Draft Transcript of Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday 2 April 2014.

Subject area Housing Question and answer detail Is the PM aware that at the present time in England 3million + are in the private rented sector. 2/3 feel insecure and half worry about paying their rent? PM: Full on rent control has been tried in the past and has destroyed the sector and driven people back to state. Theres a need to build more houses including houses in the private rental sector. where I think he's wrong is that full-on rent controls which have been tried in the past have tended to drive everyone away from the private sector, back to the state sector, and reduce the quality of housing In the week when our Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor has spoken of the importance to the Government of securing full employment that the record shows that no Labour government in history left office with lower employment than when they came to office? MP asking the question Jeremy Corbyn @jeremycorbyn Party Labour Constituency Islington North

Employment

Stephen Dorrell

Conservative Charnwood

Royal Mail

PM: The Prime minister says Dorrell is "factually correct" and that the current Government must "keep up the work". Can the PM tell the house what is Ed Miliband his excuse for the Royal Mail @Ed_Miliband fiasco? PM: Taxpayers benefited from selling the business from 2bn that of course is 2bn the party opposite never achieved because they were never able to sell the business The member for Northampton South said it was a debacle, unethical and immoral.

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Royal Mail

Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Shares were sold for 330p. What are they trading at now? PM: There are trading ahead of where they were sold but the fact is this - when the right honourable gentleman was sitting in the Cabinet this business lost half a billion pounds. It is now in the private sector, it is making profits, it is paying taxes, it is working hard for our country, and more to the point there are now more than 140,000 people working for the Post Office who earn shares in the business they work for ... that is something we should all be proud of. The fact is this when the RHG was sitting in the cabinet, this business lost half a bn. Now in the private sector, it is making profits and working hard for our country. He cant answer the question because its such an embarrassment. He sold at 330p and this morning the price was 563p. It is basic maths, Mr Speaker. Not so much the Wolf of Wall Street, more the Dunce of Downing Street. If Royal Mail was sold at todays price, how much more would the taxpayer have made? If the Royal Mail was sold at todays price, how much more would the taxpayer have made? PM: I will take a lecture from almost anyone in the country on the sale of Royal Mail but not from the two muppets who advise the last Chancellor on selling the gold!This is a great success for our country and something he should be praising. "The answer is that the taxpayer would have got 1.4bn less for its valuable asset than it is worth today. And heres the thing, Mr

Royal Mail

Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Royal Mail

Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Speaker, a third of the shares were sold to just 16 City investors and get this there was a gentlemans agreement that those City investors wouldnt sell the shares. What happened? Within weeks, half those shares were sold In other words, mates rates to his friends in the City. What happened to that gentlemans agreement? PM: We know why he's asking these questions - because he is paid to by the trade unions. He sat in a Cabinet that wanted to privatise the Royal Mail. That was their commitment. What happened was the general secretary of the CWU said ... it was the unions that brought the government to his senses. What happened to that agreement? PM: The taxpayer is better off. Hes flogged it off to his friends in the City There was a gentlemans agreement that these long-term investors so called would not sell their shares what happened to that agreement? PM: References the advert put out by Labour A national asset sold to make a fortune for the few. British people paying the price. Hes gone as red as a post-box and thats because he knows he has lost 1.4bn for the taxpayer. This is a sale nobody wanted and nobody voted for its a symbol of a government that stands up for the wrong people, with the British people paying the price. PM: Its a sale nobody wanted? It was in his manifesto! Weve seen it all from Labour this week. Will my RHF agree that East Anglia needs investment and the benefits will be brought to businesses in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex?

Royal Mail

Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband

Labour

Royal Mail

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Royal Mail

Ed Miliband @Ed_Miliband

Labour

Leader of the Opposition, Doncaster North

Investment in East Anglia transport

Chloe Smith @chloesmithM P

Conservative Norwich North

Scotland

PM: I pay tribute to the HL for her work on transport. East Anglia is great. I look forward to the taskforce report she is working on and hope this will be used to shape the specification. Today the SNP are united with the Tories on issues doesnt this demonstrate that what the UK need is not separation but liberation from right wing Tory economics? PM: I agree with him on one thing. The UK is much better off together. But this is the week we have cut corporation tax to 21%. He should be standing up and praising this rather than criticising it. Is that what the National Planning Framework really meant by empowering local people? PM: At a time of unprecedented crisis, the PM saw how good the hospital in my constituency is. The nearest hospital is 42 miles away in Carlisle while this one is being upgraded. Will the PM commit today to do everything we can to retain consultant lead services at hospital. PM: Mr Speaker, there are record numbers of small businesses. Can my Right Honourable Friend tell the house what steps they are taking to help them? PM: My Honourable Friend is absolutely right, what we need to do is make it easier for people to take on their first employee. This Saturday, we are taking on At the weekend Sir Richard Sheriff warned reducing the army by 2020 would weaken the armed forces and was a risk to take. Can the PM tell the house why he doesnt think this is a risk?

Anas Sarwar @AnasSarwar

Labour

Glasgow Central

National Planning Framework

Martin Horwood @MartinChelt

Liberal Democrat

Cheltenham

Hospitals

Jamie Reed @jreedmp

Conservative Copeland

Small business

David Rutley @DavidRutley MP

Conservative Macclesfield

Armed forces

Gisela Stuart @GiselaStuart

Labour

Birmingham, Edgbaston

Industry

PM: Whats important is making sure the army is best equipped. I always ask whether the soldiers need new equipment. Yes we will have 82k regular army and larger reserve forces, but also defence equipment this country can be proud of. Martin Vickers wants the Humber to become the green energy centre of the UK.

Martin Vickers

Conservative Cleethesthorpe

PM: I agree with my Right Honourable Friend about the Siemens announcement as it will bring industry in its wake. We now need to make sure that colleges are training up apprentices. Post office The PM will know millions value and Kate Hoey bank accounts love tyheir post office card account @hoeykateMP particularly those who dont want acce3ss to banks. This is now being renegotiated. Will he commit that whatever happens, pensioners and those on benefits will be able to access their money through the post office. PM: I see the importance and strongly support the Post Office card account and will look closely at this. By learning the lessons from America on the pivotal role of the national guard that is the way to ensure we can afford the equipment we need for the armed forces of the future.

Labour

Vauxhall

Armed forces equipment

Julian Brazier -

Conservative Canterbury

PM: We can see in Afghanistan today the territorial army fighting alongside the army. Other countries have shown it is possible to have a larger reserve force. The Lanzarote The Lanzarote convention Convention and child UK have signed it, But not yet abuse ratified it. Following recent episodes of grooming in the UK, will

Jim Dobbin @jimdobbinmp

Labour (Coop)

Heywood and Middleton

the Govt now consider ratifying this very important convention? PM: Abhorrent crime, we are determioned to stamp it out. I understand there is further assessment to be done, but I will keep in touch with the developments. I am delighted with the doubling of capital allowances PM: My Right Honourable Friend is absolutely right, this is a key part of our economic plan. The budget addressed the weaknesses of the UK economy. Unlike opposite, we wont be satisfied with an unbalanced economy. Will the PM congratulate Unite the union alongside a cross-party group of MPs who struggled to get a fair deal for former Ford workers? PM: I agree that this is a good development for pensioners and there are colleagues on all sides of the house who deserve to be credited for their work with Ford. PM: Agrees it was a good development for pensioners Warns that many off-grid energy consumers are living in fuel poverty.

Capital allowances

Chris Kelly -

Conservative Dudley South

Ford

Geraint Davies @GeraintDavie sMP

Labour CoOperative

Swansea

Gas in rural areas

Roger Williams @RogerWilliam sLD

Liberal Democrat

Brecon and Radnorshire

PM: Agrees this is an important point. The Bobby tax Three months ago, I asked the PM and met police about his 1,000 bobby tax which recruitment anyone joining the police had to pay. 1,000 might not be much to him, but its having a huge impact on forces like the Met we all know that the bobby tax is wrong but will the PM also now accept that its not working and will abolish it? PM: The bobby tax is not a tax. I'm proud to say the Metropolitan Police are recruiting and they're confident they can get good recruits

Siobhan McDonagh @Siobhain McDonagh MP

Labour

Mitcham and Morden

BT & broadband

Bringing super-fast broadband to rural areas. PM: Can the PM rule out paying a 4m bonus to its government advisers PM: The taxpayer is 2bn better off My constituent seeking right to be treated Will the PM investigate what can be done to help her and other NHS refugees? PM: My Right Honourable Friend is right to raise this. What is happening in the Welsh NHS is a scandal it is fault of Labour run welsh assembly. I don't know why the leader of the opposition is laughing - it's not funny, the state of the NHS in Wales. If he had any backbone, any gumption, he'd grab the First Minister and tell him to start investing in the NHS in Wales. 25 years ago yesterday the hated poll tax was opposed in Scotland. It ended with a PM being kicked out by her own party. Will the PM take this opportunity to apologise for this imposition? PM: Ive made my view clear. The council tax is a much better replacement and key is now keeping it down. In 2012, 150,000 people petitioned this house to stop air ambulances having to pay VAT on fuel. Does he agree this is only possible because were using the libel fines for good purpose and that we have a longterm economic plan? PM: I am delighted about the result achieved in the budget. You can only make these decisions if you have a long-term economic plan. Why has it taken four years to recruit just 41 teachers into the 10m troops to teachers programme?

Alan Reid -

Liberal Democrat

Argyll and Bute

Royal Mail

Ann McKechin @AnnMcKechi nM,P David T. C Davies @davidtcdavies

Labour

Glasgow North

NHS in Wales

Conservative Monmouth

Poll Tax and Thatcher

Scottish Labour MP

Air ambulances

Guy Opperman @GuyOpperma nMP

Conservative Hexman

Troops to teachers programme

Nick Smith @BlaenauGwe ntMP

Labour

Blaenau Gwent

Council tax

PM: I will look into this On my council tax bill, the Labour lead council have raised the tax by 2%. Would the PM help me in finding out what has really gone on and help me sort this matter out? PM: This Government is making the money available so councils can freeze their council tax. Im sure the PM and the whole House would want to send their condolences. PM: Shocking accident, clearly lessons will have to be learnt to make sure tragic accidents like this cannot happen again Chancellors cut in beer duty is great for Britains brewers. But do nothing to help 20,000 pubs linked to big companies. Will he get rid of the pubco price escalator?

David Morris @MPDavidMorr is

Conservative Morecambe and Lunesdale

Death of Keane WallisBennett.girl yesterday

Ian Murray @IanMurrayMP

Labour

Edinburgh South

Beer duty and pubco price escalator

Greg Mulholland @GregMulhola nd1

Liberal Democrat

Leeds North West

PM: Will look closer at tied pubs and the activities of some pub companies - to produce "fair outcomes for Britain's publicans and pubgoers". Reform of What plans hes got to reform higher higher education fees and loans so education fees that the system works for students, universities and the country?

Paul Farrelly -

Labour

Newcastleunder-Lyme

Constituency business

PM: Our plans are clearly set out. It is encouraging it has not put off people from going to uni or people from low income backgrounds. Does the PM agree that it is the Andrew Selous skills, entrepreneuriship etc like at @Andrew_Selo HoneyTop specialty foods that are usMP driving the economy forward and making Dunstable the crumpet capital of the United Kingdom. PM: It is an important week for businesses. Our economy is getting stronger and everyone can see Labours arguments are getting weaker all the time.

Conservative South West Bedfordshire

Drafted by PLMRs Research and Monitoring Executive, Becky Moles