Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Wednesday 12th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

This is an economy that has generated 1 million new private sector jobs. I know the right hon. Gentleman does not want to talk about predistribution, but I have done a little work and I can tell him about his new guru. His new guru, the man who invented predistribution, is called—and I am not making this up—[Interruption.] They do not want to hear —[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Members on both sides of the House need to calm down. Let us hear the Prime Minister’s answer.

[The Prime Minister]

I am surprised that Labour Members do not want to hear about their new guru. He is called Mr J Hacker, and Mr J Hacker’s recommendation is that we spend an extra £200 billion and borrow an extra £200 billion in this Parliament. From the work I have done, I have discovered his new book: it is published by Princeton University Press and it is called “The Road to Nowhere”. The right hon. Gentleman does not need to read it; he is there already.

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[Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North) (Con)]

rose—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The hon. Member must be heard.

[Penny Mordaunt]

Our armed forces are always willing to do what we ask of them without complaint, but there will be a detrimental impact on individuals’ training, deployment opportunities and rest and recuperation if we ask them to keep this country going in the face of strikes. Is that not another reason why the unions should think again?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman may be referring to the Minister for Schools, my right hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Mr Laws), who is attending Cabinet and is a Minister of State in the Department for Education. He made very clear the mistakes that he made in terms of the expenses system, he resigned from the Government and I think you should—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The Prime Minister’s answer must be heard.

[The Prime Minister]

As I have said in relation to this in the past, I do think that it is right to give someone a second chance.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

Q14. The Government—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The House must calm down, as I want to hear Mr Menzies.

[Mark Menzies]

The Government do aspire to be the greenest Government ever, so, with that in mind, will the Prime Minister assure me that before any decision is taken to extract shale gas from Fylde there will be both a public consultation and the establishment of an independent body to co-ordinate a gold standard of regulation so that the environment is never compromised?