Clegg & Willis quiz Brown

10.52.00am GMT Thu 11th Dec 2008

• ' . . RECENTLY, a single mother with small children came to see me in Sheffield -[Interruption.]'

Nicholas Clegg (Party Leader; Sheffield, Hallam, Liberal Democrat): I would like to add my own expressions of sympathy and condolence to the family and friends of Lance Corporal David Wilson, who tragically lost his life in Iraq.

Recently, a single mother with small children came to see me in Sheffield -[Interruption.]

Michael Martin (Speaker): Order. Let the right hon. Gentleman speak.

Nicholas Clegg: She had with her a bundle of letters from the Government demanding her tax credits back. The letters were almost entirely incomprehensible, except for the bit that said that she was going to be dragged to court to pay back money to the Government that she did not have-she was terrified. Does the Prime Minister think that is the kind of help that people need in a recession?

Gordon Brown (Prime Minister; Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Labour): Tax credits have increased, and they have helped more children out of poverty than any other policy that we have had. Of course, if the right hon. Gentleman wishes to bring details of the individual case to my attention, I shall look at it. But I think he should recognise that tax credits have taken more children out of poverty than any other single measure.

Nicholas Clegg: The Prime Minister is deluding himself. I know that he thinks he is Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders, but the fact is that I have figures to show that he is now dragging 35 low-income families a day to court-that is 10 times as many as last year. The tax credits system that he created is confused, bureaucratic and cruel. When will he move to a system of fixed payments, so that people do not have to live in fear of the money that they get today being taken away by him tomorrow?

Gordon Brown: If there was a system of purely fixed payments, we could not adjust the help that is necessary either when people become unemployed or when their family income falls substantially. The whole point of having a flexible system is to enable us to respond to the changes in people's circumstances. Of course, I shall look at the individual case that the right hon. Gentleman has brought before the House, but I think he has got to recognise that 6 million families in this country receive child tax credits, that they benefit from them-in some cases, by £70 for the first child-and that that has done much to take people out of poverty, and will continue to do so. If he is seriously interested in attacking child poverty, he should be supporting tax credits, not opposing them.

• . . Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough, Liberal Democrat): Tonight the actual moment of death of my former constituent, Craig Ewert, will be shown on Sky Television. Many people recognise that there is a real issue in terms of how we approach assisted dying, but at the moment it is illegal. Health and palliative care groups, as well as disability and other faith groups, oppose assisted dying. Does the Prime Minister regard this programme as being in the public interest, or is it simply distasteful voyeurism?

Gordon Brown: These are very difficult issues, and we should all remember that at the heart of any individual case is a family in very difficult circumstances, who have to make difficult choices that none of us would want to have to make. It is a matter of conscience and there are differing views on both sides of the House about what should be done. It is necessary to ensure that there is never a case in which a sick or elderly person feels under pressure to agree to an assisted death or that it is the expected thing to do. That is why I have always opposed legislation on assisted death. Specifically on the programme itself, I think that it is very important that these issues are dealt with sensitively and without sensationalism. I hope that broadcasters remember that they have a wider duty to the general public. Of course, this will be a matter for the television watchdogs when the broadcast is shown.