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Little Havens Hospice (Castle Point)
Q6. [58397] Bob Spink (Castle Point) (Con): If he will visit Little Havens children's hospice in Castle Point to see the work of professionals and volunteers and to discuss funding.
The Prime Minister: I have no current plans to do so, but I should like to pay tribute to the work done by Little Havens children's hospice in Castle Point.
Bob Spink: I am grateful for that. The whole House will want to join the Prime Minister in paying tribute to everyone who works in and supports the hospice movement. We acknowledge the extra cash that has been put into the national health service, but what has happened to that cash? Children's hospices, on average, get only 5 per cent. of their funding from the NHS. Little Havens gets less than 2 per cent. Will the Prime Minister meet a delegation from the children's hospice movement to discuss the funding of our terminally ill children? Is he aware of the high level of public concern about this issue, as demonstrated by the—
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst):
Order. I think that the hon. Gentleman has put his point across.
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The Prime Minister: I am aware of the hospice movement and all the work that it does, and I want to underline my congratulations to it. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that there has been substantial additional investment in the national health service, as well as from the lottery fund—I know that Little Havens benefited from that. We are looking to see what more we can do for palliative care in all sorts of different ways. I am of course always happy to meet representatives of the movement.
Engagements
Q7. [58398] Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire) (LD): Is the Prime Minister aware that it is now more than 10 years since Private Cheryl James died at Deepcut Army barracks, but her parents, Des and Doreen, still do not know how or why? Last Friday, the Surrey coroner, Michael Burgess, concluded his inquest into James Collinson, who also died at Deepcut. He said that the Ministry of Defence
"should take whatever steps are necessary to restore public confidence in the recruitment and training of young soldiers whether at Deepcut or elsewhere"
"they have nothing to fear from an inquiry held in public . . . where the various issues . . . can be explored in greater depth".
I simply ask the Prime Minister to agree to meet the parents of the four deceased Deepcut recruits, once Nicholas Blake has completed his inquiry, to hear their views on the matter.
The Prime Minister: I hope that the hon. Gentleman understands that the report by Nicholas Blake QC has not yet been finalised. I understand that it will be finalised at the end of the month and I cannot comment further until we have received his findings.
Q8. [58399] Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes) (Lab): I want to ask the Prime Minister about the only direct bus link from Grimsby and Cleethorpes to Hull, which is about to be withdrawn because the Humber bridge board refuses to offer toll concessions for public transport. That is causing great concern to the residents of Grimsby and Cleethorpes. Is not it totally out of kilter with Government policy on promoting public transport, especially when that is the only way that many residents—
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order. The Prime Minister has got the point.
The Prime Minister:
I am not entirely sure that I have. The Humber bridge board has applied to the Secretary of State for Transport to increase tolls in line with inflation. The application was considered at a public inquiry on 7 February and my right hon. Friend will consider the inquiry inspector's report and announce his decision in due course. I entirely understand the concerns that my hon. Friend raises, but the matter must be considered in the context of overall funding and the tolls for the bridge.
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Mr. Quentin Davies (Grantham and Stamford) (Con): Does the Prime Minister share my revulsion at the fact that this is the only country in the world that calls itself a democracy where it appears that one can buy one's way into the legislature simply by giving a lot of money to one of the three major parties? Is not it time to bring that squalid system and all suspicion of it definitively to an end?
The Prime Minister: I simply point out that we are the party and the Government who introduced transparency into party funding. It is, of course, important, and no doubt it will be debated in the context of House of Lords reform.
Iraq
Q9. [58400] Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North) (Lab): What discussions he has had with President Bush on the deployment of US and British troops in Iraq.
The Prime Minister: I regularly have discussions on a wide range of issues, including the deployment of US and British troops in Iraq, with President Bush.
Jeremy Corbyn: Does the Prime Minister recognise that this weekend is the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by British and American troops, that 2,000 American soldiers and more than 100 British soldiers have sadly lost their lives, and tens of thousands of Iraqis have died? Does not he think that it is time to set a date for the withdrawal of British and American troops from Iraq to end the occupation and the growing scandal of the huge profits that British and American companies are making from reconstruction? Does he accept that the continued presence represents more of a problem than a solution?
The Prime Minister:
It is correct that American and British soldiers and civilians have died in Iraq. They died in the course of an attempt by those engaged in terrorism and acts of violence to stop the country getting democracy. My hon. Friend referred to an "occupation". We have been there for two and a half years under a UN mandate and with the full consent of the first ever democratically elected Iraqi Government. Twelve million Iraqi people voted in their election—with a higher turnout than here, the US or most European countries. They voted for democracy—they want democracy. Discussions are going on between all the parties—Sunni, Shi'a, Kurds—to try to form a Government of national unity. People are trying to stop them through acts of terrorism. What do we do? Do we walk away and let those who want the bomb and terrorist acts to determine the future of Iraq win or do we stand up for and alongside the 12 million people who voted for democracy and say, "These are values we share and support, and we're prepared to fight for them"?
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Engagements
Q10. [58401] Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome) (LD): To revert to the question about the Government not implementing recommendations from the ombudsman, does the Prime Minister recall telling the Labour party conference in 1997:
"I don't want to live in a country where the only way pensioners can get long term care is by selling their home"?
Scandalously, nine years later in England, that is still the case. Does the Prime Minister intend to retire soon to Scotland where it is not?
The Prime Minister: First, let me point out to the hon. Gentleman that, through our support for pensioners through the pension credit, the Government are spending about £10 billion extra a year for today's pensioners. Secondly, we have introduced the Pension Protection Fund and the financial assistance scheme. We are doing all that we can to help current and future pensioners. I come back, however, to the choice that we face. I know that, because it is a difficult decision, the Liberal Democrats will not want to face up to it. Either we say that we will pay out on behalf of the general taxpayer £15 billion, or we have to look for another way of dealing with the issue, and I do not think that we can afford to do that.
Mr. Siôn Simon (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab): Last year, College high school in Erdington federated and doubled its GCSE rate to 24 per cent. I am told that that can cause chaos in all the other local schools, throwing their admissions and staff recruitment all over the place. Should we just leave it at that? Is it good enough under a Labour Government that only a quarter of working class kids get a half-decent basic education? Should we just leave it where it is?
The Prime Minister: No, we should not. My hon. Friend is right to say that there has been tremendous progress in the last eight or nine years. Let us not forget that, when we came to office in 1997, funding per pupil was being cut under the previous Tory Government. Since then, we have increased tenfold the investment in our schools and seen increases in results at ages 11, 16 and 18. However, my hon. Friend is right: that is not good enough while any child does not get the education that they need. It is for that reason that, alongside the investment, come the change and reform. Specialist schools and city academies are already making a difference, and the Education and Inspections Bill will give us the chance to ensure that every child, whatever their circumstances or background, gets the chance to succeed. That is why it is a Labour Bill, and it should be supported by Labour Members.
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