Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 31 January. (112444)

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I will have further such meetings later today.

The Prime Minister will know that the number of police officers across England and Wales dropped by 173 in the first six months of this year. He will also know that Greater Manchester has seen a cut of 216 police officers. Bearing in mind the fact that his staff believe that his area has had far too much police attention, while my constituents believe that my area has had far too little attention to policing, will he arrange for a transfer of resources, so that both he and I can have a good night’s sleep?

Let me remind the hon. Gentleman that we have record numbers of police: more than 140,000. That is some 14,000 more than we inherited in 1997. In addition, we have thousands of community support officers. Furthermore, as a result of the antisocial behaviour legislation, we are now able to take action against those who make life hell for people in communities such as his. What do all three of those things have in common? The Liberal Democrats voted against every single one of them. I am therefore delighted when Liberal Democrats ask about law and order.

Today we have seen the takeover of Corus UK by Tata, which will affect every one of Corus UK’s 24,000 employees. Will my right hon. Friend commit the Government to adding their voice in support of continued investment in the UK steel industry? Such a commitment would be warmly welcomed by Corus workers in my constituency and elsewhere in the UK.

I pay tribute to the work done by Corus employees in my hon. Friend’s constituency and elsewhere in the country. I assure her that we will continue to support investment in our steel industry, which remains in a difficult competitive atmosphere internationally. I know, however, that the Corus work force are doing their best to ensure that they compete successfully and safeguard jobs.

The Home Secretary has said that the problems at the Home Office will take two and a half years to sort out. Clearly, a long-term approach is needed. Can the Prime Minister therefore guarantee that the current Home Secretary will be in his job for longer than four and a half months?

I can certainly guarantee that he will continue to make investment in prison places, for example, and community support officers. I point out to the right hon. Gentleman that just last week the latest crime statistics showed a fall in recorded crime yet again. Over the past 10 years, whatever the challenges in the Home Office, crime has fallen. It doubled under the Government he supported.

The fact is that violent crime has doubled and our prisons are in crisis—and the Government have had 10 years to sort it out. I asked about the Home Secretary’s future. Because the Prime Minister is going, he cannot give any sort of guarantee. Is that not the whole problem with this Government? In any organisation, if one has long-term problems, one cannot have a short-term chief executive. Does the Prime Minister not realise that in those circumstances a Minister such as the Home Secretary just cannot plan for the future?

Let me just point out that as well as crime being down overall, the most serious violent crime fell by 20 per cent. in the past year. We are increasing investment in prisons: we have increased it by 36 per cent. in real terms over the past 10 years, and we are about to build another 8,000 places. The right hon. Gentleman opposed the investment in our prison places. In addition, as a result of his shadow Chancellor’s fiscal rule of sharing the proceeds of growth between tax cuts and investment, he cannot even commit to the 8,000 places. There is no point lecturing me about it.

We do not have to take the Prime Minister’s word for it, because the Home Secretary has told us that his Department is not fit for purpose, and is going to get worse. Let us consider his case: the person responsible for giving him the money to sort out the problem is his bitter rival, who wants him to fail. I ask the Prime Minister again: when the Home Secretary does not know whether he will have a job in four and half months’ time, how can he plan for the future?

As a matter of fact, there was a specific agreement to increase prison funding last year. That is why we are able to commit ourselves to 8,000 extra places. I repeat, not only did the right hon. Gentleman oppose the investment that has given us the extra prison places—2,500 are coming on stream this year—but if we adopted the policy that he wants, we could afford only half that number of places. The fact of the matter is that as a result of the Chancellor’s strong economic record, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is able to provide the investment—and the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) is opposed to it.

The Prime Minister talks of his policy, but he will not be here to implement it. When will he realise that it is all over? Just look at his Cabinet! Half its members are falling over themselves to attack his foreign policy so that one of them can become deputy leader, while the other half are appearing on picket lines to protest against his health policy—and there is nothing he can do about it. Can he not see that it is time for him to go?

The right hon. Gentleman took a long time building up to that.

Let us compare the record of this Government on crime, police numbers, and asylum and immigration with the record of the last Government. We have cut crime. We have managed to ensure that for the first time ever, the Home Office is expelling more people with unfounded asylum claims than it is taking in. When we came to office the proportion was one in five, and we inherited a backlog of 60,000, which is now down to a few thousand. That is a record of change and investment of which we can be proud—and which the right hon. Gentleman opposed every inch of the way.

Why can the Prime Minister not see the reality that is staring him in the face? The Government cannot plan, and Ministers are treading water. They are all waiting for the Chancellor, and not listening to the Prime Minister. His authority is draining away. Why does he not accept what everyone knows—that it is now in the national interest for him to go?

I will tell the right hon. Gentleman what I believe is in the national interest: that we continue with a strong economy, the highest levels of employment and the lowest levels of unemployment, that we continue with our policies for the health service, which have seen waiting lists fall by 400,000, that we continue with our policies on education, which have seen the best school results ever, and that we continue to reduce crime and do not, as the right hon. Gentleman’s party did, increase it.

My right hon. Friend will know of the massive investment in our museums and galleries that has led to millions of new visitors. In the light of that, will he comment on the decision by the London borough of Wandsworth, only nine months after council elections at which it remained silent on the subject, to close the very popular Wandsworth museum and threaten Battersea arts centre with closure? Is that not an example of a Tory council choosing cuts over cultural heritage?

Let me add to what my hon. Friend has said by pointing out that we have substantially increased the grant to local government. There is absolutely no cause for the closure of museums and arts centres that perform such a good local role. And of course it is this Government, as a result of our policy of free entry to museums, who have enabled literally millions more visitors, including children, to go to museums. My hon. Friend has given a telling example of the difference between the values of a Labour Government and those of a Tory Government.

Does the Prime Minister share public concern about the fact that at 5 per cent., the conviction rate for the crime of rape in this country is one of the lowest in Europe? Is it not time for a wholesale review of the law to ensure that we provide proper protection for women—and men—who are subjected to this traumatic and violent assault?

We are already considering how to improve the conviction rate for rape, but I think it fair to point out that more than 80 per cent. of rape cases involve non-stranger rape—in other words, the alleged assailant is known to the victim—and in more than 50 per cent. of those cases either a partner or an ex-partner is involved. For those reasons, it will obviously always be more difficult to secure a conviction. As the most recent report says, however, the way in which the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are working to help victims of rape has improved the position significantly over the past few years.

Everyone who has ever met a rape victim will know that they are devastated not only by the experience, but by the investigation that follows. Is the Prime Minister satisfied that standards of care and support are good enough?

I am satisfied that those have improved dramatically over the past few years. Victims are treated with far greater care and far greater attention to their trauma than was the case a decade or a couple of decades ago. I want to point out a detail that it is important to recognise. Although the number of convictions has gone up, not down, it is true that the proportion of claims that result in conviction has gone down—but it is only fair to point out that as a large proportion of cases involve people who either are in or have been in a relationship with the alleged assailant or are known to them, it is inevitable that it will be more difficult to secure a conviction. I entirely agree that it is important that we continue to see what more we can do to make sure that this horrendous crime is treated properly.

Is the Prime Minister aware of the anger and disappointment felt in the communities of Lambeth and Southwark over his Secretary of State for Health’s decision to close the 24-hour emergency clinic at the Maudsley hospital? Does he realise that, in the teeth of opposition from two local councils with all-party support, as well as opposition from five local MPs including two Cabinet Ministers and his own Parliamentary Private Secretary, the Secretary of State went ahead and made that decision? Will he have a quiet word with her and ask her why she thinks that she knows more than all those people in the community who know how important that clinic is?

I am sure that local consultations will have been involved in the putting forward of those proposals. I am perfectly happy to have a look at the matter, but I am sure that my hon. Friend would also want to point out that overall, health care in her area, as in other parts of the country, has improved dramatically thanks to the investment and the change that has been made.

Q2. Last week the Prime Minister refused to answer a question about the loans scandal. May I invite him to explain precisely why he is refusing to answer questions about that? Is he “taking the fifth”? Is he saying that anything that he might say in this House might tend to incriminate him? (112445)

The hon. Gentleman knows that, for perfectly obvious reasons, there is nothing I can say on the subject.

Q3. What progress has been made on the Franco-British nuclear forum; and if he will make a statement. (112446)

The first meeting of the forum was held in Paris in November last year, chaired by the Minister for Energy and the French Industry Minister. The working groups are focusing on specific areas for collaboration, and there will be a follow-up meeting on the issue in London in March.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on being the only party leader to support the industry. Given that there is huge international growth in the nuclear industry—perhaps best evidenced by the emergence of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership—how will the forthcoming energy White Paper enable the UK nuclear industry to capitalise on the vast commercial opportunities that exist?

I hope that within the next few weeks the White Paper will indicate how we can take forward the licensing regime for a new generation of nuclear power stations. As I said when I was in my hon. Friend’s constituency a short time ago, around the world today people are recognising that it will be very difficult for us to have energy security as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and CO₂ emissions without replacing our existing nuclear power stations. If we do not take that action now—we have to make decisions now—we will face a situation over the next few years in which our dependence on gas imports rises, and we are unable to meet our CO₂ emissions targets and make sure that we have proper energy security. For that reason, I was heartened to be told when I visited my hon. Friend’s constituency that his constituents were very willing to participate in this new nuclear power programme.

Q4. The multinational company GKN recently announced its proposal to close a factory in Chesterfield, the GKN Sheepbridge Stokes plant. As a result, 420 engineering workers based in a modern efficient factory face losing their jobs to Asia or Latin America. What hope or support can the Prime Minister offer to those 420 skilled workers, given that unemployment is now at its highest since 1997, inflation is at its highest since 1992, and interest rates are going up as the Chancellor’s policies fail? (112447)

First, let me say that I am of course very sorry, and I extend my sympathy to any of the hon. Gentleman’s constituents who have lost, or are likely to lose, their jobs. I can assure him that the local Jobcentre Plus and the Government will do everything that we can, as we have done in other situations, to put a support mechanism in place to ensure that they get alternative employment. I have to say, however, that Chesterfield’s economy, like that of the rest of the country, is infinitely stronger than it was in 1997: employment is up and unemployment is down. Yes, it is true that there have been a quarter of a per cent. rises in interest rates recently, but the hon. Gentleman’s constituents will remember when interest rates were 10 per cent. for four years, and 15 per cent. for months at a time. One reason why we can confidently expect people to get alternative employment is precisely the strength of the economy.

Following the report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland on state collusion and murder in Northern Ireland, has the Prime Minister been made aware of the statement last Sunday by a former assistant chief constable, who said that MI5 had made, and continued to make, payments out of its own funding to informers who were involved in at least 10 murders? Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that the ombudsman’s report on that collusion dealt only with part of Belfast city and one unit of the loyalist paramilitary organisation, and that much, much more was happening throughout Northern Ireland? Does he not think that this warrants a statement to the House—

Order.

First of all, let me say to my hon. Friend that any form of collusion or improper activity by any part of the police or security services would be completely wrong, and would of course be deeply to be regretted. We are looking carefully at the report that has been published recently and we will take whatever action is appropriate. It is, however, important to emphasise—as I think the report itself did—that this concerns a minority of people, who obviously should not have been engaged in the activities that they were engaged in. But that should not take away from most of the work that officers did, in both the police and the Security Service, which was of enormous benefit to the local community. So it is important, while we deal with the wrongdoing, not to have a completely unbalanced picture of how the police and MI5 operated in Northern Ireland.

Q5. The German presidency of the EU is attempting to revive the failed European constitution. Why is the Prime Minister colluding in that by appointing two officials to negotiate the process in private, in clear breach of all his assurances about openness and the need to involve Parliament and the public? If the constitution is revived in any form, will he keep his promise to allow the British people a vote on the matter in a national referendum? (112448)

First of all, let me explain to the hon. Gentleman that there is no question—[Interruption.] The right hon. Gentleman; my apologies. There is no question of our agreeing to anything behind closed doors with the German presidency, or anyone else. Last year we agreed that we would take stock following the French and Dutch no votes in the referendums. The German presidency is therefore obliged to take forward proposals for the Council later this year. Of course we are in discussions with the German Government as to what those proposals will be; it would be bizarre if we said, “We’re not prepared to talk to you about it.” Let us wait and see what the German presidency comes up with. Our position on the referendum and the constitutional treaty remains unchanged. But I really do believe, particularly in the light of the strong bilateral relationship that we have with the German Government today, and of the importance of Europe to this country, that it would be a wonderful thing for the politics of this country if people such as the right hon. Gentleman could liberate themselves from this absurd and antiquated view of Europe.

Q6. North Yorkshire primary care trust is restricting access to some non-emergency treatments in order to reduce its deficit, and local GPs say that that could put patients at risk. Will the Prime Minister ask the strategic health authority to broker a meeting between the PCT and the GPs as a matter of urgency, in order to ensure that they work together to protect patients, to balance the budget and to safeguard access to the same range of NHS services in North Yorkshire that can be accessed in other parts of the country? (112449)

I would certainly be happy to do so, in arranging such a meeting. My hon. Friend puts his case in exactly the right way. It is clear that the PCT has to deal with the deficit, because, despite the very large additional investment, that deficit is still there. Of course, as a result of the new system—payment by results, practice-based commissioning and patient choice—hard adjustments will have to be made in some of the PCTs, but I agree that it is important that they be done in such a way that the huge improvements in the NHS’s performance continue to be safeguarded for patients.

Q7. Six years ago Kirsty Jones, a near neighbour of mine, was brutally raped and murdered in Thailand. Her murderer is still at large. Indeed, the Royal Thai police at one time closed the file. Because of the persistence of the Dyfed-Powys police, and especially her parents, the Thai Government have now referred the case to the special investigation branch. However, several of us are still concerned by the lack of progress and the failure to follow up certain lines of inquiry. Will the Prime Minister agree to meet me, and Kirsty’s parents, to ensure that the case receives fresh impetus in Thailand, that justice is delivered for the parents and that Thailand is a safer place for young people to visit? (112450)

Perhaps I can come back to the hon. Gentleman on the possibility of a meeting. I wish to express my condolences—as I am sure does the whole House—to the hon. Gentleman’s constituent’s family on the loss of their daughter. As he knows, the issue has been raised by Foreign Office Ministers over a long period, and we have been closely involved with the authorities in Bangkok in trying to make progress on that case. I know that Foreign Office officials continue to meet the family—weekly, I think—and we will try to do everything we can to bring it to a proper conclusion. I am happy to try to arrange some form of meeting, but I will have to come back to the hon. Gentleman about whether it is appropriate that it should be with me.

Q8. May I ask my right hon. Friend about workers’ rights? There is more to do on the question of trade union collective rights, but much has already been done on individual rights and health and safety issues. That has been done by enshrining in UK law many of the principles of the European social charter. As I go round Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney telling people why they should vote Labour in the Assembly elections, may I have two assurances from my right hon. Friend? One is that the good work set out in the Warwick agreement about collective activity will be taken forward in this Parliament, and the second is that any siren voices calling for a withdrawal from the European social chapter will be soundly rejected, whether they come from the Tory toffocracy or dysfunctional policy wonks at No. 10. (112451)

I was with my hon. Friend until the last bit of his question. I do not think that anyone has suggested that we withdraw from the social chapter. It is worth pointing out three things that have happened as a result of the changes that we have made. First, we have a minimum wage that helps millions of workers in this country get a decent living wage. Secondly, issues to do with parental leave, and maternity pay and leave, have seen huge advances, including a doubling of maternity leave and maternity pay. Thirdly, as a result of signing the social chapter, which was so bitterly opposed by the Conservatives, we have paid holiday leave for the first time, which is fantastically important for hundreds of thousands of some of the lowest paid workers in the country. I cannot believe that any party, other than one looking at the past rather than the future, could possibly agree to withdraw from the European social chapter.

The Prime Minister is known for his close association with President George W. Bush—but given all that has befallen the Prime Minister’s men and women in recent days, is not now the more relevant association one with President Richard Millhouse Nixon? Is there a cover-up in Downing street?

It is interesting that the hon. Gentleman should raise that question when we are just about to have a Scottish election campaign. Why does he not put to me his case for independence and separation in Scotland? I will tell him why. It is because he knows that that policy would be a disaster for the Scottish economy and for living standards in Scotland. The reason why he cannot raise a Scottish question with me is because he does not dare.

Q9. Last year the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds purchased 170 hectares of land at Hesketh Outmarsh in the Ribble estuary in my constituency—land that was rescued from the sea 20 years ago. In a few months’ time, breaches will be made in the sea wall to allow that land to return to salt marsh, which will allow a nature reserve to develop. More importantly, it will ensure that the coast of Lancashire is protected from flooding as a result of climate change. Will my right hon. Friend congratulate the RSPB on that initiative—[Interruption.] (112453)

Order. I think that the Prime Minister can answer that.

Yes, I think that I can. I do congratulate the RSPB, and I want to point out that some of the £2.5 million being devoted to the project comes from the Environment Agency. The project will be a major advance for the local environment and habitat, and it underlines the importance of having an environment policy that is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our natural environment in the proper way.

According to the Treasury’s public service agreements, the Home Office is ahead of schedule for meeting its targets for increasing public confidence in the criminal justice system. Does the Prime Minister agree?

It could be ahead of that schedule, of course, because crime has fallen—[Interruption.] The chances of being a victim of crime are at their lowest for 25 years. We have record numbers of police, more offences are being brought to justice, and there has been an enormous reduction in ineffective trials. For all those reasons, I think that the assessment is correct.

Q10. The Prime Minister will be aware that Wigan has a four-star council, a three-star primary care trust and a three-star hospital trust. He may not be aware that we also have the best performing LIFT—local improvement finance trust—in the country. The Boston house centre opened recently, bringing renal dialysis to people in Wigan for the first time. May I invite my right hon. Friend to come to Wigan to open the centre, and see how that magnificent facility is bringing health care closer to patients? I can also promise him that he will be able to meet Billy Boston, the greatest player ever to don the cherry-and-white Wigan rugby league strip. (112454)

I thank my hon. Friend for that invitation. The £30 million Boston house centre will bring services closer to patients, but the same thing is happening all over the country. For all the challenges arising from financial deficits, it is worth pointing out that waiting lists are coming down, more people are getting treatment closer to home, and they are getting it more quickly. Indeed, the GP services report showed that people are getting better access to the system than ever before. The fact that renal dialysis is being delivered closer to people means that they have far more control over their circumstances. It also reduces the pressure on hospitals; that is why investment and reform have to go together.

Q11. Successive Home Secretaries have produced about 3,000 new criminal offences—at the rate of about one a day for 10 years—but they have not delivered enough prison places to prevent another crisis. Does the Prime Minister believe that the one prisoner in 10 who is assessed as functionally psychotic should be in a prison, or in a secure mental unit? (112455)

Of course I believe that it is important to ensure that prisoners are in the appropriate setting—but it is odd for a Liberal Democrat to accuse us of not building enough prison places. The hon. Gentleman says that 3,000 new offences have been introduced, but they have one thing in common: his party has voted against them all, even the most serious and violent ones. We know that Liberal Democrat prison policy would mean that no one would go to prison, because there would be no tough laws to make sure that they did. I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the more that his party raises the issues of prison and law and order, the happier I am.

Q12. Can it be true that we had to pay GPs a lot more money to do a lot less work, and that now we have to pay them a lot more money to take on the work that we paid them to stop doing? (112457)

Answer!

I do not always do this, but in this instance I will stick up for the GPs. In fact, they are doing a lot more work as a result of the national service programmes—[Interruption.] The report published on Monday showed that 90 per cent. of people now gain access to a GP within 48 hours, as opposed to just 50 per cent. when we came to office, and that is due in part to the enhanced provisions in the GP contract. I know that the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) is committed to renegotiating that contract, but there is nothing wrong with our GPs being the best paid in Europe, provided that they deliver a better service. I believe that they are doing that.

In 1998, the Prime Minister was warned by President Clinton’s Secretary of State not to agree at St. Malo an autonomous defence capability for the EU that would duplicate and compete with NATO. Is he aware that the NATO Secretary-General warned yesterday that the EU and NATO would be unable to work together in a global crisis and that the distance between them is “astounding”, or does the Secretary-General—a Dutchman, incidentally—just believe in an antiquated and absurd view of Europe?

As I recall, in his previous incarnation he supported European defence—but let me tell the hon. Gentleman why I disagree so much with him over European defence. Of course it is important for Britain to maintain its strong relationship in NATO and many operations, as in Afghanistan, will be conducted with NATO; but in circumstances where, for example, the Americans do not want to be engaged, it makes sense—

indicated dissent.

I wish the hon. Gentleman would not shake his head before I have given him the answer—he might at least have something of an open mind.

The fact is that there are operations that we need to carry out with other European countries where the US is not engaged, so it makes perfect sense to do that as part of a European mission. There are somewhere in the region of 10 or 11 such missions around the world. They operate perfectly well, and are not in conflict with NATO.