Clegg, Williamson and Brake quiz Brown

• [May 13]: Mr. Nick Clegg (Sheffield, Hallam) (LD): ' . . A REALLY simple principle is at stake: we are here to serve our constituents, not to make a fast buck on the property market. That is why I have always thought that we should do what they do in Scotland: simply end-stop-any taxpayer-funded mortgages altogether . . '

I would like to add my own expressions of sympathy and condolence to the families and friends of the brave soldiers who lost their lives serving us and the people of Afghanistan in Helmand province: Sergeant Ben Ross, Corporal Sean Binnie, Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, the soldier who died in a hospital in Birmingham yesterday after being shot in Helmand at the weekend, and Corporal Kumar Pun, who it is worth remembering now adds his name to those of the more than 45,000 Gurkha solders who have died serving this country over the years.

I would like to return to the issue of MPs' expenses. I suspect that many people are a little baffled by all the different proposed solutions, because none of them seems to deal with the biggest loophole of all: MPs making hundreds of thousands of pounds buying and selling properties funded by the taxpayer. Surely the only long-term solution is to get all us MPs out of the property game altogether.

The Prime Minister: I know that this is an issue on which the right hon. Gentleman feels strongly, and it is exactly the kind of issue that the Kelly committee will be looking at. Let him and others put their proposals to the committee and let us come back with a solution. I say to him that any solution that is put forward for the longer term will have to command more than the confidence of this House-it will have to command the confidence of the general public.

• Mr. Clegg: I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his reply, but I still think he is making this a little too complicated. A really simple principle is at stake: we are here to serve our constituents, not to make a fast buck on the property market. That is why I have always thought that we should do what they do in Scotland: simply end-stop-any taxpayer-funded mortgages altogether. Until the new rules are in place, we Liberal Democrat Members have committed ourselves to handing back to the taxpayer every pound of any gain made from the sale of second homes funded by the taxpayer. Will he commit-[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker: Order. Let the right hon. Gentleman speak.

• Mr. Clegg: Will the Prime Minister at least make that commitment?

The Prime Minister: I hope that people will also speak up for decent, hard-working Members of Parliament who are going about their duty in their ordinary way and who are not trying make any money out of being a Member of Parliament, but simply trying to serve the public. It is very important that we get some context in this debate. Where there are abuses, they must be sorted out. Where there are disagreements about future policy, I agree that recommendations should be made to the committee by MPs and by parties but, as I have said before, I do not believe that we will command the confidence of the public unless people outside this House believe that what we are doing is also right. This cannot be an issue for just Members to make long-term decisions upon.

As for the right hon. Gentleman's proposal about houses, I know that capital gains tax has to be paid on these second homes. That is the first priority, and the other matters can be dealt with in representations to the committee.

• . . Mr. Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire) (LD): A recent report by the National Housing Federation suggests that more than 100,000 young people will leave the countryside in the next three years, not because they want to do so, but because of the lack of affordable housing. If they stayed, they would be the leaders of their community in the future and the basis of the local economy. This Government have never really understood rural problems, but will the Prime Minister agree to meet a delegation representing young people in the countryside to set out the problems and share some of the solutions?

The Prime Minister: I do not want the hon. Gentleman to go away with the feeling that we have done nothing on this issue; we are determined to help people to get housing and to give help for jobs in rural areas. Indeed, a member of his party was asked to report to us on policies that could be implemented to help people in this position. We will do what we can to help people to get jobs and we are discussing with housing contractors how we can move forward on housing. Some decisions actually relate to planning decisions made by local authorities. We will need the support of local authorities in these areas, but we are determined to do what we can by the rural population of this country.

• . . Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD): Will the Prime Minister set out what he is able to do in the next critical 48 hours to stop a further massacre taking place in Sri Lanka?

The Prime Minister: The House of Commons will debate the issue later this week. I am calling for three urgent actions, and I am making that clear in conversations with the President of Sri Lanka. Both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government must exercise the utmost restraint and avoid civilian casualties. All civilians must be allowed, as I have already requested, to leave the conflict zones, and the UN must have full access to civilians caught up in the conflict. We will play our part through our aid programme. The Foreign Secretary has been in New York to urge the UN to take further action and our special envoy, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Des Browne), has been in the region meeting partners and building up pressure for a full ceasefire. What is happening in Sri Lanka is having a devastating humanitarian impact on many people, and we will make continuing efforts to avoid civilian casualties, taking whatever action we can to persuade the Sri Lankan Government of the need for restraint and an end to the violence.

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