From April 2013, in the wards and A&E of every hospital, patients will be able to answer a simple question: whether they would want a friend or relative to be treated there in their hour of need.

By making those answers public and comparable across hospitals, everyone will have a clear idea of which wards, A&Es and hospitals are providing the best care – and drive others to raise their game.

The new friends and family test is a result of a recommendation from the Nursing Quality Care Forum, which was launched in January to share best nursing practice.

In an open letter today to the PM today, the body has also recommended:

• a call for action to increase the number of staff who would be happy to recommend the quality of services that their trust provides if their own loved ones needed care
• making sure nurses are recruited for their caring nature and compassion as well as their knowledge and skills • calling on organisations to look at how nurses and their teams could use technology to free up more time to care and avoid patients being asked the same questions again and again
• improving training for nurse leaders to give them more independence and authority
• nurse leaders, whether ward or community based, having the time to lead and be accountable for their clinical area.

The Prime Minister said:

“Nurses are the beating heart of our NHS. The kindness, gentleness and calm they provide are completely invaluable to the millions of people they look after each year. To me, nothing matters more in our NHS than the quality of that care – and no one knows better how to improve it than nurses themselves.

 

“That’s why we set up the Nursing Care and Quality Forum: to find out what works best; to share that knowledge; to lead an improvement in standards from the bottom up. I’m delighted to see the progress the Forum has already made.

 

“And to really make sure that patients get the right care, we’re moving ahead quickly on one of their main recommendations: the friends and family test. In every hospital, patients are going to be able to answer a simple question: whether they’d want a friend or relative to be treated there in their hour of need. By making those answers public we’re going to give everyone a really clear idea of where to get the best care – and drive other hospitals to raise their game.

 

“Like everything else we’re doing in our health service, this comes down to the same thing: making sure that everyone who walks through the doors of our NHS – the sick, the hurt, the elderly, the frail – gets the best care they possibly can. That’s always been the spirit of our NHS, and that’s the way we are determined it should stay.”

 

Today the Prime Minister will also reveal plans to rollout the NHS safety thermometer, which provides nurses and other care staff with a simple template to check basic levels of care, identify where things are going wrong and take action.

 During a pilot across 160 NHS organisations last year, the national data showed an overall reduction in blood clots by 72%, pressure ulcers by 42% and urinary infections in patients with catheters by 33%.

Pressure ulcers, falls, urinary catheter infections and blood clots are among the most common preventable problems in hospitals and care homes and cost the NHS up to £1 billion every year. At least 200,000 patients experience one or more of these problems whilst being treated.

The scheme forms part of a national dementia challenge aimed at raising awareness and understanding, improving the lives and experiences of people living with dementia, and helping make our communities more inclusive.

Sixteen and seventeen year olds will be asked to take part in one off social action days or longer term projects to provide support, conversation, interaction and care.

The Prime Minister said:

“Dementia is a terrible, heart-breaking disease – and tackling it is a personal priority of mine. Two months ago I promised that we’d lead an all-out, national fight-back against dementia – and it’s happening. We’re putting more money into research and more thought into dementia care.

“This is a whole-society problem and it needs a whole-society response. That’s why we are connecting thousands of socially engaged young graduates from National Citizen Service with opportunities to make a difference with old people in their community.

The scheme was just one under discussion at a meeting of the PM and the dementia-friendly communities champions’ group at the Alzheimer’s Society – one of three groups set up to explore how the Government can work with business, charities and local authorities to create dementia friendly communities, support medical research and improve dementia healthcare.

The meeting was co-chaired by Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador Angela Rippon and Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive, and attended by key businesses, including Lloyds Bank, Tesco, Royal Mail and BT.

They discussed how to deliver better training for staff to understand and respond to people with dementia, how products and services could be adapted to meet the needs of people with dementia and how to encourage more volunteers to create dementia-friendly communities.

David Cameron added:

“We’re also encouraging more businesses to join this fight-back. I’m delighted to see the progress being made here. Already 20 big organisations like Lloyds Group, Tesco and E.On have signed up to become more dementia-friendly – and over the coming months I want to see many more follow suit.

“Throughout this fight-back I am staying heavily involved – driving forward new ideas, mobilising action and making sure we make real progress. For the sake of millions in our country we’ve got to keep this spirit of energy and defiance alive: we’re going to keep searching for treatments, keep looking for ways to make life easier for those with this disease – and keep taking the fight to dementia.”

Meanwhile, a new online portal has today been launched to allow members of the public are to have their say on the Dementia Friendly Communities programme.

Visit www.dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk and give your views before the deadline of 31 July 2012.

Introduction

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a Statement on the G8 and NATO Summits which I attended in America last weekend.

The common theme across both summits was economic stability and international security.

At the G8 we reached important conclusions on dealing with our debts, growing our economies and dealing with the risks in the Eurozone.

Let me take each in turn.

Fiscal consolidation 

Mr Speaker, deficit reduction and growth are not alternatives.

You need the first to deliver the second.

There was absolutely no debate about this.

It was my view.

It was Chancellor Merkel’s view.

It was President Obama’s view.

And it was President Hollande’s view. Indeed, France will balance its budget at a faster rate than Britain.

In Britain, in two years, we have cut the deficit we inherited from the last government by more than a quarter.

And our approach has been endorsed again by the IMF this week – and by the OECD.

Growing our economies 

At a time of tight budgets, a proper growth plan requires – not just a credible fiscal policy which secures low interest rates but also structural reforms to make our economies more competitive with an active monetary policy and innovative use of our hard won credibility to ensure investment in long term infrastructure.

We are taking all these steps in the UK and promoting them in Europe as well and in every area we need to do more.

Prime Minister Monti and I have gathered 10 other EU leaders to call for the completion of the single market in digital and services.

President Hollande is coming forward with creative proposals such as project bonds.

And, as the House knows, in recent months the ECB has helped supply liquidity to European banks.

I will be pursuing all of these elements at the Informal European Council tonight – and at the formal council in June, after which I will of course be making a statement.

Growing our economies also means doing everything we can to get trade moving.

At the end of the G8 meeting there was a serious and substantive discussion about the potential for an EU-US trade deal.

The EU and US together make up over half of the world’s GDP.

There is a huge amount of work to be done – and a further effort will be made around the G20 next month – but this could have a positive impact on both sides of the Atlantic.

 Risks in the Eurozone

Mr Speaker, the greatest risk facing the Eurozone is the situation in Greece.

The future of Greece is for the Greek people to determine.

It is for them to decide what is best for their country.

But we can’t afford to allow this issue to be endlessly fudged and put off.

The Greek election should in effect be a straightforward choice between staying in the Eurozone – with the responsibilities that entails or taking a different path.

The Eurozone – and Europe as a whole – needs to have contingency plans in place for both eventualities.

This should involve strengthening banks, protecting financial systems and ensuring decisive action by European institutions to prevent contagion.

Mr Speaker, I can tell the House that whatever the outcome, this government will do whatever is necessary to protect this country and secure our economy and financial system.

Other G8 issues
 
Alongside the discussion on the economy, I had two further priorities for this G8 to continue the good work of the G8 on development and to support the Arab Spring and the promotion of democracy and freedom.

Development

On development, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is an important initiative that aims to help 50 million people lift themselves out of poverty over ten years.
 
For countries to receive help they need to show a real commitment to transparency and good governance.

And in return they get substantial support to generate private sector investment in food production.

This is a great combination of promoting good governance and helping Africa to feed its people.

And I’ll be building on this with a major event on food security during the Olympics.

Encouraging the private sector to create jobs is one of the best routes to sustainable, equitable growth in poorer countries.

But aid still has a vital role to play.

Mr Speaker, for the first time in a decade the amount of aid given by the world’s richest countries to the world’s poorest countries has fallen back.

Promises are being broken.

This is wrong.

Britain continues to honour its commitments. Other nations should do likewise – and in our G8 next year we will once again produce the report which shows who has and who hasn’t.

Freedom

The G8 also reached important conclusions on Libya, Iran and Syria.

Specifically on Syria, there was backing for the Annan Plan – and for further UN measures if Assad doesn’t change course.

And it was significant that the Russians agreed to this.

I raised Burma and the need to support the foundations of a lasting and irreversible transition to democracy.

I’ll be making this a feature of our G8 next year.

And I’m sure the whole House will look forward to welcoming Aung San Suu Kyi when she addresses Parliament next month.

NATO

Mr Speaker, let me turn to the NATO Summit.

Some people write off NATO as a relic of the past.

I believe it is vital to our future security.

The threats NATO countries face largely come from beyond our borders.

Failed states. Terrorism. Nuclear proliferation.

Because of this, it makes sense for NATO to be prepared to link up with partners around the world to act out of area and to spend less on the weapons of past conflicts like battle tanks and more on the technology needed for tomorrow.

All of these things were agreed at the Summit.

That’s not to say NATO shouldn’t take steps to defend Europe and North America.

It should. And we declared that the interim Ballistic Missile Defence capability that will protect Europe is operational.

It was particularly good to have a special session with the partners who work with NATO around the world and in particular the 50 countries who make up the NATO-led alliance in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

NATO’s military commanders set out the progress in the campaign.

Attacks by insurgents are down.

Transition to Afghan control is on track.

Over the next few weeks, we will reach the point where 75 per cent of the population will be living in areas where Afghan forces are in the lead for security.

The vital next steps are to deliver the final stages of transition continue to build up the Afghan National Security Forces and to ensure they are funded properly.

Britain is pledging £70 million a year.

But it is right that other countries should step up and contribute to the future of Afghanistan, irrespective of the role they have played so far.

This Summit marked a turning point in these contributions – with almost $1 billion being pledged to support the Afghan National Security Forces.

Conclusion

Mr Speaker, Britain has played a leading role in this Alliance for reasons of our own security.

Three years ago some three quarters of the most serious terrorist plots against Britain had links to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Now I am advised that figure has fallen to about half.

Our aim is an Afghanistan that is able to take care of its own security without the need for foreign troops.

An Afghanistan that can prevent Al Qaeda returning and posing a threat to us and to our allies around the world.

The tremendous hard work of our courageous service men and women is making this possible.

And after ten long years, our service men and women will finally be coming home.

I pay tribute to them.

Their service and sacrifice is beyond measure.

And we remember in particular all those who have given their lives in this vital task to keep our country safe.

And I commend this Statement to the House.

Watch today’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

Question-by-question guide

The Prime Minister answered questions on:

• UK deficit
• Beecroft Report – Employment legislation
• Metal theft
• Youth employment
• NHS waiting lists
• Export Finance Guarantee Scheme
• Parenting – early years intervention 
• Prisoner voting rights
• Manufacturing investment
• Birmingham City Council
• Child neglect law
• Legal loan sharking
• UK economy
• Science funding
• Police numbers
• Squatting
• UK Border Agency performance and bonuses
• Political party funding
• Infrastructure and housing investment
• Foodbanks
• Judicial pensions
• Abuse in detention centres

Extra information

Prime Minister’s Questions is an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the Prime Minister on any subject, although they usually focus on the key issues of the day.

The half-hour session, which takes place on Wednesdays while Parliament is in session, starts with a routine question from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements.

• Learn more about Prime Minister’s Questions
• Parliament website (opens in new window)

The care and attention a child receives when young will affect their health, behaviour and ability to learn throughout their lives. A recent survey suggests that 85% of mums and dads want more practical help on caring for their baby to provide the best possible start for their children.

The Prime Minister outlined that the support being offered to parents will include:

• a brand new digital service for parents-to-be and new parents, providing regular emails and texts with timely information as their pregnancy develops and their child grows;
• free parenting classes to all parents of children aged five years and under in three trial areas;
• expert organisations to deliver relationship support for first time parents in four trial areas of the country from this summer.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Parents are nation-builders. It’s through love and sheer hard work that we raise the next generation with the right values. That’s why this Government is doing everything possible to support parents.

“We’re doing the big, long-term things to make this country stronger for our children – dealing with our debts; having a massive push for better schools; working to create more good, skilled jobs in our economy

“But we’re also focussed on making life easier for parents day-to-day, from extending childcare to increasing the number of health visitors. The parenting classes and films we’re launching this week are an important part of that, providing clear, professionally-led advice on everything from teething to tantrums.”

Digital service for parents-to-be and new parents

 From today, the NHS Information Service for Parents will give mums and dads advice they can trust covering a wide range of issues related to staying healthy in pregnancy, preparing for birth and looking after their baby.  

Those signing up to the service will no longer be faced with information overload while surfing the internet, but will have relevant, timely NHS approved advice sent directly to their phones and inboxes. This includes links to specially commissioned videos showing midwives demonstrating practical advice such as bathing your baby and parents discussing issues that affected them and how they supported each other.

Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley said:

 ”We all want to give our children the best start in life. But sometimes, particularly for first-time parents, bringing a new baby home can be a daunting as well as a happy experience.

 ”That is why we are determined to help people become more confident in becoming a parent – from pregnancy to the start of their children’s lives. From now on, this new information service will be at parents’ sides to support them in the first stage of their child’s journey, guiding them with relevant information and first-hand experience from other parents.”

Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, welcomed the new service:

 “We warmly welcome this innovative online and multi-media service for parents. We hope that the email and text alerts will bolster the work that midwives do with women and their families by providing additional information that will empower and signpost parents to further appropriate sources of support and help.

 “We know that pregnancy and maternity care are in many cases the first time most parents will interact with the health service and this presents a unique opportunity to provide health promoting messages to families. This is why good quality information, which this service promotes, during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period can have a significant long-term impact on the health and well-being of mothers and babies.”

Free parenting classes

 This service is announced alongside free parenting classes to all parents of children aged five years and under in three trial areas – Middlesbrough, High Peak in Derbyshire and Camden in London.

 Mums and dads will be able to use vouchers, available from Boots stores, children’s centres, health visitors and professionals who have contact with families to pay for the classes. The NCT, Coram, Save the Children, and the Fatherhood Institute are among those who are delivering classes.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

“All parents want the best for their children and we want to help them. Most parents go to ante-natal classes before their child is born and the benefits of these are well-documented.

“We want mums and dads to be able to access similar help and advice in the earliest years of their child’s life and for this to be a normal part of family life.”

The trial will help Government understand how classes could be made available to every mum and dad. Decisions on national roll out will be informed by the independent evaluation.

 Mary Rose Brady, Head of Coram’s Parents’ Centre said:

 “Parents tell us, no one gives you a manual when you have kids- so here’s our manual.

 “Each session that Coram is delivering is based on what years of evidence show will best support children in their early development. Parents are the experts in their own children, but everyone can benefit from understanding the key ingredients.”

 

Relationship support

Relate, The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships and the Fatherhood Institute will deliver relationship support sessions for first time parents to support them with the transition to parenthood in four areas of the country from this summer.

The government wants to support strong and stable families and research shows that the birth of a new child can be a stress point for couples. A trial starting in July will offer subsidised relationship support sessions for all expectant mothers and fathers and those with children up to the age of two in the trial areas – York and Leeds, North Essex, Hackney and City of London, Islington and Westminster. Up to £1m has been made available for the trial between April 2012 and March 2014.

The sessions will be delivered by one of three providers and parents will have the choice of face to face and/or online support. They will be designed to help parents understand that it is normal for their relationship to go through a transition period after they have a child and to give them strategies to work through this as a couple. The trial will be managed and promoted by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) to encourage couples to feel that it is normal to access relationship support in the first few years of their child’s life – just as they would go to an antenatal class.

The offer will be distributed by professionals working in the early years – for example, from nurseries, children’s centres, midwives and health visitors.  

Notes to Editors

1. The Parental Opinion Survey 2010 (published by DfE Nov 2010) found that 85% of parents with children under three were found to have sought information to help with parenting in the previous year. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR061.pdf The survey from the Family and Parenting Institute showed that almost 60 per cent of parents thought they should automatically receive information and the offer of parenting classes. http://www.familyandparenting.org/news/Press-releases/2012+Press+Releases/Research+reveals+approval+of+parenting+classes+info+for+parents 

The NSPCC survey shows that almost three quarters (72 per cent) of all new mothers said they would have liked more professional advice before their baby was born.  There are 670,000 visits per month to the  Pregnancy and Baby content on the NHS Choices site from people searching for information. More evidence around the support for new parents can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_125891

Parenting classes

2. Mums and dads will be able to use vouchers, available from Boots stores, children’s centres, health visitors and professionals who have contact with families to pay for the classes. They can also go to the CAN Parent website www.CANparent.org.uk to find local distribution points.

3. Six organisations will deliver the classes in all three areas:

National Childbirth Trust

Family Links

Save the Children

Fatherhood Institute

Solihull Approach

Race Equality Foundation (with Mumsnet)

Providers only in Camden:

Montessori St Nicholas

Mind Gym (Parent Gym)

Coram

City Literary Institute

Only in Middlesbrough:

Barnardo’s

Only in High Peak:

Derbyshire Council

Family Lives

Family Matters Institute

4. The providers are being paid on a delivery basis only – they will have a concession contract which allows them to claim reimbursement for delivering classes to a voucher holding parent.

NHS Information Service for Parents

5. Parents will be invited to sign up to this new service at booking appointments with midwives. They will also see widgets linking them to the sign up page on NHS Choices. The widget will also be available for organisations like Mumsnet, Netmums and the National Childbirth Trust to include on their websites – the new service links to these organisations’ websites as part of the emails sent to parents. They will then receive regular, relevant and tailored information via email or text as their pregnancy develops and their child grows. At launch the new service will be available to parents-to-be and parents with new babies aged up to 1 month. The content of the service will increase and develop in response to feedback from parents and professionals and as the babies of the parents who have signed up grow.  Visit www.nhs.uk/parents to sign up to the service or find out more information.

Relationship support

6.  The sessions will be open for booking from July this year and will be delivered from the end of July. The four areas were chosen in partnership with providers to give a spread of geography and socio-economic characteristics.

7.  The providers will be paid on a delivery basis only – they will be offered a concession contract which allows them to claim reimbursement for delivering a session to an eligible parent/couple.

8.  The sessions are likely to involve helping first time parents deal with the emotional and relationship changes that they may experience after having a baby, including:

• managing new roles and responsibilities in your relationship
• dealing with the emotional impact of having a child
• learning negotiating and compromising skills
• balancing your role as a parent and as a partner
• coping with issues like lack of sleep and mess.

9.  The online only sessions will be delivered by the Fatherhood Institute in all the trial areas. Sessions including online and face to face elements will be delivered by Relate in North Essex, York and Leeds and the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships in Hackney and City, Islington and Westminster. The trial will be managed and promoted by the NCT.

We are living in perilous economic times. Turn on the TV news and you see the return of a crisis that never really went away. Greece on the brink; the survival of the Euro in question. Faced with this, I have a clear task: to keep Britain safe. Not to take the easy course – but the right course. Not to dodge responsibility for dealing with a debt crisis – but to lead our country through this to better times.

My message today is that it can be done. We are well on the way in this journey.

Since we took office two years ago, we have cut the deficit by more than a quarter.
Yesterday, we had encouraging news on unemployment, too.  The number of people in work – up by 100,000 in the last quarter. And the number of new business start-ups last year was one of the highest in our history. So now more than ever this is the time to stand firm.

Let me be clear: we are moving in the right direction – not rushing the task, but judging it carefully. And that is why we must resist dangerous voices calling on us to retreat. Yes, we are doing everything we can to return this country to strong, stable economic growth. But no, we will not do that by returning to the something for nothing economics that got us into this mess.

We cannot blow the budget on more spending and more debt.

It would squander all the progress we’ve made in these last two, tough years. It would mean tough decisions lasting even longer. It would risk our future. It’s not an alternative policy, it’s a cop-out.

The Challenges 

In keeping Britain safe and building the recovery we face three challenges.

First, the struggle to recover from a long and deep recession at home.

Second, the turbulence coming from the Eurozone.

And third, the uncertainty over whether the world is on the right economic path, with debates about trade policy and how to support growth.

We need to find the right answer to all three. And our answers must be rooted in the reality of the global situation. This is not a conventional economic crisis, of the kind Britain has had to deal with in the recent past. This is a debt crisis.

Deficit reduction and growth are not alternatives. Delivering the first is vital in securing the second. If markets don’t believe you are serious about dealing with your debts, your interest rates rocket and your economy shrinks.

Britain can not cut itself off from what happens elsewhere. As our biggest trading partner, the problems in the Eurozone are affecting Britain too. As we prepare for the potential storms we should be both resolute and confident. Resolute because we will do what it takes to shelter the UK from the worst of the storms.

Outside the Euro we do have greater flexibility. We have our own currency and our own central bank with responsibility for monetary and financial stability. We have trade relationships with all parts of the world.

We invest more around the world per capita than America. And last month our trade in goods with countries outside the EU hit a new record at £13 billion. We will make the most of this flexibility to drive the strong deficit reduction programme, and secure the strong banks that will be necessary to keep interest rates low. And we should be confident because of our strengths.

Just today General Motors has given Britain and its workforce a fantastic vote of confidence by backing continued production at Ellesmere Port.  The UK Government gave this its full backing.  The unions supported the necessary changes. The workforce has responded magnificently.  It is a British success story. And General Motors are not alone.

Look across the country, at Honda in Swindon, Jaguar Land Rover in the West Midlands, Toyota in Derby and Nissan in Sunderland. Britain’s car industry is growing.

Indeed, this week our balance of trade in cars turned positive in the first quarter – for the first time since 1976 when Jim Callaghan went to the IMF. And it’s not just our car industry which is strong.  Life sciences, pharmaceuticals, information technology, aerospace, the creative industries, services.  Britain has a stronger base from which to grow. 

We have a global language. A time zone where you can trade with Asia in the morning and America in the afternoon. Some of the best universities in the world. And a government that’s committed to making Britain the best place in the world in which to start a business.

With these strengths I believe we can see Britain through the storm. But to do so we need to act at home, and together with our European and global partners.

Recovery at Home 

First, we must continue to get to grips with the deficit and build recovery at home. Let’s be clear about what we inherited: an economy built on the worst deficit since the Second World War: the most leveraged banks; the most indebted households; one of the biggest housing booms; and unsustainable levels of public spending and immigration.

With a budget deficit of over 11 per cent of GDP, one pound in every four that the last government spent was borrowed.  Britain still spends over £120 million every single day just to pay the interest on our past borrowing – and that amount will continue to increase every day until we start to live within our means as a country.

A central promise of this government – and one of the key tasks that brought the Coalition together – was to deal with this deficit. That is the only path to prosperity.

And that is exactly what we are doing. Despite headwinds from the Eurozone, we are on track.  It is a long-term project. It is painstaking work. But the tough decisions we have taken on deficit reduction really are beginning to yield real results. And there can be no deviation from this.

Those who argue we should spend more want us to borrow more, driving up our deficit and our debt and putting our hard-won credibility and low interest rates at risk.

Higher interest rates would mean higher mortgages, lower employment and even more of the money people work so hard for wasted paying the interest on our national debt.  We must not and will not let this happen.

Getting our debt under control is necessary for growth. But it’s not sufficient. Our responsible fiscal policy is being matched by active monetary policy. That’s the best way to support demand and help rebalance our economy away from debt-fuelled consumption and towards exports and investment. And the independent Bank of England is able to do more to support the economy if necessary or if inflation falls below their target.

Fiscal responsibility and monetary activism is the right macroeconomic mix for our
over-indebted economy. But the additional ingredient that government will deliver and needs to do even more of is a radical programme of microeconomic reform to make our economy more competitive -including competitive tax rates, planning reform and deregulation.

All the key things business has rightly asked for, we are delivering. Some things are absolutely essential in the short term. Companies need to invest more so we are cutting corporation tax to the lowest level in the G7.

Banks need to lend to small and medium sized businesses so we are creating the National Loan Guarantee Scheme that will provide £20bn of cheaper credit for small businesses.

Builders need to build more so we’re scrapping almost 1,000 pages of planning rules.

And those who want a home of their own need the confidence to enter the market  so we’re backing mortgages for people to get new homes, because it’s clear that there’s a massive shortage of housing in a market that’s stalled and we need to get it moving again.

Then there are things that take longer but still make a vital difference.

We need to rebalance our economy so we are supporting the new enterprises that will spread jobs and growth right across the country with 24 enterprise zones and a £2.4 billion Regional Growth Fund that’s securing 328,000 jobs.

We need to get behind the industries of the future so we’re backing the skilled, high-value industries like green technology, aerospace and life sciences in which Britain has a real comparative advantage.

We need to make it easier to take on new workers so we are reforming employment law, including tribunals.

And we need to develop the skills of our workforce which is why we’ve delivered over 450,000 new apprenticeships in the last year alone, a success welcomed today by the Public Accounts Committee.

But we need to do more, embedding high quality vocational education, which is why we are creating University Technical Colleges for 14-19 year olds.

And then there are things for the very long term. But this is a government about the long term, so we’re absolutely focused on delivering them.

We’re investing in infrastructure, building High Speed rail, finding new ways to finance roads and securing the power supplies of tomorrow.

We’re reforming welfare so that it always pays to get a job and we build a culture that that commits everyone to work, not a life on benefits.

And we’re reforming our schools so the next generation have the knowledge and ambitions to match the very best in the world.

This is our plan for growth – short, medium and long term.

But I believe that there is more that we can do. We can use the hard-won credibility of the government’s balance sheet to help the economy grow without adding even further to our debt.

Let me tell you what this means.

In many areas we are already using the credibility we have earned to pass on the benefits of low interest rates to businesses and families. We have the credit easing programme for small businesses we have mortgage help for people who want new homes and then there are the guarantees for new infrastructure projects.

I want us to go further, so I’ve asked the Treasury to examine what more we can do to boost credit for business, housing and infrastructure.

We’ve taken the tough decisions to earn those low interest rates – so let’s make sure we’re putting them to good use. Building recovery is hard work because we are not reinflating the bubble but building a new model of growth. Some people asked why we didn’t have more economy Bills in the Queen’s Speech.  If you could legislate your way to growth, obviously we would. The truth is you can’t.

You need to get in there, pick the problems apart, find the things that hold our economy back and sort them out, step by step, hour by hour.

A government resolutely committed to being on the side of enterprise, entrepreneurs, businesses large and small, wealth creation of all types and descriptions and hardworking people right across the country and that is what I am committed to delivering.

Eurozone

Just as in Britain we need to deal with the deficit and restore competitiveness, so the same is true of Europe.

This is a debt crisis. And the deficits that caused those debts have to be dealt with. But growth in much of the Eurozone has evaporated completely. Indeed without the recent German growth figures, it would be in recession.

I realise that countries inside the Eurozone may not relish advice from countries outside it – especially from countries, such as Britain, with debts and difficulties of their own.

But this affects us too. As the Governor of the Bank of England said yesterday: “the biggest risk to recovery [in the UK] stems from the difficulties facing the Euro area”.

Based on trade flows alone Britain is more than six times as exposed to the Eurozone as the United States – and that’s before you factor in the impact on confidence and our closely connected financial systems.

This Coalition Government was formed in the midst of a debt crisis in the Eurozone. Two years later and little has changed. That’s the backdrop against which we have to work. So it’s only right that we set out our views. We need to be clear about the long-term consequences of any single currency. In Britain, we have had one for centuries. When one part of the country struggles, other parts step forward to help. There is a remorseless logic to it.

A rigid system that locks down each state’s monetary flexibility yet limits fiscal transfers between them can only resolve its internal imbalances through painful and prolonged adjustment.

So in my view, three things need to happen if the single currency is to function properly.

First, the high deficit, low competitiveness countries in the periphery of the Eurozone do need to confront their problems head on. They need to continue taking difficult steps to cut their spending, increase their revenues and undergo structural reform to become competitive. The idea that high deficit countries can borrow and spend their way to recovery is a dangerous delusion.

But it is becoming increasingly clear that they are less likely to be able to sustain that necessary adjustment economically or politically unless the core of the Eurozone, including through the ECB, does more to support demand and share the burden of adjustment.

In Britain we are able to ease that adjustment through loose monetary policy and a flexible exchange rate. And we are supplementing that monetary stimulus with active interventions such as credit easing, mortgage indemnities for first time buyers and guarantees for new infrastructure projects.

So I welcome the opportunity to explore new options for such monetary activism at a European level, for example through President Hollande’s ideas for project bonds. But to rebalance your economy in a currency union at a time of global economic weakness you need more fundamental support.

Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble is right to recognise rising wages in his country can play a part in correcting these imbalances but monetary policy in the Eurozone must also do more.

Second, the Eurozone needs to put in place governance arrangements that create confidence for the future. And as the British Government has been arguing for a year now that means following the logic of monetary union towards solutions that deliver greater forms of collective support and collective responsibility of which Eurobonds are one possible example. Steps such as these are needed to put an end to speculation about the future of the euro.

And third, we all need to address Europe’s overall low productivity and lack of economic dynamism, which remains its Achilles Heel. Most EU member states are becoming less competitive compared to the rest of the world, not more.

The Single Market is incomplete and competition throughout Europe is too constrained. Indeed, Britain has long been arguing for a pro-business, pro-growth agenda in Europe.

That’s why ahead of the last European Council I formed an unprecedented alliance with 11 other EU leaders setting out an action plan for jobs and growth in Europe and pushing for the completion of the Single Market in Services and Digital.

The Eurozone is at a cross-roads. It either has to make-up or it is looking at a potential break-up. Either Europe has a committed, stable, successful Eurozone with an effective firewall, well capitalised and regulated banks, a system of fiscal burden sharing, and supportive monetary policy across the Eurozone.

Or we are in unchartered territory which carries huge risks for everybody. As I have consistently said it is in Britain’s interest for the Eurozone to sort out its problems.

But be in no doubt: whichever path is chosen, I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect this country and secure our economy and financial system.

Global Economy 

Protecting Britain’s economy is not just about the measures we take at home – or even the steps our neighbours take in Europe.

In a world that is ever more connected and ever more competitive, it is also about the steps we take with our global partners to protect ourselves against global contagion and promote global trade.

So over the coming weeks I’ll be flying to Camp David and to Los Cabos in Mexico to fight for what is right for Britain at the G8 and G20 summits.

That means committing together to make the reforms we need to our economies to get growth in the global economy working again, including involving organisations like the IMF.  It means persisting with reforms to make our banks safe, by implementing high-quality, global financial regulatory standards. It means recognising the risks to the recovery from rising and volatile energy prices and working together to ensure our energy security. And most of all it means getting together to give the world economy the one big stimulus that would really make a difference an expansion of trade freedoms, breaking down the barriers to world trade.

We all know the Doha trade round is going nowhere.  But that doesn’t mean we have to give up on free trade. Far from it.  There is good work from Doha that we can salvage. Like the measures to break down the bureaucracy over getting goods across borders. I want to see a commitment to open markets and to rolling back protectionist measures already in place.

And most importantly, I want us to move forwards with “coalitions of the willing”, so countries who want to, can forge ahead with ambitious deals of their own because we all benefit from the increased trade and investment these deals foster.

For us that means getting EU agreements finalised with India, Canada and Singapore launching negotiations with Japan and, above all, preparing to negotiate with the US – the single biggest bilateral deal that could benefit Britain.

Why is this so important?

Because the opportunities for Britain abroad have never been so big. And we need to work harder than ever before to seize them. Yes, competition for every job and every contract has increased. The last ten years has seen the extraordinary rise of powerful new economies in Latin America and Asia. And the globalisation of supply has meant new competitors making products, and more jobs going abroad. But now these countries aren’t just producers; they are consumers too.

As nations get richer they spend more money on products where Britain excels. On everything from financial services and pharmaceuticals to jet engines, music and computer games.

The globalisation of demand means new countries demanding our products, fuelling new jobs at home. If we make the most of this, there is a huge opportunity to secure a great future for our country. And that is why as we get through crisis, I believe we can look ahead with confidence.

Conclusion

I cannot predict how this crisis will end for others. And I cannot pretend that Britain will be immune from the consequences, either.  But this I can promise: that we know what needs to be done and we are doing it.

Get the deficit under control, get the foundations for recovery in place, defend the long-term interests of our country and hold our course.

As Prime Minister, I will do whatever it takes to keep Britain safe from the storm. 
  

Mr Cameron said:

“This is excellent news for Ellesmere Port and for UK manufacturing.

“Once again we have seen the success of the UK automotive industry and the crucial role it plays in growing and rebalancing our economy.

 

“This has been a real team effort with the government, the company, unions and workers all focused on keeping production in the UK.

 

“And the workforce at Ellesmere Port should take great pride in their skill, hard work and commitment which has proved vital to ensuring this great result today.”

 

Watch today’s Prime Minister’s Questions

Read the Hansard of Prime Minister’s Questions

Question-by-question guide

The Prime Minister answered questions on:

• apprenticeships
• growth
• discussions with President Hollande
• UK economy
• front-line police numbers
• numbers of nurses
• EU Economic crisis
• Andy Coulson security clearance
• car export net surplus
• VAT
• adult learning
• Right to Buy
• PM’s reputation
• interest rates
• Rochdale abuse case
• monitoring of children’s care homes
• promoting science in schools
• civil servants’ tax arrangements
• Severn Barrage project
• unemployment
• Regional Growth Fund

Extra information

Prime Minister’s Questions is an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the Prime Minister on any subject, although they usually focus on the key issues of the day.

The half-hour session, which takes place on Wednesdays while Parliament is in session, starts with a routine question from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements.

• Learn more about Prime Minister’s Questions
• Parliament website (opens in new window)

They discussed progress on boosting two way trade and investment, security and defence partnerships and cooperation on cultural and educational issues .

They issued a joint statement to mark the occasion of The First Annual Summit of the UK-Pakistan Enhanced Strategic Dialogue.