Wednesday 8th February 2012 | 12:26

Cameron defends Andrew Lansley at PMQs

David Cameron made a staunch defence of embattled Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as he came under repeated attack from Ed Miliband today. 

The Prime Minister signalled that Mr Lansley would keep his job, telling the Chamber at Prime Minister's Questions: "This is not a campaign to save the NHS: this is a campaign to try and save his leadership and I make this prediction: the NHS will keep getting better and his prospects will keep getting worse. 

But Mr Cameron was on the back foot as the Labour leader attacked the NHS bill and rising waiting lists. The Prime Minister told the Chamber: "The figures are these - in patient waiting times down, outpatient waiting times - down, the number of people waiting more than a year down to its lowest ever and the number waiting over six months down to its lowest ever level. Even when he moves the goalposts he can't put it in the back of the net!"

The Labour leader threw the goalposts comment back at Mr Cameron, saying:  "The person who's moving the goalposts is the PM. The number of people waiting more than 18 weeks is up 43% since the general election. Everyone knows this Bill is a disaster for the NHS and the health service is not safe in his hands."

During his defence of the reforms, which will be scrutinised by the Lords at the report stage of the legislation, Mr Cameron turned his attack onto a personal slant against Mr Miliband. He joked that it was always "nice to get a lecture on happy families" from the Labour leader.

Mr Miliband also pointed to growing opposition from within the medical professions to the reforms, adding that "even the Tory reform group has come out against these proposals". Mr Miliband added: "It's coming apart, and I'll tell him why... because the promises he made before the election are coming back to haunt him."

Both men fought to present their party's vision of the NHS as the correct one, tussling over waiting times, budget cuts and staffing levels. Mr Cameron told MPs: "He said the test was whether waiting times and waiting lists would come down. the figures are these - inpatient waiting times down, outpatient waiting times - down, the number of people waiting more than a year down to its lowest ever and the number waiting over six months down to its lowest ever level. Even when he moves the goalposts he can't put it in the back of the net!" 

Abu Qatada

Mr Cameron also insisted he was doing "everything I can" to ensure Abu Qatada left Britain. He faced a number of questions from concerned MPs on the matter, and told Labour's Geraint Davies that the situation is "completely unacceptable". He said: "It is not acceptable that we end up with a situation you have someone in your country that threatens to do you harm that you cannot try, you cannot detain and you cannot deport."

Sarah Teather

The Prime Minister also insisted that his Liberal Democrat Education Minister Sarah Teather supported Government policy after it emerged she failed to attend votes on the Welfare Reform Bill. Ms Teather has publicly criticised aspects of the Bill, but Mr Cameron told Conservative MP Peter Bone: "She supports Government policy, as all Government ministers do." 

Read back through the full exchanges as they happened in our liveblog.