Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Lloyd Excerpts
Wednesday 19th June 2013

(10 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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The point I would make to the hon. Gentleman is that work is the best answer for taking people out of poverty. Yes of course we should continue to pay child benefit, which we do. Of course we should continue with the tax credits that we do pay. Indeed, one of the decisions we made when we came into office was to stop the nonsense of tax credits going to people, including Members of this House of Commons, earning £50,000 or more a year. So we are focusing the help on the people who need it most, and we have seen in the west midlands an extra 66,000 people in work.

Stephen Lloyd Portrait Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne) (LD)
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Q10. A few weeks ago, nine paediatricians wrote to me and the Care Quality Commission expressing serious safety concerns after maternity services at the Eastbourne district general hospital were downgraded. Since then, their managers have acted in an intimidating manner. Will the Prime Minister assure me that reprisals will not be made against those doctors and that the managers implement the safety concerns?

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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As we have discussed before in this House, there should always be safeguards for people who whistleblow and for people who tell the truth about problems in our NHS. We have completely overhauled the Care Quality Commission from what was—and the report out today proves it—a totally dysfunctional organisation that we inherited.