Prime Minister's Questions
July 13, 2011
PMQ’s: Wednesday 13th July 2011
DUNCAN HAMES: Murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had her phone hacked and voicemails deleted. The police have taken bribes for confidential and private information. Tell me Prime Minister; are these the actions of a fit and proper person? Can the takeover of BskyB by News International be justified? DC: There is a firestorm engulfing the media, the police and the government’s ability to see clearly on this matter. We must think of the victims and make sure those guilty are prosecuted.
EM: I met the family of Milly Dowler yesterday- what happened to them was horrific. We must pay tribute to their courage. Does the Prime Minister agree that Rebekah Brooks should resign? DC: There should be change. The resignation should have been accepted. News International must sort out this mess.
EM: Thank you for agreeing on this matter. Do you accept that it is wrong to expand News International’s stake in British media and agree that Murdoch should drop the bid? DC: Yes I agree. The Government has a job to do and we should look at amending the law. We are sending a message from the House of Commons.
EM: I look forward to the debate later. Can the Prime Minister confirm that we need to make sure we get to the bottom of what’s happened here? DC: The nature of the enquiry will be discussed, along with the nature of the amendments that need to be made. The media must be more transparent. The relationship of the media and politicians must be amended so it is more transparent.
EM: On the matter of Andy Coulson, why was he hired as Head of Communications, given that he clearly had information about the hackings? DC: He did not know any information about the hacking when he was hired. If it turns out he lied- then he should be prosecuted, he is innocent until proven guilty. We are not talking about a secret stash of information, it was information published in The Guardian at the same time in 2010 that our office was approached for investigation. It was not a secret! If both I and the police were lied to then it is a matter of deep regret and criminal prosecution.
EM: The Prime Minister was warned about hiring Andy Coulson as Head of Communication. He should apologise for the catastrophic error of judgement. DC: The public want us to fix this mess. We have a full on police investigation, along with a public enquiry led by a judge. We will bring justice.
DAVID WARD: Young people in Bradford are being charged ridiculous amounts to insure their cars- some have been quoted up to £53,000. How is this fair? DC: A report has been published asking for referral fees to be banned. We hope to make progress on this matter.
MATTHEW HANCOCK: With all the problems in the eurozone, can you provide reassurance that we should be kept out of it? DC: Yes we should, but we should provide constructive suggestions as most of our exports are to the eurozone. Eurozone countries have to recognise that they need to do more to get ahead of the crisis.
MARY GLINDON: Asking about Andy Coulson’s employment under David Cameron. DC: The decision to employ a tabloid editor was a risk, there were warnings against it but that was to be expected. I accepted assurances by Andy Coulson and the police on the matter of the hackings and if I was lied to then again, this is a matter of criminal prosecution.
ANDREW PERCY: There is increasing concern with the number of copper cables stolen from households in my constituency and an urgent review of how metal dealers work and why they buy stolen cables needs to take place. DC: It is very important that metal theft crimes are taken seriously and those responsible are prosecuted.
TOM WATSON: After discovering that Milly Dowler’s phone was hacked, I urge the Prime Minister to make urgent enquiries for the victims of 9/11 and to raise issues with the US. DC: The Metropolitan Police are working on contacting everyone affected by the phone hackings. The Met will get to the bottom of this.
DAVID BURROWES: The hacking scandal has brought to light similar cases. Does the US have any desire to extradite alleged computer hacker Gary McKinnon? DC: The issue will be dealt with by Home Secretary Theresa May.
GRAHAM STUART: News International used illegal techniques to find out private information about Lord Ashcroft’s bank account. What is being done? DC: A public enquiry led by a judge will take place, it will have the ability to look at all politicians and media and we will get to the bottom of this.
MALCOM BRUCE: 5 years ago pilot schemes were set up in schools to help children with sign language, which were very successful. Can you extend this sign language support to families of children with hearing difficulties? DC: These pilot schemes have indeed been very successful and we will see how we can take this further.
JAMES CLAPPISON: The UK should not pay for any future EU bailout. DC: I agree, although the UK must be helpful as sorting out the eurozone is in our best interests.
GAVIN BARWELL: The procurement of confidential information through ‘blagging’ is outrageous, particularly with the publication of medical information about Gordon Brown’s son. DC: I have sympathy for my predecessor; it is not fair when such rules are broken. However we have been silent for too long in order to save a relationship with the media. We must speak up and act now.
