahead after the first round of the Tory leadership election? DC: In my leadership bid we toured the country and the person who won actually won, unlike some parties round here.
Ben Bradshaw: The Recovery has stalled since he became PM. He said unemployment would fall in each year. DC: The fact is there are 390,000 more in private sector jobs. He should welcome that.
Lee Scott: Will he support an Independent International Review into the crimes by the Sri Lankan Government against the Tamil people? DC: I will look at what he says and write to him about this.
Nigel Dodds: Why have Royal Irish Regiment and the Irish Guards been denied a homecoming parade in Belfast? DC: Their bravery is outstanding. There will be a number of homecoming events across Northern Ireland. We are discussing this with Belfast City Council. They did have a homecoming parade in Market Drayton, Shropshire where they are stationed.
Henry Smith: Congratulations to Crawley Council on freezing council tax. How many other councils have done the same? DC: Every single council has frozen CT. We all remember CT doubling under last Government.
