PMQs as-it-happened
Review our live coverage as David Cameron and Ed Miliband go head to head in this week's prime minister's questions.
12:35 – Right, that's it for now. I'm going to update our Church of England story with the political tensions now developing as a result of yesterday's vote. In terms of the main exchanges today, it was all fairly flat – often the way with international stuff – and then Cameron simply outperformed Miliband on the partisanship stuff. My report card for the Labour leader? Must do better.
12:33 – Labour's Diana Johnson raises a point of order about the Church of England, calling for a statement from the church estates commissioner – he's not allowed to make a statement under the rules of the House. John Bercow suggests maybe the women's minister may be pushed into making a statement to the House on the issue. There isn't one planned.
12:32 – Cameron says the G8 summit in Northern Ireland will be a "great advertisement" for the province. Then Andrew Selous helps Cameron get to the end of the session with another very easy question about how marvellous the coalition's economic policies are. And that's that.
12:31 – Now the PM is getting worked up about the EU budget, and "Labour giving away half the rebate". He knows it's going to be tough later this week – making Labour a scapegoat will only help him get so far when he has to explain why it didn't work out.
12:29 – Here comes a question from Ben Bradshaw, suggesting the parliament could ensure the "overwhelming will" is respected. Cameron: "The Church has its own processes and elections, hard for some of us to understand! We have to respect individual institutions." He won't intervene, in short. They need to get on with it and get with the programme. You do have to respect the institutions and how they work, while giving them a sharp prod."
12:28 – Back in the chamber, I think a lot of MPs have that hungry look in their eyes – they're thinking about their lunch. This has been quite a flat session, I think. Cameron is breezing through this. Maybe Osborne should steer clear of the chamber more often…
12:28 – Just thinking about Ed Miliband's choice of question topics today – I think we had Miliband the Statesman followed by Miliband the Random…
12:26 – Cameron pooh-poohs concerns from Kate Hoey about a fire station in her constituency, saying what matters is response times – and not much else. Then comes Tory Sir Tony Baldry, who calls yesterday's Synod vote on women bishops "a sad day for our Church and for our national character". Cameron says he's "very sad" by how the vote went, and sad for Rowan Williams too. "I think it's important for the Church of England to be a modern church in society as it is today, and this was a key step they need to take."
12:24 – David Ruffley, who doesn't hold back, raises Starbucks, Amazon etc. Cameron says that part of the tax code does need investigating – and he says the Treasury is looking at what can be done. He explains that the "competitive global economy" means international agreements are necessary. He's hoping this can be fixed at the G8.
12:22 – Andrew 'Granny' Stunnel wonders whether the coalition is still hoping to be the "greenest government ever"? Cameron gives that one from the ex-communities minister short shrift, mentioning the green investment bank, but not bothering with much else. That won't impress the green campaigners – yesterday WWF hit out at Cameron for letting the whole country down.
12:20 – Brian Donohoe raises loan sharks in a very convoluted manner… and gets rebuked by the Speaker. But he gets a question in nonetheless. On payday loans, the PM says that the government does need to "take action" – so the Office of Fair Trading is being given the power to suspend the licences of… whoever, really. So… that's good then. Probably. Might be an interesting one to follow up…
12:17 – Labour's Tom Harris wonders whether the UK will follow France in issuing a "back-claimer" against Google, seeking more tax. Cameron points out that yesterday he announced one of the key priorities of the G8 summit will be to deal with the issue.
12:16 – "He has no clue about the detail!" Miliband complains, his voice bouncing up and down. "He doesn't listen, he's out of touch and last Thursday the people of Corby spoke for the country," Miliband finishes randomly. Cameron responds, very quickly: "Last Thursday the people of Humberside spoke for the whole nation!" The Tory benches erupt with approval – he's talking about John Prescott's defeat in the police commissioner elections. Ouch! Buoyed up, Cameron offers a strong attack on Miliband, picking up on the Labour leader's admiration for this politician and that. "He's impersonated more politicians than Rory Bremner, but this time the joke's on him," Cameron finishes. "More!" Tory backbenchers yell approvingly. They absolutely loved that, and Conservative MPs will go away feeling much more chirpy this lunchtime.
12:13 – Here's Miliband again, who's back with a question about "rationing" in the NHS. A default answer from Cameron, and then Miliband hits back. He was asking about whether there was going to be 'rationing on the grounds of cost alone' – something then Andrew Lansley ruled out 12 months ago. Lansley is sitting on the front bench and mutters advice to Cameron; Miliband responds by saying Cameron shouldn't ask for advice because he "sacked him"! Cameron responds with some more very general run-of-the-mill partisan patter.
12:11 – Still waiting for Ed Miliband's second set of questions – I think he's got three left? The partisan temperature in the room is starting to heat up now… On energy, Cameron quotes the shadow energy minister being positive about the government's energy bills proposals.
12:10 – Lots of 'hear hears' for Robert Buckland, South Swindon, who raises a murder case in his constituency. Cameron promises to look at it carefully – the issue here is about whether incriminating evidence is put before the court. After that comes Labour's Rosie Cooper, who is upset that police officers are fed up. "This government strongly supports our police service," the PM replies. Well, that's alright then.
12:09 – Sir Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrat, is next. He calls for a "modern dual carriageway" between London and Edinburgh as a good way of linking the two nations together. Cameron says he's made an "attractive spending bid" two weeks before the autumn statement. What a pity, therefore, that the chancellor isn't actually in the chamber… So George Osborne isn't! That's very unusual.
12:07 – This is actually a serious, grown-up debate. Miliband says diplomacy requires using every means possible to push the two sides together. There's going to be a UN motion later this month – will the British government support it, to encourage Palestinian moderates? Cameron says: "This could be the last chance for peace." On the UN, he says that the Palestinians shouldn't take it to the UN in the short-term. "In the end, the point is this: we will not solve this problem at the United Nations."
12:05 – Miliband says the international community is partly responsible for the "abject failure" of peace negotiations. A bit controversial, that. Cameron, furrowed brow and trying to be businesslike, says: "Of course while we all want this process… in the end, peace can only come about by Israelis and Palestinians sitting down…" ie, it's not our fault, guv.
12:04 – Miliband kicks off with Miliand the Statesman, asking Cameron what he thinks are the remaining barriers to a ceasefire deal being reached in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. The PM replies by saying that the international community needs to be "putting pressure on the Israeli prime minister", as well as Hamas, to stop the violence.
12:03 – After a blatantly loyalist question from Tory Claire Perry, it's time for the main event. "Mr Ed Miliband," the Speaker calls.
12:02 – Tristram Hunt, the Labour backbencher and super-clever historian, asks the first question after David Cameron pays tribute to the latest fallen soldier in Afghanistan. Hunt asks about libraries, teachers and youth clubs shutting. So why was £100 million wasted on police and crime commissioner elections? Cameron says he likes the idea of "local law and order champions" – before getting into a dig at Labour for being hypocritical.
12:00 – I'm actually doing this from home, where I'm 'working' while looking after my totally pregnant wife. "It's a shambles," she says, talking about all the jibber-jabber in the chamber. I'm sure John Bercow would agree, but this happens every week…
11:59 – Ah – Nick Clegg and David Cameron have entered the chamber. Clegg is chit-chatting to Cameron, who is trying to be polite by nodding and smiling but really concentrating on his briefing notes…
11:58 – As usual the Commons is now filling up and full of chatter, as Scottish secretary Michael Moore and his team wrap up their own little half-hour question session. What a racket…
11:55 – He might have had them for a while, but I can't help thinking Michael Gove has got some new glasses. The rims seem extra thick, it seems to me. Very retro chic.
11:52 – Meanwhile, here's a handy hint for those of you following PMQs remotely. This link to the order of business shows the batting order for MPs asking the PM questions. Which might be useful. Maybe.
11:49 – Mein Gott! It's ten to 12 already. Forgive the German – European influences are creeping into my copy after spending yesterday afternoon wallowing in the EU budget, another top option for Miliband to raise. Ten minutes remaining until PMQs? You've got time to read my 'Everything you need to know about the EU budget in five minutes' guide twice…
11:38 – There are many other choices on the table. For example, Miliband the Trouble-Maker could raise tuition fees; today will see students return to protest mode two years after the violence of 2010. Or Miliband the Serious could raise the actually genuinely very, very serious report on child sexual exploitation out today. Or perhaps Miliband the Statesman might decide to make an outing, by raising the situation in the Middle East. He might even want to mention the protest against security firm G4S' Israel contract.
11:30 – There are all sorts of options on the table for the Labour leader. One option would be mounting an attack on the coalition's deficit reduction strategy, after this morning's news that the chancellor was forced to borrow £8.6 billion in October. That is £2.7 billion MORE, not less, than the Treasury borrowed in October 2011. It doesn't seem likely that Osborne is going to meet his target of total borrowing of £120 billion for the 2012/13 financial year. Uh-oh.
11:25 – Hello one, hello all. Three weeks have passed since the last time David Cameron took questions from MPs. This has triggered a bit of disquiet from some opposition grumblers, who were forced to put up with substitute Nick Clegg two weeks ago. Last week it was the half-term recess. Now, though, the prime minister is back. A great opportunity to stick the knife in on any number of issues.
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