Question for the Prime Minister. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Im sure the whole house will wish to join me in congratulating the duke and duchess of cambridge on the birth of their son, his royal high and rinse george of cambridge. Im sure i speak for the whole nation in sending our congratulations and wish them and Prince George a very happy and healthy life. I can assure all members they will be able to offer their own congratulations next monday in a formal motion is moved in a proper way. This morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others and i shall have further such meetings later today. There has been a spate of good Economic News and around the country. Unemployment is down and the economy is growing. Manufacturing is up, exports are up. Stop messing around, give it up and abandon plan b. My friend makes an important point. We have had welcome news over the summer. Business confidence is at its highest level since january, 2008 third Consumer Confidence is up and all the figures on construction, manufacturing, all going in the right direction. We must not be complacent. These are early days, but it is because of the tough decisions that this government took that we can now see progress. The party told us that unemployment would go up, it went down. It is time for them to explain they were wrong and that we were right. [applause] mr. Speaker, i join the Prime Minister in congratulating the duke and duchess of cambridge on the birth of Prince George. I wish all of them all of the happiness in the world. G 20 summit in st. Petersburg tomorrow, will be Prime Minister do everything he can to get other countries to commitment to aid alleviate this humanitarian crisis in syria. Left syrianshas half the resources that they need. Of course i will be taking aat action because we have record on humanitarian aid. We are the second largest aid donor that there has been. We have spent over 400 Million Pounds. It is very important at the g 20 to make a number of points clear. Absolute repulsion of the use of chemical weapons, and desire for a Peace Process. But above all getting donor countries together and making sure we do everything we can that they live up to their mr. Ibilities. Speaker, the civil war in syria and the refugee crisis are having profound consequences not just in that country but across the middle east, specifically in jordan, turkey, iraq and especially in lebanon where the population is up to 25 since the civil war began. What specific support beyond the humanitarian aid that the government is providing, has been even to these countries to help them deal with the burden on their infrastructure am a their economies . Having been to a refugee camp in jordan, i see just how great the pressures are. That cap in jordan is one of the biggest cities that there is in that country. We have wellfunded embassies, wellfunded to put medic networks, very close relations with lebanon and jordan, and also close relationship with the turks as well. We have done everything we can to help and advise. We are well placed. At the end of the day, what we need is a solution to the syrian crisis. We need to the visa process to be put in place. We also need to make sure we are absolutely clear about our revulsion of chemical weapons. We should be making sure that our aid program is also helping give Syrian People protection from the weapons attacks of they the revulsion against chemical weapons is shared on all sides of this house. Talk going between the warring parties. The opposition is meeting the foreign secretary in the next couple of days. Can the Prime Minister tell us what work he is doing with them, with the Syrian National council to make these talks in geneva happen . What were doing with the council is twofold. We want to support those elements of the Syrian Opposition that are pluralistic, democratic and free syria. That is what our engagement with them has been all about. But we go further than that because we recognize that the socalled rebels who backed those views also deserve our support, our support in terms of training and assistance and advice. The truth is this, we wont get a Peace Process in syria unless president assad realizes that his regime is under some sort of pressure, some sort of threat not just from the rebels but from the millions of syrians who we must be standing up for, who want democracy and freedom, who want a Better Future for themselves and their children. It is them whose side we should truly be on. There is no difference in this house. For thed stand up innocent people of syria. , i question at issue is think the house has approached it so far in a calm and measured way and should carry on doing that. The point at issue is how to do that. Now, mr. Speaker, there are big barriers, as we have found out in the last year or more, to the geneva to peace talks actually happening. Whether there isnt a case for immediate talks between those parties backing the rebels and those backing the regime. That happily in the civil war that happened in the civil war in lebanon. I agree with the right gentlemen that syria used its that i havele had repeated discussions with president putin last monday and i traveled to sochi to see him specifically. It is all very well for the countries supporting either side to want these peace talks to take place, what you also need is for those people involved in the conflict in syria to recognize it is in their a Peace Process start to begin. I think we can convince the Syrian National council it is in their interest because a transition could lead to genuinely free elections and a change for syria. The we need the regime, assad himself to realize that it is in his interest. There is no victory he can win against his own people. For that to happen, we do need to take and the world needs to take a very tough response to things like chemical weapons attacks. I accept that britain cant be part and wont be part of any military action on that front. Givest not in any degree up our utter repulsion of the chemical weapons attacks we have seen and we must press this point in every form in which we can. Nobody disagrees with our revulsion at the use of chemical weapons. The question is how to deal with thenow the thing i said to Prime Minister is that given the difficulties of giving direct of getting direct talks moving between the Syrian Government and the opposition where there isnt a case for getting the regional partners involved. We all know the role iran has played in fueling this conflict. But given the successful diplomacy involved in talking with those whom we profoundly disagree, what is the governments position on iran participating, either as a Contact Group or part of the geneva process . At the foreign secretary said yesterday he will be meeting with the Iranian Foreign minister when he is in new york for the general assembly. But let us not forget what iran has actually done to our embassy and to our country. We shouldnt put that on one side. The point i would make to the right honorable gentleman is that of course we all want these peace talks to take lace. We all want geneva to happen. But we cant want it more than the participants involved in serious bloody conflict. He have to make sure that it is in their interest that these why, yesahead. That is diplomacy is important, but the work we do with the Syrian Opposition that supports democracy, that supports a pluralistic, fair future for syria, that is important. They are standing up for millions of syrians who have embalmed and blasted out of their houses. Those are the people you need to talk to in the refugee camps and elsewhere. He have to see how badly the current world is letting them down. Nobody disagrees with that. Take abouthe view we irans behavior, the question is, how are we going to bring the parties together, including the regional parties . Finally, mr. Speaker. Thee remains support across country for britain taking every diplomatic political and humanitarian effort to help the Syrian People. , it was nots vote about britains shirking its global responsibility, it was about preventing a rush to war. Last week the house of commons voted clearly and i have said i respect the outcome out of that vote, and i wont be bringing back plans for british participation in military action. I agree that we must use everything we have in our power, our diplomatic networks, our influences on other countries, our memberships in all the key g 20, thee eu, the u. N. My regret of last week as i dont think it was necessary to divide the house on a vote. Thank you mr. Speaker. Will the Prime Minister commit i was certainly look at the proposal he would make. We are seeing it in more people and work. There are 935,000 more people employed and there were when this government came to office. And. 3 million private sector jobs and we need to see further progress. , there had been an election in iran. However, imperfect. That has led to a different individual, the coming president who to my certain knowledge is someone the west and the bridge by minister can deal with. Can ask them to look very carefully with the foreign secretary at home we take steps now to improve relations with iran, identified those matters, interests and try to get a vote in solving get them involved in solving serious . I agree a captioning performed by mediacaptioning services mediacaptioning. Com to reform is a positive step and ive written to president rouhani to raise a series of issues that need to be settled between britain and iran and above all we need is a progress on what president rouhani has said is important, which is trying to come to an agreement where iran gives up the idea of Nuclear Weapons and in return we see some relief on sanction. That would be major progress but we should do this not from a position of just hoping for the best. Weve seen what this country iran has been capable of in the recent past. So should we go into these sorts of discussions very, very cautiously. Does the Prime Minister agree that statistics are vital to inform public debate . Is the Prime Minister a way that 4 of the people believe that elvis is still alive . Double the number we hear today that think that the members is not a natural leader . [laughter] well, i can see my honorable friend has certainly put his summer to very good use. [laughter] im grateful for his question. You need to se e run of opinion polls before yu can see a true trend. What is the Prime Minister ieved that his planned oxfam, right through to conservatives. Thet seems to me there is is a conservative lobbying damaged to mysteriously to raise a problem. We all know what is going on. They dont want the trade unions brought within the law. They want the trade unions to go on spending millions after anlions trying to alter Election Campaign rather than have them properly controlled by the law. That is what the lobbying bill is about. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Benefitconomy is set to from about 50 Million Pounds by hosting the ethic clipper around the world yacht race. Will the Prime Minister come to see one of the uks top marine , who areng teams literally flying the flag for british tourism and trade . I think my honorable friend is absolutely right. Ive seen a model of this incredible vessel and i join her in welcoming the fantastic contribution to the british economy. It was great to see the race leave london for the first time. It was even better that the flotilla was there and superbly supported by the great campaign. I will certainly take account of the kind invitation. Lets take the Prime Minister back to the answer he gave to my colleague. More positive about building better relations urgently with iran as one of the keys, one, not all, of the keys to bringing about a Peace Process in syria and across the whole region . To be attacking iran all the time isnt going to bring them to the negotiating table. It is much better to be more positive about it. If you are trying to build a relationship with someone, it depends on the action that they take. Given that the iranian government was complicit in the completely smashing of the embassy and residents in teheran, we will want to see some action that will build that sort of relationship. I have reached out by writing to resident rajoy me congratulating and wanting to discuss these issues. But if i said we believe there is some magical key to the syrian conflict by suddenly adopting a totally different posture towards iran, i dont think we will be making a good decision. Last week we saw the there is further. Vidence that all of which has been opposed by the Party Opposite. Of 2013e Second Quarter there were three and a half million working households in the uk. That is down 182,000 on the year and it is down 425,000 since the election. Each one of those statistics tells a story about people who will be able to get into work, provide for their family, make something up their lives, we should be proud of the welfare reforms that we have put through. Every single one opposed by the Party Opposite third we have not just saved 83 billion pounds of welfare measures that they oppose, but we have actually given hope to millions of families in our country. I condemn the Chemical Attacks in syria. But this is not surely an American Strike right now would squander the opportunities offered by the new iranian leadership. Due whatPrime Minister the british people want, insist that the g 20 search for a way to bring about a ceasefire rather than a new bombing raid . Said, i respect to the decision that the house came to after the debate last week. Britain will not play any part in military action. But i would ask her to put yourself for a moment in the shoes of the president of the United States and others. He set a very clear red line that if there was largescale chemical weapons use some thing had to happen. Now we know that the regime used chemical weapons or on at least 14 previous occasions. The president having set that red line, having made that warning to step away from it, i think that would be a perilous suggestion to make because in response i think you will see more Chemical Attacks from the regime. Of course, the honorable lady has a very long track record of supporting peace, supporting peace talks and i respect that. I will do everything i can to try to bring geneva to peace talks together. I dont think theres a contradiction in taking a tough line on the use of chemical weapons that are revolting in our modern world and also wanting the peace talks that will bring this crisis to an end. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Funding is half that in birmingham. Academic Research Suggests that the current nhs funding formula discriminates against rural areas. And against older people. Does the Prime Ministers share my view that the nhs move as quickly as possible toward fairer funding for rural areas . Know we have given a lot of these decisions away from ministers to nhs england. They are looking at a fairer funding formula and i am sure that they will look at the arguments he has made. I will also ask them to look at the Cancer Drugs Fund which has been a phenomenal success in england. Badly it has not been copied by labor in wales but i am full of hope. The drugs funding has helped many of our constituents to get treatment that they badly need. The Prime Minister tell the house what he is doing to support food banks in the United Kingdom . What we have done is something that the food Bank Movement has been asking for for years, but labor did not grasp because they were worried about the pr and that was the ability to save the people at job center who needed help that they could go to the food bank. That might be something that labor did not want to do because it was bad publicity. We did it because it was the right thing. [applause] thank you very much mr. Speaker. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that the combination of and our control on public spending has given confidence to business and to individuals that create 1. 3 million jobs . Even these encouraging figures, is he somewhat surprised that the opposition Still Believes that our policy would cost a million jobs . The fact that andy murray won wimbledon, there is much good news to be had over the summer. But i think it is important that we recognize what has brought this good news about. There was a key judgment. The parties had to make about whether this parliament would get to grips with the deficit and take the tough decisions that we needed to turn our country around. We make those tough decisions on the side of the house. The Party Opposite in every one of them. Thank you mr. Speaker. The government is right to extend provisions to this event its twoyearold. But figures show that councils wont have sufficient funds. We have put in place the funding to provide the two disadvantage twoyearolds. I am convinced they will get the services they deserve. Lower thanituency is at any time since the general election of 2010. Locally, two very successful job fairs and we are organizing a third. Does my friend the Prime Minister agree that the government is right to stick to the economic land this fight attempts to undermine it by the opposition . There are more people in work in our country than ever before. Thee are more people in private sector employed than ever before. There are a Record Number of women in work in our country and almost a million more people in work compared with the situation that we inherited. At some stage, the Party Opposite is going to have to get off the fence and admit that they got it wrong. They were wrong. The senate chancellor is saying he is going to borrow even more. Even when we started turning around the economy he has learned absolutely nothing. Ordinary families face energy bills going up by 300 pounds a year. Why is the Prime Minister failed to get a better deal from the Energy Market for ordinary residence . It is this government that is legislating to make sure that regular people are put on the lowest rates. There was none of this sort of action. Given that the o and s has changes figures upwards, that there are a Record Number of apprenticeships and very low unemployment, very good conditions for young people to get work, does my right honorable friend think that all this couldve been achieved if he had taken the advice of the senate club . It is very interesting what my friend says. Every time theres a question about the economy and the fact that there are more people in work, more businesses getting established, that our economy is growing, the Party Opposite doesnt want to hear a word of it . They know what the whole country can see. Written is succeeding and labor is failing. Will the Prime Minister accept any responsibility for the fact that it is now that by the time of the election, workers will have lost 6660 pounds in real terms . Theres only one Sustainable Way to get living costs down. The fact is, if we listen to the Party Opposite who only have one plan, to spend more, or more and build up more debt, we will be back to where we started. As the syrian tragedy has unfolded, i always have the armageddon question in the back of my mind which i shall now in an understated form, if i may, put to the Prime Minister. Illegallyricans andard the assad forces assad legally invites the russians in to degrade the rebels, what will nato do . The first point i would make to the right old gentleman is that we would never support a legal action. We have debated and discussed this at some length last week. It isnt a case that the only way action could be legal is a u n resolution. We would only support action that would be legal. We would only support action that was proportionate. Britain would not be taking part in any of this action. But anyway you have to put the armageddon question around the other way, which is that if no action is taken following present obamas redline, and if note action is taken following the appalling use of chemical weapons, you have to ask yourself what sort of armageddon are the Syrian People going to be facing . The Prime Minister says he mentions. Upport he claims some People Living in these 2 Million Pound mansions are capital rich and cash poor. In the Prime Minister tell me how to see support the bedroom types when he is punishing those who are capital poor and have no cash . I think first of all he has to get clear what is a tax and what isnt a tax. Currently, before our changes, there was a subsidy for people who had additional rooms they were using. He believe it is fair to have the same rules in private sector rented accommodation and in council accommodations. The question is now labored. You have ranted and raved about this spare room subsidy, are you going to reverse it . Are you going to reverse it . Hot, are you going to reverse it . That means no, that means yes . Absolutely nothing to say. Mr. Speaker, thank you, mr. Speaker. It is a difficult decision for a summit to leave their home and country fleeing for their own safety. How may people must leave syria before it is possible for its regime to declare any kind of moral entitlement to govern that country . I dont believe that the regime has any legitimacy. I think the way that it has treated its own people, i think the bombing and maiming of its own citizens, and now this use of chemical weapons, i see this as a completely illegitimate regime. But what we now have to do is bring every pressure to bear for a transition so that we can end up with syria in totally different hands. That is what is required. The cost of secondary School Uniforms has spiraled to 285 pounds this year. Schools are going to insist on branded close. 70 of the parents have to take out loans to pay for the uniforms. School odyssey why School Policy leading to loans i think it is absolutely right for schools, if they want to choose, to have a tough and robust uniform policy. I was at the opening of a new free school in birmingham yesterday where all of the parents in that room were very grateful of the fact that that is exactly the policy they had. The honorable lady is just trying to find a way to oppose free schools. We have 194that now free schools in our country. They dont like it because parents think it is a good education. Theyre going to have to listen to the figures. Two thirds of the schools are either good or outstanding and at some stage just as they got it wrong over the economy, the labour partys going to have to admit they got it wrong about free schools as well. It cost the ministry of defense 1. 4 billion pounds to extend the life of the four trident submarines in order that the liberal democrats could have a study of alternatives. Now that study has shown that there is no alternative to trident, will the Prime Minister considers signing the main gate contract for the first two submarines so that we can never again be blackmailed by the liberal democrats in parliament . The have to credit honorable gentleman with a remarkable consistency on the issue on which basically i agree with him. We have trident, it is the right approach and we need to renew trident. Actually, the delay of the main gate decision has saved us money rather than cost us money. Is your point about the review, it is absolutely right that if you want to have a proper functioning deterrent, then you need to have the best and that means it permanently at sea submarinebased alternative. That is what a conservative only government after the next election will deliver. Case is ithe the honorable gentleman is something of an exotic creature in the house. Theink that excites interest of government. Is it not the case that real wages have fallen by nearly 1500 pounds a year since he became Prime Minister . Of course we live in tough times, but it is an incredible mess that we have had to clear up from the Party Opposite. I have to say that the Party Opposite complaining about the economy, complaining about Living Standards is like the arsonist complaining to the fire brigade. This government is turning the economy around and that is the way we will get Living Standards recently was awarded by the department of business skills a prestigious award. Will my right humble friend wish to congratulate the many fornesses who are members their achievement . I certainly congratulate businesses in burnley for the enterprise that they have shown. Sectorovery is a private led recovery. It has been very good that businesses up and down the country including in burnley have done as much to take people on and get our economy moving. You have been watching Prime Ministers questions from the british house of commons. Question time airs live on c span to every wednesday at 7 00 a. M. Eastern when the house of commons is in session. And again on sunday nights at 9 p. M. Eastern and pacific on c span. Watch any time at cspan. Org where you can find video of past Prime Ministers questions and other British Public affairs programs. On the next washington journal our guests are Washington Examiner chief Congressional Correspondent susan for riccio and politico Senior Reporter money roger ju. Later the Obama Administration offered 2 billion for job programs at community colleges. We are joined by scott traffic by scott jasch