Brown quizzed: Point-by-point | Here are the main points from Prime Minister Gordon Brown's appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, which ran for two and a half hours.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM Over the past year, we have proven that Parliament should have greater responsibility over areas such as sending troops into conflict and that it should have a far bigger role in scrutinising important topics, the prime minister said. He added the power of Parliament had been reinforced in the past year, and this was an improvement. Sir Alan Beith moved on to the role of the attorney-general, who combines a ministerial role with an independent legal one. Why should she attend all cabinet meetings, Sir Alan asked? Mr Brown said the present attorney-general, Baroness Scotland, did so as the legal adviser to the government but was not a cabinet member. Sir Alan argued it was hard to see her as independent if she was attending political meetings. Mr Brown said she would cease to have any power to take decisions in individual cases, and would only intervene where national security was at risk. She would then report back to Parliament. Pressed again on the attorney-general's independence, Mr Brown showed his irritation by asking if the microphones in Parliament's Boothroyd Room were working well enough, and repeated his response. Moving to the public's rights and responsibilities, Mr Brown referred to the NHS and said if people failed to keep medical appointments, they could not expect the same levels of treatment as those who did go along when they were due to. In general terms people should behave as good citizens, he adds, and it was right that penalties were enforced if they did not. Sir Patrick Cormack asked about "anomalies" in the House of Lords, such as having a Foreign Office minister - Lord Malloch Brown - as a peer. Mr Brown said Lord Malloch Brown's experience had been an asset in dealing with countries such as Libya and Burma. Dr Tony Wright, chairman of the public administration committee, posed "the English question" - how Westminster governed different parts of the UK and how MPs voted on laws. Mr Brown said in a constitution where 85% of people came from England, the pressure had always been to find a position which would protect, reflect and give attention to the rights of minorities. Devolution was working in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, he added. People must remember that when MPs voted on laws for England, these often had an impact in other parts of the UK, Mr Brown said, but solutions must be found for England which did not have the headline "English votes for English laws". Regarding the Royal family and the hereditary succession, any change to the monarchy's role would have to be discussed outside the UK as the monarch also oversaw the Commonwealth. Mr Brown said he wanted to move Britain "more thoroughly into the modern world" with measures such as a Bill of Rights and a written constitution. Select committees seemed to have less power these days, Public Accounts Committee chairman Edward Leigh suggested - the Treasury committee had little time to scrutinise the Budget, for instance. Could this change? Mr Brown said MPs could do more to scrutinise financial matters if they wished, and the Commons could do more to provide more details behind the scenes. "The more information that is out there, the better," he added. Sir Patrick Cormack referred to some "argy-bargy" between Mr Brown and former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander on whether there should have been a referendum on Scottish independence. Mr Brown urged him to wait for a forthcoming report on the matter and said he would not comment further before this.
THE 42-DAY TERROR DETENTION LIMIT Sir Patrick Cormack jokes that Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz was "rewarded" by being allowed to ask Mr Brown a question - a reference to suggestions Mr Vaz was offered incentives to vote for the controversial 42-day limit on pre-charge detention. (These were dismissed as "ridiculous" by Mr Vaz on Wednesday.) Mr Brown, in a white shirt and purple tie but no jacket, spent time explaining how the home secretary would inform Parliament whenever a terrorism suspect was to be detained for a long period, if the 42-day limit came into force.The power would be "rarely used", he added, but was necessary so a state of emergency did not have to be introduced when police wished to hold a suspect as long as this. Mr Brown thought backing for the limit from the Muslim community would be as high as in other communities, because there was support across the UK for measures to protect the public from terrorism. Mr Vaz raised a smile when asking Mr Brown if he offered incentives to any MP to vote in favour of the 42-day limit. The prime minister defended the Democratic Unionist Party, whose MPs voted with the government, saying it knew better than most the effects which terrorism could have.
OIL, ENERGY & FOOD Lib Dem MP Malcolm Bruce, who chairs the international development committee, asked if more should be done to "level off" the world's growing population, and if, in a generation, the world could run out of oil and food. In the last 10 years, cheap prices for goods such as electronics and clothes plus low inflation have benefited everyone, Mr Brown replied. The shift in power to Asia and pressure on resources, food, oil and commodities had created "global problems which require global action". There was the worst global food shortage in 30 years and more must be done to produce food, Mr Brown said. Reducing the world's dependence on oil and gas was integral to helping the planet, with renewable sources to be expanded and greater energy efficiency required. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity" to do this, he added. There was a once-in-generation chance to reduce dependency on oil in the 1970s and we didn't do it, Mr Bruce said. Mr Brown responded by saying things were looking better now, with greater global desire to achieve this target. He will go to next week's G8 meeting in Japan to press for "a green revolution" in developing countries to make sure they have enough food to meet the needs of their growing populations. Conservative MP Peter Luff, chairman of the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Berr) select committee, criticised Mr Brown for not having greater decision-making at a local level on major planning issues such as the construction of nuclear power stations, but Mr Brown defended the status quo and said it worked. Wind power and nuclear power were integral to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, he added. Mr Luff asked why support was being cut for the Warm Front programme, which helps low-income households with energy costs. The prime minister said funding was actually being increased in general terms in this area and further measures would be announced soon. Some estimates suggested only half of the available North Sea oil had been taken, Mr Brown said, but some of it was difficult to remove and incentives for exploration and development were under consideration to maximise opportunities. Labour MP Louise Ellman, who replaced Gwyneth Dunwoody as chair of the transport committee, brought up the record price of oil, which earlier on reached $145 (�73) for a barrel for the first time. What work has been commissioned to look at the specific problems of how this impacts on businesses and the economy, she asked - giving her question four times in all as she felt Mr Brown was being evasive. The effect of this was evident in society every day, Mr Brown replied. Demand was exceeding supply. Those households on the lowest incomes were hit most when food and energy were a high proportion of the money they had to spend. The winter fuel allowance had been raised for the elderly; fuel companies would give more help to low-income households; the government was "always determined" to help those who suffer from "fuel poverty", he added, especially in cutting consumption. The fuel tax increase had been frozen every year since 2000, he said. Labour's John McFall, who chairs the Treasury select committee, asked which measures were being taken to control the cost of oil and the role of speculators in manipulating the price. The Treasury and the Financial Services Authority were to look at the matter, Mr Brown replied. But prices were going up because the demand exceeds supply and is expected to for several more years, and if the dependency on oil can be reduced, it will help.
GLOBAL TRADE The European Union was the world's leader in development aid and climate change reform, and was leading in seeking a trade deal, Mr Brown said. There was "a great responsibility on the shoulders" of the G8 to show the world was capable of reaching an agreement on trade. People saw disadvantages - such as their jobs being lost - as a result of global industry changes but did not realise this open global economy meant there were advantages, such as the ability to buy cheaper consumer goods, Mr Brown said. There was "no proper early-warning system" for global financial problems, Mr Brown said, and the global capital markets and World Bank needed to change their approaches accordingly. Louise Ellman raised the matter of increasing numbers of foreign lorries in the UK and the high costs which continental hauliers faced when they did business in the UK. Why did the government fail to help them with their costs? Mr Brown said their costs were often high because those countries had higher VAT rates and taxes, and those had to be balanced against the cost of fuel. The government was unable to help them further at present but discussions with the freight and haulage industry should continue in general terms, he added.
UK ECONOMY Both Mr Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling have called for restraint on pay rises, Labour MP John McFall said. How did this square with above-inflation increases for people such as Shell's fuel-tanker drivers and Barclays Bank employees, he asked. We have now signed three-year public sector pay deals with nearly two million workers, such as teachers, doctors, nurses and civil servants, at about 2.5%, Mr Brown said. As far as private sector pay was concerned, total growth was about 3.8% and it was important to remember that in Britain historically, there was "a huge inflation problem", including spiralling wages. It was in the interest of everyone in the UK to avoid this happening again. The prime minister stressed that restraint and fairness were required at all levels of employment. "At the top of British business, people have got to accept their responsibilities as well to keep inflation low," he said. Mr McFall asked if the government should be more honest with the public and say take-home pay was going to be "squeezed" because of global economic pressures. Mr Brown said he "understands" people's concerns about whether they will be able to meet their weekly costs and that they were "feeling the pinch". Action was being taken to help "hard-pressed consumers", such as changes to compensate for the removal of the 10p tax rate, he added. "The task at the moment is to keep the economy moving forward," said the prime minister. Labour MP Terry Rooney, chair of the work and pensions committee, turned attention to poverty. Does the government think changes to the benefits system are required for single parents so it was more cost-effective for them to work than to stay at home, he asked. There was a target of having 70% of single parents at work, Mr Brown replied. Opportunities for training and work would be increased and there would be bonuses for those who secure employment. These were "very substantial incentives", he added. On incapacity benefit, the government was looking at giving extra support to people so they got training or advice to help them return to work more quickly, Mr Brown said. Special measures were needed for those with dependencies on drugs or alcohol, or who would require retraining before going back into employment. Should there be an assessment of whether the welfare system needed a total overhaul, Mr Rooney asked. The prime minister said the lack of skills, rather than the lack of jobs, was the big problem. The government had a right to require people to do the skills training they needed to do a job, in order that they qualified for benefits at the times when they were out of work. There were "600,000 vacancies in this economy" and "we need people to take them up", he added. Costs of childcare and travel also had an impact on whether people applied for jobs, he conceded. Labour MP Barry Sheerman, chairman of the education committee, asked about banks and their role in their global credit crisis. Should the government take urgent action to avoid further economic problems this summer, he asked. Keeping the economy and housing market moving forward was a priority, Mr Brown replied. He said he was aware consumers were under pressure, which was why 22 million people will receive a tax cut, and other measures were being taken to help them. Mr Sheerman asked if it was time to a have "a total moratorium" on unskilled immigrants, so people who did not have anything to offer the country were not allowed in. Mr Brown said the current points system took care of this for non-EU countries, and there had been special measures for European nations Romania and Bulgaria in this respect as well.
ENVIRONMENT Conservative MP Tim Yeo asked the prime minister if there was any chance he would use the taxation system to encourage people to make "greener choices". There had been "an enormous number of reforms", both in relation to transport and environmental issues, Mr Brown replied. Emissions trading, the climate change levy and changes to the road tax pricing system were all given as examples of these. Global action on the environment was essential, he added, especially to encourage developing countries to use alternative energy methods, even if traditional options such as coal-fired power stations were cheaper. Britain had a "decidedly patchy" record in some areas on the environment, Mr Yeo said, so how could we expect other countries to be responsible? Mr Brown praised the UK's record in railways and cutting carbon emissions, and said the country was a "world leader" in many areas in terms of more efficient energy use and research into it. Climate change was "one of the great challenges of our time", the prime minister said. John McFall then earned laughs when he inadvertently called Mr Brown "chancellor" - the job he held from 1997 until last summer - twice.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS The international community did not have the means to maintain the level of peacekeeping it would want to see in countries such as Rwanda or Darfur, and that is a major problem, Mr Brown said. Getting agreement among members of the United Nations' security council was the best way to approach the resolution of conflicts around the world, he added. The United Nations should be reformed. The security council would have to change to become more representative, and there was a need for better discussion of "who should do what" when it came to peacekeeping. It was far better that the UN had "the strength to act" when there was international agreement on important issues. Defence select committee chairman James Arbuthnot, a Conservative MP, turned attention to Iraq. He was in the southern city of Basra last week and said the area had been "transformed" since his last visit in terms of having fewer rocket attacks and greater prosperity. There had been "substantial progress" with dealing with militias in Basra, Mr Brown said. Training Iraqi forces was still required, however. Local government elections were needed in the city to encourage people to leave behind informal or violent ways of governing in the past. Basra's airport must be altered to accommodate civilians and the local economy must be encouraged to grow, he added. We had 44,000 troops in Iraq at one stage but it was now 4,100 and "the direction of travel is clear", Mr Brown said. But the situation on the ground and the advice of commanders in Iraq would be integral in deciding if British military personnel should leave that country, he added. With Afghanistan, Britain was working with the American, Pakistani and Afghan governments on "one of the most difficult terrains in the world". Better relations between the Afghan and Pakistani governments would be preferable, and Britain continued to protect allied troops on the ground, he added. "People do know that this is a long-term commitment," Mr Brown said, referring to the situation in Afghanistan. "It is very important that there is burden-sharing" and other countries were involved in trying to maintain peace, he added. The aim must be to strengthen the Afghan army's ability to work independently. The restoration to the Taleban to power would affect British communities as much as it would those in Afghanistan, he added. Trainers had been brought in to ensure a corruption-free police force and there was a need to increase the number of poppy-free provinces, regarding the international drugs trade. Labour's Dr Phyllis Starkey switched attention to Israel. The continued construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was a major issue, she said. Given the UK government was on record as saying these were obstacles to peace, what could be done to prevent more settlements being built? Mr Brown said continued bombings and missile launches were "provocations" but it was not acceptable that there were further settlements planned, and these should be stopped. They caused distress among Palestinians and got in the way of people seeing that there might be a solution to the long-running problems in the Middle East. Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, chairman of the science and technology committee, asked about Africa. The committee believed Mr Brown's work in terms of the call for action in immunisation and debt relief in Africa was "outstanding", he said. But what about the situation in Zimbabwe, and Robert Mugabe's recent election as president? Mr Brown felt African leaders would not be able to tolerate a sixth term for President Mugabe but the question was how quickly change could be implemented in Zimbabwe. Mr Willis asked if Mr Brown was embarrassed or ashamed to be criticising Mr Mugabe while refusing asylum to some of those Zimbabweans who wished to move to the UK. "We continue to look at the general situation," Mr Brown replied, and other than saying cases are assessed individually, he would not elaborate. Financial and travel sanctions were being increased against members of Mr Mugabe's regime, Mr Brown said. Mr Willis said $70 million (�35 million) of UK aid was helping to fund Zimbabwe - was there not an opportunity for Mr Brown to get all global donors together, withdraw that aid and come up with a new package which would not be abused by the regime? Mr Brown insisted the money was going directly to the people who needed it. However, he used strong words to describe the recent election run-off - "a travesty of justice", he said - while adding that the present regime had "blood on its hands". The status quo cannot continue and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change must be recognised for its victory in the first election held in Zimbabwe this year, he added. "I hope the transition can be quick and I think when a regime loses an election as it did... they can have no legitimacy at all," the prime minister said. Sir Patrick Cormack believed more should be done and suggested Mr Brown stopped calling Zimbabwe's leader "President Mugabe", and referred to him just as "Mugabe". The situation with refugees was "not a million miles from Hitler's Germany", Sir Patrick said. He wants the government to be more sympathetic to those claiming asylum from Zimbabwe. Mr Brown repeated his earlier comment that the issue was being "looked up" but stressed he was more concerned with securing regime-change at this stage. There had been some discussion of an international peacekeeping force, he added, but all of the pressure at present was political, to try to achieve "the desired result" of removing Mr Mugabe from power. Labour's Michael Connarty asked about Iraq, and whether Mr Brown shared his "disquiet" that there was now "a war for oil" in Iraq which would result in "American imperialism" in that country. The amount of oil in Iraq was so substantial that it could make a difference in the present global issues of supply and demand, Mr Brown said. There was a tremendous amount of work being done by British and Iraqi representatives to try to ensure the Iraqi people benefited as much as possible from the oil, which was "their own resource". The prime minister said the vision for Basra was to have Iraqi military forces, corruption-free police officers and - by the end of this year - elections and "the forces of democracy gaining greater control". "Things look as if they are in a better position" in Basra, Mr Brown said - his last response of the session, which ended at 1231 BST, after two and a half hours.
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