Engagements — House of Commons, 2016-02-03
Topic: Defense
Questions: People in my constituency are rightly proud of their contribution to the defence of our country, whether through the skill and readiness of the Fleet Air Arm at Yeovilton or through the local high-tech industry that makes and maintains helicopters and equipment for our ships, submarines and aircraft and those who bravely serve in them. At a time of increasing security challenges and responsibilities and a worrying lack of commitment to defence in many European countries, I welcome the leadership that the Government have shown in committing themselves to spending 2% of GDP on defence. Will my right hon. Friend meet me to discuss my ideas for building on our local capabilities?; My right hon. Friend will of course know that the west country is becoming ever more the envy and the engine room of the rest of the country, with dozens of companies moving from the dark recesses of London to the bright sunlight of the west, so will he keep supporting what people are now calling Somerset’s silicon gorge by maintaining investment in our roads, our rail and of course our digital infrastructure?; My constituent works for the Department for Work and Pensions and he tells me that the Government are correct when they deny that staff have targets set for sanctioning benefits—they are not called “targets”; they are called “aspirations”. With the roll-out of in-work benefit sanctions, how many of the Prime Minister’s own low-paid DWP colleagues does he think my constituent should aspire to sanction this year?; May I share my right hon. Friend’s disappointment that despite all his hard work, the European Union is forcing him to abandon our manifesto pledge to change the benefits system for migrants? Will he confirm that, sadly, the only way in which we are going to be able to regain control over our own borders is by leaving the European Union?; More than 2,500 people are directly employed by the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove. These and tens of thousands of other British manufacturing jobs are at risk if China is granted market economy status. The Prime Minister is very happy to sell off the family silver, but can he guarantee that he will not sell off the family crockery?; Isle of Wight Council can balance the books this year but fears it will be unable to do so next year. Would my right hon. Friend confirm the Government’s willingness to work with the council in the coming months to help it to access existing sources of finance or find new ways to address the island’s unique circumstances?; The Prime Minister has told us today that more money is going into the NHS, but let me tell him that my local hospital trust is spending £1.5 million a week on interest payments alone to Innisfree for its private finance initiative deal. [Interruption.] Wait for it. The Prime Minister eventually saw sense about the need to deal with the damage that high-cost credit was doing to individuals, but when will he deal with these legal loan sharks of the public sector?; A lone parent in my constituency has described as “appalling” her experience of the Child Maintenance Group. She talked of a lack of communication, being passed from pillar to post, a failure to act on evidence and not progressing with enforcement. Will the Prime Minister arrange for the Secretary of State to meet my constituents to discuss the particular issues around the enforcement of child maintenance when non-resident parents are gaming the system and depriving children of the support to which they are entitled?; A total of £38 billion a year is currently spent on pensions tax relief, with three quarters of that going to higher-rate taxpayers who need it the least. Does the Prime Minister agree that it will be a huge boost to social justice in this country if pensions tax relief was reformed to a single flat rate, which will benefit millions of hard-working Britons?; Given the security threats faced by this country, whose policies are most dangerous—those in Scotland who want to scrap our nuclear deterrent completely, or those in the Labour party who want to keep Trident submarines without nuclear missiles?; Further to the question from the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy), Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust is also wrestling with a disastrous PFI signed under the Labour Government. Luckily, there is light at the end of the tunnel as Nottingham and Derby trusts look to take over Sherwood Forest hospitals, but can the Prime Minister assist them in any way in solving this enormous mess left by the Labour Government?; When I first came to this House, I spoke of the great stain upon this nation when it comes to our care of our armed forces veterans and the need to do our duty towards those who have done our bidding. Here is a sentence from an email I received at the weekend: “I have not had any letter or any warning. I was told after al-Sweady that was it and not to think about it anymore, but now I dread the post every day.” My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already intervened to tighten up the historical allegations process, and for that I think him, but will he pledge to look even more closely at the support we are giving, so that what we want to deliver and what is actually delivered are the same thing?
David William Donald Cameron (Conservative, Centre-right): I am very happy to look at that specifically. On al-Sweady, I have been very clear about what went wrong and how unacceptable it was. Let me repeat that we will continue to provide our fullest support to those going through investigations, including by providing legal advice. Also, we will crack down on any legal firm that we find has abused the system. Because we now have the military covenant written into law, and a covenant group that meets under the excellent chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Mr Letwin), we have an opportunity not only to raise these issues, but to try properly to tackle them in a systematic way.