NHS funding dominates PMQs

15th December 2010

The leader of the opposition has accused David Cameron of breaking his promises on the NHS.

At prime minister's questions today Ed Miliband began by asking Cameron if he recognises concern about the rise in unemployment announced this morning.

Cameron said everyone should be concerned by a rise and when anyone loses a job it is tragedy for them.

He said the government has plans for the biggest back to work programme in 70 years, the claimant count has come down and there has been an increase in the number of vacancies.

In the past six months 300,000 new private sector jobs have been created and "we need more of them".

Miliband said the prime minister appears to be "an innocent bystander in relation to unemployment" and urged him not to press ahead with the rise in VAT and plans for £20bn in cuts.

He claimed the PM is set to break his guarantee to increase health spending in real terms.

Cameron said an "innocent bystander" would have no plans to deal with economic problems and complacency is having no answers.

He told the House retail sales are up and growth is higher than expected.

He warned against talking down the performance of the economy.

The NHS will get a £10bn increase in this parliament and Cameron said he is confident "we will fulfil our goal".

Miliband said the health select committee has reported that because of higher inflation that commitment will not be met.

Cameron said the government are not breaking that promise.

"We want to see NHS spending increase by more than inflation every year," he said.

He accused Labour of being committed to cutting the NHS.

Miliband said Cameron should read the committe report - spending will be cut next year in real terms.

He said despite a pledge to stop top-down reorganisations of the NHS that is what he is proceeding with - indepdendent experts say will cost £3bn.

"When it comes to the NHS you can't trust the Tories," Miliband said.

Cameron said rather than reorganising the bureaucracy, he is cutting it by 45 per cent and will spend that money on the NHS frontline.

Miliband said the prime minister is breaking his promise and does not want to admit it.

He claimed another broken promise on educational maintenance allowance.

Cameron said the problem with EMA is 90 per cent of those who get it would stay on in education anyway.

He wants to target the money to those who need it.

Miliband said Cameron began the year making promises and ends it breaking them.

Cameron replied that Labour started the year with a leader who was dithering and has no answers on the economy and ends it in the same position.

"In Labour terms that is what passes for being progress," he said.

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