Heath and Barrett quiz Harman

10.51.07am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 30th Mar 2009

• David Heath (Somerton & Frome, Liberal Democrat): ' . . I WONDER whether something similar is happening with the Turkmenbashi of No. 10.'

May we have a debate on communications between the Prime Minister's office and the outside world?

A few years ago, I was in Turkmenistan when the Turkmenbashi was the president. I was told that the Karakum canal was leaking disastrously, but that none of his Ministers dared tell the Turkmenbashi, because they were afraid of the consequences. I wonder whether something similar is happening with the Turkmenbashi of No. 10.

Alan Duncan gave one example-the further education colleges. It is no good talking about what happened 12 years ago; we need to consider what is happening now. Colleges throughout the country are having their capital schemes frozen.

Another example is the mortgage relief scheme, which I raised directly with the Prime Minister a month or so ago, and which others, including Mr. Cameron, have subsequently taken up. It is no good saying that it will happen when I-I am sure that I am not alone in this-have people in my advice surgery in tears because they are going to court next week, when their house will be repossessed, and the mortgage relief scheme is still not in place. May we therefore have a debate to bring the Prime Minister into the real world loop? He is giving orders, which are not being carried out.

Many students will be alarmed this week by universities' proposals to double fees. Before a further generation is put into deeper debt, may we have a debate on the matter so that we know the Government's position? They know that many of us will oppose any such proposals bitterly.

We had the sad statement about Stafford hospital, and many of us recall earlier events at Maidstone. I wonder whether it would be appropriate to have a debate on professionals' duty of care. I understand that administrators appear to have taken an extraordinary view of targets and abused the system at that hospital, but clinicians, doctors and nurses have a duty of care to individual patients and they should be reminded of that. It is not part of their role simply to accept whatever orders they are given, if they are detrimental to patients. May we therefore have a debate on that?

Yesterday, the Prime Minister made a statement about allegations of collusion with torture. That written statement raised more questions than it answered, not least because, as I read it, it confers on the Attorney-General a wider role, which I believe to be entirely unconstitutional, whereby a Minister of the Crown determines-not only in the case referred by the High Court, but in others-not whether Government agents are prosecuted, but whether they are even investigated. That cannot possibly be right constitutionally or legally. May we have a serious, sober debate about that matter, about which hon. Members of all parties will be concerned?

Harriet Harman (Lord Privy Seal, House of Commons; Camberwell & Peckham, Labour): I shall not add anything further to my answer to the shadow Leader of the House about FE colleges, except to say that 261 colleges will go ahead with their capital improvement, and that over three years, £2.3 billion will be invested. An inquiry is being set up under Sir Andrew Foster about the preliminary approvals that were given, but should not have been. It will report shortly.

The mortgage scheme-the help for people to defer their interest payments-was announced in January, but it was made clear when it was announced that because the scheme involved the major mortgage lenders, it would have to be worked up with them. It was not just a Government scheme, like the Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs scheme, which could be announced and then implemented straight away. It had to be worked up in partnership with the mortgage lenders-and that is happening. In the meantime, we have given more help to those who become unemployed by shortening the amount of time for which they have to be unemployed before they get help with their mortgage payments, and increasing the amount for which they can get help with their payments. We have issued guidance to the county courts to ensure that they enforce the position that repossession is a last resort. We also have a moratorium with the mortgage lenders on moving to repossession. That work is under way, and some has already come on stream.

On higher education fees, the Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, my right hon. Friend Mr. Lammy has said that there will be a review. However, even before the review we know that admissions to further and higher education have increased across the board.

Mr. Heath mentioned the duty of care of professionals at Stafford hospital. There will be Health questions next week, and he could raise the matter then.

The hon. Gentleman talked about the Attorney-General and the Prime Minister's written ministerial statement on detainees. At Prime Minister's questions, my right hon. Friend spoke of our absolute abhorrence of torture and rendition, and our rejection of anything to do with that. To reinforce that, and to reassure people so that they know that our important security services are not contaminated by such abhorrent malpractice, guidance will be published. A further request has been made to the Intelligence and Security Committee to review recent developments, and Peter Gibson will examine the matter and report annually to the Prime Minister. It is not unusual in complex matters for the Attorney-General to examine the issues first and request the police to investigate. Obviously, the police can investigate of their own volition, but it is not unusual for the Attorney-General to undertake a preliminary review-and that is exactly what she is doing.

• . . John Barrett (Edinburgh West, Liberal Democrat): The Leader of the House knows that although the Government have a good-sized majority, the vast majority of the British public voted for Members of Parliament who sit on the Opposition side of the House. May we have a debate on the need for electoral reform, so that the Government of the day have the support of the majority of the people?

Harriet Harman: We have no proposals for such a measure in the legislative programme.

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