Wednesday 22nd February 2012 | 12:49

Leaders clash over health at lively PMQs

David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed over the Government's health reforms at a lively PMQs today.

The Labour leader attacked the Prime Minister for this week’s health summit, which he said "excluded the vast majority of people who work in the NHS". He also said of the Prime Minister's Health Bill: "This will become his poll tax."

Mr Cameron defended the plans and said Labour was suffering from "an absence of leadership". He also sought to embarrass Mr Miliband by producing a Labour briefing paper on this afternoon's debate.

The Labour leader kicked off by slamming this week’s “ridiculous summit”.

The Prime Minister's response was accompanied by roars of approval and heckling. He said: "What I want to do is safeguard our NHS. Now we on this side of the house we are putting more money into the NHS, money that they are specifically committed to taking out. But let's be frank, money alone is not going to enough...my summit was about those organisations including clinical commissioning groups up and down the country, that want to put these reforms in place."

As the atmosphere in the chamber heated up, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley faced sustained hecking from the Labour benches, with Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Burnham shouting at Mr Lansley: "Learn to listen".

Mr Miliband continued to focus on the NHS: "Nobody believes him and nobody trusts him on the NHS. On Monday I met with staff who explained to me how this bill would fragment services."

The Prime Minister his back: "You don't save the NHS by opposing reform, you save the NHS by delivering reform."

Attacking Mr Miliband for avoiding the topic of Risk Registers, he added: “I have here Labour's brief for this afternoon's debate and there's an excellent section explaining why you don't publish Risk Registers.”

Somalia

Mr Cameron said tomorrow’s Somalia conference was “about trying to put in place the building blocks for a stronger and safer Somalia and that means taking action on piracy, taking action on hostages...to give that country a second chance”.

Tony Baldry had said the conference gave an “opportunity to signal to the corrupt of Somalia we are determined to ensure security and safety”.

Leveson

The Prime Minister was asked by Tom Blenkinsop about comments by the Education Secretary Michael Gove, who told reporters yesterday that the decision to set up the Leveson Inquiry was having a ‘chilling effect’ on the press: “Does Mr Gove speak for the Government?”

Mr Cameron replied: "It was right to set up the Leveson Inquiry and that is a decision fully supported by the entire Government.

He added: “Even as the inquiry goes on we want to have a vibrant press that feels it can call the powerful to account, although sometimes one may feel some advantage from having it "chilled" that is not what we want.”

Racism in football

Stephen Metcalfe asked: “We have put great effort into kicking out racism in this country. Will the Prime Minister assure the House he will do all he can to ensure racism stays out of football?”

Mr Cameron replied: “It was a huge achievement where Britain and its football authorities and clubs led the world in kicking racism out of football..it is worrying some of the recent signs we've seen...football and footballers are role models to young people, what people see on the football pitch they copy when they go and play football themselves.”

Housing

Jack Dromey attacked the Prime Minister's claim at a previous PMQs that rents in the private sector are falling. He pointed to research from trade magazine Inside Housing that rents are not falling, and asked: "Will the Prime Minister take the chance to put the record straight on housing, or will he continue to blame the tenant on landlords charging higher rents and the Government’s house building plan?"

The Prime Minister brushed off the question. He said: "I have to say coming from a party that saw housebuilding fall to its lowest level since the 1920s. I think I'll take that with a lorryload of salt."

Abu Qatada

MPs enjoyed a touch of domestic detail from Peter Bone. He said: “Last week at the breakfast table, Mrs Bone was saying she knew the PM wanted to deport Abu Qatada straight away. She knew it was being blocked by the DPM and Lib Dems. Suddenly our 11-year-old son Thomas asked if Nick Clegg was a goodie or baddie? What does the Prime Minister think?”

The Prime Minister's reply was jovial: "There's only so much detail I can take from the Bone household." Referring to Mrs Bone, he said: "In believing that I'm very keen that Abu Qatada should be deported, she is indeed psychic."