1. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on reducing social exclusion in rural areas. (195045)

Delivery of the socially excluded adults public service agreement and the families at risk review will reduce social exclusion in rural areas. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is fully engaged in working to reduce social exclusion in rural areas, as is reflected in his strategy for strong rural communities.

Does the Minister not realise that the programme of rural post office closures that his Government are completing will at one swift move destroy any prospect of reducing social exclusion in rural areas, particularly as they are removing any possibility of profitable post offices remaining in shops, and even disallowing shops that have operated a post office from offering any services that might compete with the Post Office? Will his Government reduce this programme of closures?

We recognise that post offices play an important social and economic role in rural areas, but, as the hon. Lady knows, the post office network is costing the taxpayer about £3.5 million a week, which amounts to half a million pounds a day, and the cost per transaction in some of the 800 smaller post offices in rural areas is £17. That is simply unaffordable. We will, however, maintain a subsidy of £150 million a year to maintain a national network of post offices in rural areas, and we will apply minimum access criteria so that 95 per cent. of the population in rural areas will have access to a post office within three miles. I would be interested to hear whether the hon. Lady or any other Conservative Members, including those on the Front Bench, will match our commitment to spend £150 million—

Order.

Does the Minister agree that it can be particularly bad to be poor in a rural area, as housing can be more expensive, transport links can be a problem—public transport is almost non-existent in some areas—and people can feel very isolated? We must recognise that, because if people are poor, they are poor, regardless of whether they live in a rural area or in the middle of a council estate.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and we have a programme to tackle social exclusion in rural areas precisely because poor people in such areas require that. That is also why we give a massive subsidy of £55 million to local authorities for rural transport, in order to provide bus services for people in rural areas. That is why we have pledged to build more affordable homes—some 10,500 more homes in rural areas by 2011. That is why we fund third sector organisations—not least community transport schemes—to provide help and support to people in most need in rural areas. I am pleased to be able to say that two of our family nurse partnership programmes—which are programmes to help poorer families—will be piloted in rural areas, to ensure that those from rural families will, like everybody else, have the successful start to life that they deserve.

The Minister will be aware that according to Save the Children 1.3 million children in our country live in severe poverty, and yet the take-up of benefits by families entitled to them is poor. One of the most effective ways of getting across the message of take-up campaigns is to use post offices; indeed, in rural areas they are the only institution of that kind. Why is the Minister closing post offices?

The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point about access and take-up of benefits, which is why I am very pleased that since 1997 we have lifted some 600,000 children out of poverty, and in the Budget—which we have debated and which the Opposition voted against last night—we made pledges to lift another 250,000 children and young people out of poverty. If the hon. Gentleman were to vote in accordance with the questions he asks—in other words, if he were to support lifting children out of poverty—we might have a little more respect for some of his opinions.

Earlier comments have rightly focused on families and children, but we should address older people as well, especially in England. Older people are disproportionately represented in the rural population—the average age in rural areas is 50, and in urban and city areas it is 42—and they are particularly prone to poverty, deprivation and exclusion, and are less likely to take up the benefits to which they are entitled. Will the Minister use his cross-cutting powers with the Department for Work and Pensions and other Departments to raise awareness of benefits among older people in rural areas, who might not have access to relevant information, so that he and his Government tackle the poverty that many such older people are having to endure?

We will happily take forward the challenge that my hon. Friend has given to me. He will be pleased to learn that only last week I spoke at a conference in Leicester that examined the valuable role that older people play in communities. He will know that we have published a public service agreement called “Later Life”, which spells out a range of new targets and new actions, be they about older people playing their part in communities, dealing with social exclusion and poverty, or providing better health services, safer neighbourhoods and independent living. Many older people want the ability to make a positive contribution to their community. The new free local bus travel anywhere in the country will certainly benefit many older people, as will the increased winter fuel payment of £50 and of more than £100 for older people. Such measures will directly address some of my hon. Friend’s key questions about tackling pensioner poverty.

I do not doubt the Minister’s good intentions about tackling social exclusion in rural areas, but the common thread running through all this, whether we are talking about crime, schools, the delivery of medical services, sport, entertainment or leisure, is transport, which is not working in rural areas. Will he please get a cross-government initiative going to tackle the issue? It is no good giving free bus passes to pensioners if there are no buses, and it is no good providing free school transport if children cannot get back to enjoy the rest of the benefits of the community in which they live.

The hon. Gentleman is right to suggest that we must do more to ensure that proper services are provided in villages and rural areas. I represent some 60 villages in my constituency and I work closely with them on integrating services, supporting village halls and providing rural transport. He is right to say that we must provide access to services, not only for older people through the use of free bus passes, but for children and young people. That is why we have a presumption against school closures in rural areas and why we are building more affordable homes. I know that some Conservative Members are opposed to home building, but such homes are vital for young people who want to have a house in their own village rather than leave it. That is why we support organisations such as Action with Communities in Rural England—ACRE—which is a strategic partner of the Cabinet Office in developing new policies and strategies to ensure that we address the specific issues of social exclusion and creating strong rural communities.

2. What assessment he has made of the potential role of third sector organisations in providing public services. (195046)

Third sector organisations have the potential to play an important role in the design, development and delivery of public services. That is reflected in our recent reforms in offender management, employment policy and health and social care. However, the third sector should never be an excuse for cutting Government funding to public services.

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply and am reassured by his belief that the third sector should not be used as an excuse for cutting services. What further help can the Government give third sector organisations operating in my constituency, such as the West Cumbria Society for the Blind, the Hospice at Home West Cumbria, NCH and others, to ensure that local authorities and bodies such as primary care trusts give them the help and resources that they need to undertake their work?

My hon. Friend makes an important point about the relationship between local authorities and third sector organisations on the ground, because it often defines whether or not those organisations succeed. I pay tribute to the organisations in his constituency that he mentions. We have made progress, in the sense that one of our targets for local government will measure the relationship between the local authorities and local third sector organisations, which will help to address a relevant issue in many areas—how local authorities treat the third sector and whether they help such organisations to grow and thrive.

Is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster aware that a number of local charities throughout England and Wales have recently become involved in the running of local post offices? They have found that where post office staff are not available to do that job, they can provide a service for perhaps two or three days a week. What steps is he taking to intervene with the Department for Work and Pensions, which created this crisis in the first place by reducing local post offices’ footfall?

As my ministerial colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope), said, we are providing a subsidy of £150 million a year to local post offices. I have heard no proposals from the Conservative party as to how it would provide more money; all we hear, as we hear about every issue, is that we should have a moratorium on closures, but the Conservatives offer no real solutions. We are ensuring that we have not only a thriving post office network, but a sustainable one.

Surely the Minister recognises—in fact, I know that he does—the third sector’s value to many of our constituencies, in particular my own, which contains the Mary Ann Evans hospice and other valuable charities. Does he understand that in the current world climate of financial slow-down, all those charities will be severely challenged in raising the money that they need to keep those good services going? Will the Government give a commitment to examine carefully the core funding they provide? Perhaps the Government will be able to increase it at this difficult time.

My hon. Friend makes an important point: at a time of financial pressures, third sector organisations in particular can feel the pinch. I am pleased that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor made announcements in his Budget statement last week that will help charities to the tune of £300 million—that is money that they thought they were going to lose as a result of changes to income tax, but which they will get through gift aid. That will make a difference to them.

My hon. Friend also emphasises the need to fund small local organisations properly. That is why the new grassroots grants programme, which has been pioneered by my hon. Friend the Member for Corby, will help local organisations with those small sums that can make a big difference to the kind of services that they can provide to the community.

3. What assessment the Social Exclusion Task Force has made of the likely effect of post office closures on social inclusion. (195047)

4. What assessment the Social Exclusion Task Force has made of the effect of post office closures on social inclusion. (195048)

The Government recognise the social and economic role of post offices in local communities. Our subsidy to the Post Office of £150 million per year until 2011 will help to maintain a national network with national coverage, ensuring that all areas, including rural and deprived urban areas, will continue to have reasonable access to post office services.

I am pleased that the Minister recognises the contribution that post offices make in both rural and urban communities—I have both in my constituency. But does he understand the anger felt by residents of Little Brickhill when they discovered, through an inadvertent leak on the Post Office website, that their post office was to close some nine months before the consultation was due to start? Does that not expose what a complete sham the consultation is?

It is not appropriate for me to comment on any individual post office. However, the hon. Gentleman must recognise that the present subsidy of £3.5 million a week is unaffordable. He is making representations on behalf of his constituents, but I would like to know why, between 1979 and 1997 when his party was in power, 3,500 post offices closed and not one penny of subsidy was given to post offices.

In the Government White Paper, “Rural Affairs”, the then Deputy Prime Minister said that

“we will…retain and renew the rural Post Office network and make banking, internet, pensions, benefits, prescriptions, health and other services available from rural post offices”.

Is it not the job of the Minister’s Department to make the Government keep the promises in their White Paper and develop and sustain those post offices, instead of shutting them down?

That is precisely the reason why we are giving a subsidy to the network of £150 million a year until 2011. I notice that the Opposition have significantly failed to make a commitment to match that subsidy. If the right hon. Gentleman wishes to make a serious point about this, I would like to hear from his Front Benchers whether his party supports that level of subsidy.

Could the Minister find out what is happening in my constituency? The post office in Blyth has to move out of the Co-op, because it is closing, and no one seems to know what will happen to the post office. We wonder whether it is part of the closure programme that we do not know about.

I cannot comment on individual cases, but the national criteria mean that 99 per cent. of the population in the top 15 per cent. most deprived areas will be within one mile of a post office. On a case by case basis, the Post Office has to take into account local geography, the availability of local transport and other socio-economic factors when making a decision about a particular post office. Perhaps my hon. Friend would like to take back those criteria to his local post office for the negotiations.

I had a rural post office close in Rodmersham, so I wonder whether I could persuade my hon. Friend to speak to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform about merging the rural library service with a rural post office service, so the rural hamlets and villages in my constituency could have such a service at least once a week.

Innovative proposals of that kind can be discussed and negotiated locally. I would encourage the Post Office to engage with local authorities and other third sector organisations that may wish to step in and fund or support particular branches or introduce innovative approaches to delivering services. However, in doing so, the Post Office will need to consider all the costs, not only at branch level, but the support it gives to post offices. I would encourage every local partner to get involved in such innovative proposals and see whether they can find a way forward.

When the Post Office and the Government announced the most recent round of closures, there was also a commitment to reopen a limited number of post offices, especially in areas of social exclusion that were underserved because of prior closures. I now understand from conversations with the Post Office that that will not apply in any urban areas, including areas such as Ham ward in my constituency, which is most deprived and does not have a single post office. Will the Minister please take up that issue with his colleagues?

I am sure that the hon. Lady can champion her own constituency perfectly well. The criterion being used nationally for urban areas is that 99 per cent. of the population should be within one mile of a post office in the top 15 per cent. most deprived urban areas. That is an important commitment. At the beginning, that commitment applied to only the bottom 10 per cent. of deprived urban areas, but we have increased it to 15 per cent. My difficulty in responding to the hon. Lady stems from the fact that the Liberal Democrats appear to be saying that they will fund every post office no matter what the cost. Frankly, that is fairyland economics.

Is it not now clear that the crucial access criteria for the closure of post offices will leave thousands of elderly and vulnerable people isolated from the services on which they depend, with walking routes that are dangerous to the alternatives and no public transport available? Were Ministers in the Cabinet Office consulted on the social exclusion implications of those access criteria? If they were not, what is the point of their having responsibility for social exclusion? If they were consulted, why did they make such a Horlicks of it?

Once again the right hon. Gentleman lays down a challenge about the extent to which older people are being included in the discussions, but I notice that once again he has signally failed to match our commitment to provide the exact subsidy that he seeks, which will enable the post offices to remain open. I will give him more time at the Dispatch Box to answer my question: will he match our £150 million a year subsidy to support the rural and urban network?

It would be great to get an answer to the question that I asked and I am sorry that the Minister has failed to do that. It is perfectly clear that the total incompetence of this process is leading to hundreds of completely viable post offices facing closure, creating huge problems for thousands of vulnerable people. What does the Minister think that his constituents in Corby will make of his fulminating in his local paper against post office closures in his constituency when those closures are being forced through by his Government? Will they not conclude that the Government are now shot through with hypocrisy?

My Corby constituents hold me in extremely high regard. They like the fact that I stand up and campaign on their behalf. The fact that we now have a new town centre, a new railway station, two new secondary schools, a new hospital, brand new housing and a regenerated growth economy with low unemployment and higher wages might give some indication that the people of Corby are very pleased with the conduct and performance of their local Member of Parliament. They will not be persuaded by a sham campaign by the Conservative party, which is pretending to support post office openings at the same time as failing to commit to match the Government’s pledge of a £150 million subsidy until the year 2011.

Many people across the UK and in Northern Ireland are alarmed at what appears to be a sustained campaign for the demise of the post office network, particularly in rural areas. When will the Government go back to the drawing board and invest in a campaign to sustain and rebuild the rural post office network?

The hon. Gentleman is right to press for a subsidy for the post office network to maintain those post offices that are not financially viable. I am pleased that he will support the £150 million a year in subsidy that we are giving to the Post Office until the year 2011. I assume that he will support that, and I hope that he will persuade some of the other parties in this Chamber to support that £150 million subsidy, too.

5. What steps he is taking to reduce the administrative burden of volunteering in sport. (195049)

The Government are committed to reducing administrative burdens that may hinder any type of volunteering. Following the report of the independent Commission on the Future of Volunteering, we will produce guidance to help us reduce unnecessary Criminal Records Bureau checks, including in sport. Sport England is also running specific programmes to reduce the administrative burden on sports volunteering.

I am sure that my right hon. Friend will want to congratulate the 5 million people who volunteer in sport on a monthly basis, including Nina Walker, from my constituency, who recently won the BBC unsung sporting heroes award. However, will he ensure that his Department plays a lead role in ensuring that the unintended consequences of worthwhile legislation, such as CRB checks, do not impact on the sporting sector? For example, the points system for migration might lead to sports clubs having to sponsor international visiting teams. Will he play a lead role in ensuring that good policies do not impact unnecessarily on sport?

Let me pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s constituent who, after that question, is more of a sung than an unsung hero. My hon. Friend is right to pinpoint unintended consequences as an issue, but people sometimes get an impression about legislation that turns out not to be correct. That is why I said in my answer that we need to give people proper guidance about the CRB checks so that they know when they are needed. We shall be very much involved in that process.

6. What account the Social Exclusion Task Force takes of child poverty in setting its work plan. (195050)

Through its work on families at risk, the Social Exclusion Task Force is seeking to improve services for families and children facing multiple disadvantages such as worklessness, poor housing and mental health problems.

Following more than 90 applications from local authorities and their partners, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families will shortly be announcing the successful councils that will develop innovative approaches to working with such families.

I thank the Secretary of State for that reply. He will know that the Opposition share the Government’s aspiration to eliminate child poverty by 2020 but, given that the Department for Work and Pensions has admitted that the Government are unlikely to hit their target of halving child poverty by 2010, what will his Department do to make sure that the Government hit their 2010 child poverty target?

The hon. Gentleman says that he shares our aspiration to meet the child poverty target, but why did the Opposition vote yesterday night against the Budget measures that would make it possible to take 250,000 more children out of poverty? It is all very well for him to say that the Opposition support the target, but that means that they must vote for the measures that will help us to meet it.

On the wider question of the 2010 target, the Government are determined to make progress. The shadow Chancellor has said that we have one more Budget to go, and we are determined to do more to tackle child poverty.

Last Thursday, the Work and Pensions Secretary—who has just come into the Chamber—said of the Government’s child poverty target:

“We aim to meet it in 2010.”—[Official Report, 13 March 2008; Vol. 473, c. 445.]

His words were rather different from those used just now by the Minister for the Cabinet Office. However, the DWP’s annual report was published recently and it makes it absolutely clear that

“these targets are unlikely to be fully met.”

In the middle of that muddle, who is right—the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, or his Department’s annual report?

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is absolutely right—we do intend to meet the 2010 target. It is a challenging one, but the difference between the Government and the Opposition is that we are determined to adopt the measures that will take us towards meeting it. It is all very well for the right hon. Gentleman to shed crocodile tears about the target, but he is in no position to talk about these matters if he is not willing to take those measures.

7. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of family intervention projects. (195052)

Family intervention projects are pioneering new ways of working with socially excluded families. Such approaches have demonstrated real benefits for seven out of 10 families, for example in their physical and mental health and in their educational attainment. Building on that success, the Government recently launched their £16 million family pathfinders programme and extended the family nurse partnership programme to new areas of the country.

Does the Minister agree that, although the programmes are often portrayed as extensions of the nanny state, they are actually the exact opposite? By using a carrot-and-stick approach, we are helping people to take charge of, and responsibility for, their own lives.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am delighted that some of the pioneering work includes a family intervention partnership project in his own Nottingham constituency. Families that have probably been written off by many agencies are given intensive and tailored support to bring about change. Those projects have been remarkably successful, and that is why, through the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health, we are rolling out similar programmes across the country.

8. What plans his Department has to improve data security across Government. (195053)

The Cabinet Office is committed to improving data security. The Cabinet Secretary’s review has already led to enhancements in data security across Government. I expect him to report shortly.

Would the Minister agree that, quite frankly, the Government are in a complete shambles? I refer to the loss of private details. Can he give an assurance that he is confident that he has taken measures to ensure that that never happens again?

When O’Donnell reports, there will be four action points on which we have to deliver: increasing accountability and responsibility in Departments, putting in place specific measures to protect our information, ensuring that every Department has robust scrutiny mechanisms, and, crucially, ensuring a culture change so that every public servant treats personal data like their own money.

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister was asked—

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 19 March. (195060)

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

Having met four young people from my Bridgend constituency, my right hon. Friend will be aware that it is vital that those young people have the assurance and confidence that, for their futures, there will be apprenticeships and good jobs available for them, on which they can build their future lives. Can I give them that assurance from the Prime Minister?

I was pleased to meet young people from my hon. Friend’s constituency and to talk about the creation of jobs and opportunities for young people. The whole House will be pleased to know today that the employment figures show that we have more people in employment than at any time in our history. Despite the global financial turbulence, which has meant unemployment rising in America and unemployment twice as high as ours in France and Germany, we have seen unemployment fall in every region and nation of the country over the last year. That is possible only because of the policies of stability and the creation of the new deal, which we will continue to pursue; that never happened under the previous Government.

The whole world will have been shocked by the pictures on television last night of the security crackdown and the dead bodies on the streets of Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that, yes, our relationship with China is vital, and China is a major power, but we must be absolutely clear in telling the Chinese Government that this is completely unacceptable?

I spoke to Premier Wen of China this morning, and I made it absolutely clear that there had to be an end to violence in Tibet. I hope that Members on both sides of the House will agree with that. I also called for constraint, and I called for an end to the violence by dialogue between the different parties. The Premier told me that subject to two things that the Dalai Lama has already said—that he does not support the total independence of Tibet and that he renounces violence—he would be prepared to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama. I will meet the Dalai Lama when he is in London. I think it is important that we all facilitate discussions, but the most important thing at the moment is to bring about an end to the violence, to see reconciliation, and to see legitimate talks taking place between those people in China.

Can I congratulate the Prime Minister on making absolutely the right decision with regard to the Dalai Lama? It is a difficult decision, but it would not have been made any better by delaying it, and I congratulate him on doing the right thing.

We make the right decisions at all times.

May I say to my right hon. Friend that long-term unemployment is down 82 per cent. in my constituency, and overall unemployment is down by 39 per cent.? I have just been in discussions with a prospective inward investor who proposes to bring another 600 jobs to my constituency. My right hon. Friend knows that the success in turning around the economy in my area is due to the relationship between the Government and the private sector. Will he ensure that we invest in training, so that those good trends continue in future?

My hon. Friend has fought hard for the car industry and other jobs for his constituency, and for the development of the science-based industries in the whole of the north-west region. He will be pleased to know that unemployment is falling in the whole region, that unemployment is down on a year ago, and that more jobs are being created in all parts of the country. We will continue to pursue the policies that are necessary—putting stability first by bearing down hard on inflation, a new deal to give people chances of jobs, and apprenticeships for young people. None of that would happen under the policies of the Opposition.

Two hours ago a retired Gurkha soldier handed over this medal to me in protest at the Government’s refusal to grant him British citizenship. Does the Prime Minister know what it means for a loyal British soldier to give up a medal that he won for his long years of service to this country? Can he explain to the Gurkhas why on earth he believes that Gurkhas who have served in the Army after 1997 are worthy of British citizenship, but those who served before that date should be deported?

Let me also pay tribute to the Gurkhas. They have been in existence since 1815. They have served loyally in every part of the world, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they fought with Prince Harry over the past few months. They have done a tremendous job for our country. We are the first Government to have given Gurkhas the right to a pension, for those serving after 1997. We are the first to have given equal pay to the Gurkhas. We are the first to have dealt with the problems of married accommodation, and we are the first to say that after four years in the Army they will have the right to residence in this country. Those are changes that we have brought about. Why is the date 1997? It is the date that the Gurkhas, once based in Hong Kong, moved to be based in Britain. That is why we are honouring the promises that we made for the period after 1997.

That is a technical argument on a moral issue. It is a spectacular misjudgement from the man who signed the cheques for the Iraq war, but has never had the moral courage to take responsibility for it. After five years of conflict in Iraq—[Interruption.]

Order. Let the right hon. Gentleman speak. [Interruption.] Order.

After five years of conflict in Iraq—[Interruption.]

Order.

After five years of conflict in Iraq, at the cost of 175 British soldiers’ lives, over 600,000 Iraqi civilians and £7 billion of taxpayers’ money, will the Prime Minister tell the House today whether he has any regrets about his decision to support and pay for the war in Iraq?

There is a democracy in Iraq as a result of the changes that have been brought about. Millions of children are getting the benefit of education, vaccination and health care services as a result. We are rebuilding, with the Iraqis, the economy of Iraq. I do not believe that the right hon. Gentleman wants to go back to a situation where Saddam Hussein was in control of Iraq.

Q2. Children’s centres, where community midwives, health visitors and speech and language therapists are working alongside child care providers and family support workers, are making a real difference to the life chances of children and giving tremendous support to their parents. Will my right hon. Friend please give an assurance to the House that the funding for the Sure Start programme will continue, so that every community has access to fully integrated children’s services? (195061)

There is a transformation taking place in care for the under-fives. There are 1,500 children’s centres now, and there will be 3,500 in 2010. That means that for most constituencies, there will be five or six Sure Start children’s centres available for use by both parents and children. What would be a terrible mistake is the Conservative policy to take £200 million out of the budget of Sure Start centres. The Conservatives must explain how many areas will have their Sure Start centres closed as a result. They are proposing doing the worst by young children by cutting back on vital provision in early years learning.

Before the House breaks for Easter, I should like to give the Prime Minister the opportunity to answer some of the questions that he has completely failed to answer in recent weeks. [Interruption.] I thought he would welcome the opportunity. Last week I asked him whether we could have free votes on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in this House, whereas in the House of Lords he whipped his peers on conscience issues. Can he tell us today: will we have free votes on that Bill on his side of the House when it comes here?

I made the position clear last week about this Bill. This is an important Bill that improves the facilities for research and is vital for dealing with life-threatening diseases. It is a Bill that has gone through the House of Lords. I said very clearly that everybody in this House should have the right to exercise their consciences. We will come back to the House with our proposals to take it through in later times.

Why can he not just tell us whether we can have free votes or not? What is so difficult about making a decision about this issue? If he cannot make a decision about this, no wonder the country is in such a mess.

Let me try an issue that I asked the Prime Minister about two months ago—identity cards. I asked him whether he was personally in favour of compulsory identity cards. I am opposed to that; he says that it is a matter for Parliament. Well, the last time I looked he was a Member of Parliament. Will he be voting for them—yes or no?

I was in favour of them then, and I repeat that now. I ask the right hon. Gentleman the question that he never answered: is he in favour of compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals—yes or no? We are in favour. Is he against?

If the Prime Minister wants to ask me questions, he should call an election, so he can ask six a week. In the meantime, my responsibility is to ask him questions on behalf of the country, and his responsibility is to answer on behalf of the Government. ID cards for foreigners are just a way of spinning biometric visas, and there is not a person in the House of Commons who is opposed to them.

Let me try another question. [Interruption.] It is good to see the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families sitting there so quietly this week. [Interruption.] Very, very good. He had a choice: he had to learn either to shout more clearly or to be quiet. He has made the right choice.

When I asked the Prime Minister about A-levels six weeks ago, he could give absolutely no guarantee that they would remain after the review in 2013. That means that children starting secondary school do not know whether they will be doing A-levels or not. I want A-levels to remain as the gold standard. Does he?

I also answered this question a few weeks ago. The review will take place in 2013. Nobody is going to take away A-levels when they are successful. What we are going to do is look at how the diplomas are working, review the issue in 2013 and then make a decision. That is a guarantee that A-levels are in business for the next five years.

So the Prime Minister can give us absolutely no answer for after 2013. That means that children at secondary school and their parents have no idea about what sort of examination system is going to be in place.

The Prime Minister cannot make a decision about free votes and he cannot make a decision about A-levels. No wonder his new spin doctor Stephen Carter says that living in Downing street is like living in a surreal cartoon. There are now so many spin doctors in Downing street that they have started spinning against each other and leaving in floods of tears. There is a new strategist, a man called David Muir. Yes, I have done a bit of research—he is the chief strategist and on the internet he has listed his favourite book. It is called—[Interruption.] Is his favourite book not the following? It is called “The unstoppable power of leaderless organisations”. If the Prime Minister cannot make a decision, and if he cannot run his office, why does anyone wonder why he cannot run the country?

We are dealing with the substance of issues. The Opposition are playing at politics; we are dealing with the substance of governing. It is interesting that there was not one question about the global economy. Why? Because the Conservatives do not have a policy on the global economy. There was not one question about the health service, because they have no proper policy on the national health service. There was not one question about local government services because they are cutting local government services. They have no answer to the problems of this country.

Q3. With current market conditions deteriorating, will my right hon. Friend reassure this House that now is not the time to abandon the target that we have set—that 50 per cent. of all new housing in London should be affordable? (195062)

Fifteen thousand houses are being built in London in the course of a year. The Mayor has raised the target to 30,000, but he also wants 50 per cent. of those houses to be affordable housing. It is very sad that the Conservative mayoral candidate for London has abandoned pursuing that target, in the event that he were ever elected. Surely in London, of all places, we need more affordable housing. We will deliver it; the Conservatives would not.

Can the Prime Minister explain how a London Underground public-private partnership contract that charges out a technician at the rate of £140,000 a year meets the Government’s targets for best value? Who shall we blame for this state of affairs?

We are increasing usage of the underground in London from 1 billion passengers a year to 1.5 billion passengers a year. Public transport in London has never been better as a result of the decisions that we are taking. Unfortunately, it would be cut by the Conservatives.

Q4. It seems certain that coal miners’ beat knee is about to be made a prescribed industrial disease. In order that we can avoid another feeding frenzy for solicitors, will the Prime Minister get his Ministers to meet interested MPs to see whether a scheme can be established that gives value for money to the taxpayer, fair compensation to the coal miner and nothing to the solicitor? (195063)

I understand that the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is currently looking at this very issue and at whether the disease should be prescribed and therefore liable to compensation and help. It will make recommendations to Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions in due course, and we will take action on that. I can say to my hon. Friend that it is only because we have taken action on industrial diseases over these past 10 years that miners are now receiving the compensation that they never received under the previous Government.

2008 is the year of reading. Is the Prime Minister aware that many visually impaired and dyslexic children cannot obtain vital textbooks in accessible formats? Last year, the Government made a welcome commitment to improve the provision of such materials. Will he ensure that that commitment is delivered?

I had the privilege of being at the launch of the national year of reading. It is very important to encourage all children to get the benefits of reading. The hon. Lady rightly raises the problem of dyslexic children and others who are in need of special help. I will look at everything that she says on that matter and write to her.

Q5. Will my right hon. Friend take action to protect children and young people from harmful content on the internet and in video games? (195064)

My hon. Friend has been very active in protecting children, particularly children who are away from their homes, from abuse and exploitation. As she may know, we have set up the review under Dr. Tanya Byron, which is to look into the evidence of harm and measures to protect children from inappropriate content online. I have talked to Dr. Tanya Byron about her review. She will report soon. I believe that she will make recommendations that will take into account the need to see the internet as a means by which people get access to learning materials and to new technology but also as a danger and a harm on which we have to take action where necessary. I hope that my hon. Friend will look forward to Dr. Byron’s report.

Q6. Is it right that a person who has been given a driving ban for a serious offence such as causing death by dangerous driving and is subsequently given a prison sentence for an unrelated criminal offence can continue to use up their driving ban while in prison? Should it not be deferred until they are released? (195065)

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, and we will look at it.

Q7. Last Saturday’s grand slam victory shows the sporting skills and passion of the Welsh nation. In looking forward to the Olympic games in 2012 and the opportunities that they will provide to Welsh communities such as my own, Ynys Môn, which has been chosen for potential training facilities for athletes from across the world, does the Prime Minister agree that the legacy from the Olympics must be spread across the United Kingdom, and will he urge his Ministers to work with the devolved Administrations and the Olympics committee to ensure that that legacy crosses the United Kingdom and peripheral areas such as north-west Wales? (195066)

I hear that my hon. Friend has a sore throat, no doubt from cheering all over the weekend. I, too, send my congratulations to the captain and the manager of the Welsh team on their great success in the international championship.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The benefits of the Olympics must be spread across the whole country. That is the intention behind persuading the different teams to do training in particular areas of the country before they arrive in London. I understand that the Australian Paralympics team are going to base themselves in Wales for the pre-games camp. I hope that in other areas of the country, regions, cities and towns will see the benefit of such activity as we move forwards to 2012. The Olympic games are for the whole United Kingdom, and I believe that that is how the public see them.

Can the Prime Minister tell the House how many post offices are due for closure in his constituency? Is he fighting to keep them open, as his Cabinet colleagues are doing in their constituencies? Does he not find it rather bizarre that they are fighting against a policy of his and of his Government that is doing so much damage to the post office network in this country?

The post offices are losing half a million pounds a day. I, too, want to see good services for post offices in every part of the country, but the fact of the matter is that there are 800 post offices where, on average, 16 people attend every week. We have got to take action. I take it from the motion that the Conservatives have tabled for debate today that they are not proposing extra money to save the post offices. Unfunded promises are empty and hollow promises to the people of this country. We have put aside £1.7 billion to make such money available to the post office network. I can only repeat what the chairman of the National Federation of SubPostmasters said this morning:

“Post Offices do not have the customer base they used to have many years ago. Many Post Offices are far quieter than they used to be and…although this is unpopular closing two and a half thousand Post Offices, it is necessary to make sure that the remaining eleven and a half thousand have a future.”

That is what we intend: to make sure that they do have one.

rose—

Order. Before going any further, Mr. Evennett, it is not your purpose to come into this Chamber to shout down the Prime Minister, or any other hon. Member who is addressing the House—and that goes for a few others. I will not tolerate this situation.

Q8. A constituent of mine will have approximately £1,500 less spent on him for public services than the exact equivalent in Glasgow. There is increasing anger in the English regions about the Barnett formula, which is a threat to the Union. Will my right hon. Friend agree to review this formula? (195067)

We are due to publish a paper on the Barnett formula soon, but I say to my hon. Friend that the allocation of funds in the United Kingdom is based on a needs assessment that started more than 30 years ago, has been agreed by all parties subsequently, and has been followed by every Government since. It is based on the idea that we should allocate resources in the UK on the basis of need. That is the basis on which the Barnett formula exists.

The right hon. Gentleman will know that the Lincolnshire police authority has increased its precept by 78.9 per cent. That is the result of continuous underfunding due to a grants system that does not properly address the needs of rural areas. Would he please ensure that in the coming year there is a special one-off payment to help, and that in future the grants system is adjusted so that forces such as Lincolnshire get proper resources?

We have promised police authorities a minimum of 2.5 per cent. extra per year for the next three years. I have not seen similar promises to fund policing made by the Conservative party. As a result of doubling expenditure on police since 1997, we have more police than ever before in our history, and we are better served by police and community support officers. I hope that the right hon. and learned Gentleman will agree that that is one of the reasons why crime has fallen in this country.

Q9. Figures revealed to me show that 10,500 households in Brighton and Hove are currently waiting for council homes fit to live in. Some are rehoused 20 miles away in temporary accommodation, while others are in private rented accommodation that is substandard to say the least. What additional powers will the Prime Minister make available to Members of Parliament to force Tory-led local authorities such as mine to build more affordable homes? (195068)

There is a desperate need for more houses in this country, and it is important that all the agencies that can make possible the building of housing do so. Therefore, it is sad to see that some Conservative and Liberal authorities are unprepared to build the houses needed. We are prepared to make additional funding available, as we have shown. I hope that local authorities in every area of the country will respond to the urgent need.

Q10. My constituent, Adela Mahoro Mugabo, who is HIV positive after being raped and tortured in Rwanda, is threatened with being sent back to that country, where she will not be able to access the treatment that she requires to stay alive. Will the Prime Minister intervene to stop that travesty of justice? (195069)

I am very happy to look at the case that the hon. Gentleman mentions. Obviously, there is no reason to believe that people being returned to Rwanda, which is now a peaceful country, will be tortured or in difficulties as a result of that. If there is an issue about the treatment of this particular patient, we will obviously consider it.

Q11. Can it be right that a tax exile is allowed to spend unlimited amounts of funding on political campaigning outside an election period? Is it not time that that issue was tackled, and is not that best done by getting all the political parties back around the table to agree a settlement that is acceptable to all? (195070)

We have made proposals to reform party funding and we will introduce a White Paper on the matter soon. It is important to acknowledge that most of the public want a ceiling on election expenditure and on individual contributions. We are considering that; it is unfortunate that it does not have all-party support.

Yesterday, I was pleased to present a petition to the Prime Minister on behalf of my constituent, Mr. Ali Pourkaberian, an Iranian Christian who was supposed to be deported. We were delighted to get the news on the same day that his deportation has been put on hold. However, when will the Government accept that deporting Christians, homosexuals or anyone else whom the objectionable regime in Iran does not like is simply not facing up to our human rights responsibilities?

I think that we do face up to our human rights responsibilities, and when there is a proven case on which we can act, we will take action. I do not know about the individual case, but it is important to ensure that the system is used fairly and that decisions are made in the right way at all times.

Q12. It is clear that the international drive for biofuels is doing more harm than good for food security and biodiversity, and even in combating climate change. Will my right hon. Friend take a lead in Europe by calling for the current targets to be abandoned until we have a truly sustainable generation of biofuels? (195071)

I attended the European Council last Friday and we are holding fast to the general environmental targets, which include a 60 per cent. or more reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. My hon. Friend will have noted the Chancellor’s proposals on biofuels in the Budget. Of course, we wish other countries to do as we are doing in making it clear that we will make the necessary changes, based on the scientific evidence.

What assessment has the Prime Minister made of the independence and effectiveness of Postwatch in representing the best interests of post office users?

The consultation process leads to three different stages, in which Postwatch is involved. As a result, 10 per cent. of the proposals have been changed. There is an additional stage that has been agreed whereby the chairman of the Post Office, Mr. Leighton, will examine any individual representations that are made to him after those stages. I believe that there is, therefore, a set of opportunities for people to put their case. The fact that 10 per cent. of changes have been reversed shows that the Postwatch system is working.

Q13. Gift aid makes a genuine difference to many charities, which will welcome the transitional measures that were announced last week in the Budget to help soften the blow caused by the reduction of the basic rate of income tax. Will the Prime Minister reassure charities in my constituency that there is a long-term plan, past the three years referred to, to ensure that there is no reduction in income and that we can drive up levels of giving through gift aid? (195072)

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. We provided £100 million a year as transitional support for those who receive gift aid relief as charities to enable them to deal with the consequences of reducing the basic rate from 22p to 20p. We have also introduced several other measures, such as a comprehensive programme for bringing additional smaller charities into gift aid and outreach to many new charities to help them use gift aid to advantage. Of course, in the past few years, the amount of tax relief available to charities has risen from £1.9 billion to £2.9 billion. That is £1 billion extra through tax relief going to the charities of this country. That would not have been possible without proper economic policies that were working for the people of Britain.

Q14. The Prime Minister will be aware that the global economic downturn is sending jitters through the whole economy. He will also be aware that there is a delay in the European Union on a decision regarding state aid for Northern Rock. That will obviously be causing great concern to those whose jobs are at risk and to small investors in Northern Rock, such as me. When does he expect the Commission to give a ruling on state aid provisions for Northern Rock? (195073)

I hope, therefore, that the hon. Lady would support the policy that we have proposed on Northern Rock, as someone who has followed what has happened, and that she might disagree with what those on the Opposition Front Bench have done. As far as the European Union is concerned, we are in discussions with the Union, and I believe that it will approve our proposals. I believe that our proposals are right for the company, right for the work force and right for the stability of the economy, and I believe that we will make progress very soon.

Q15. Does my right hon. Friend agree that regenerating small towns and cities is as key as regenerating large ones, and that universities can be part of that process? With that in mind, will he welcome and encourage the ambitious plans of Blackpool and the Fylde college to give a new cutting edge to the leisure and creative industries and to business, in our university plans in Blackpool? (195074)

My hon. Friend is a persistent campaigner on behalf of Blackpool and its regeneration. It is important to recognise that colleges of education, colleges of higher education and universities are some of the biggest employers in our towns and cities. It is only because of the Government’s policies to expand higher education, to have more students and apprenticeships, and therefore to have more people staying on at school in education afterwards, that it is possible to contemplate new universities in this country, and that is exactly what we are going to do.