Cameron and Miliband clash on the NHS at PMQs

By Jonathan Isaby

Despite the release of the latest unemployment figures this morning, Ed Miliband opted to use his full quota of questions today on the NHS. In the wake of the Lib Dem conference in Sheffield at the weekend, Miliband asked whether the Government were planning further amendments to the Health Bill currently before the House.

Cameron insisted that the reforms are about cutting bureaucracy and improving patient care, as drawn up by the coalition. He said that the Government has already strengthened the bill, ruling out price competition in the NHS, and picking up on issues raised by the Lib Dems to avoid cherrypicking by the private sector in the NHS. He also noted that £250 million was given by the NHS to private sector providers under Labour for operations that were never carried out.

Miliband repeated his specific question about whether there would be more amendments, to which Cameron replied with an attack on pre-scripted questions and warned Miliband about setting his face against reform in the NHS. We support extra money for the NHS - unlike him - but accept the need to reform it, Cameron said.

The Labour leader claimed that people don't trust Cameron on the NHS because he previously said there would be "no more pointless top-down reorganisations" and that is what is now happening. Cameron insisted that the Government is not reorganising the bureaucracy of the NHS, but abolishing it. He cited the adviser who talked about "roadblocks" to change under Labour - a reference to Gordon Brown. This leader is son of roadblock, he said.

Miliband claimed that Cameron is wrecking Labour's record with a "free market free-for-all" threatening existing NHS services. He specifically asked if NHS healthcare would now be subject to EU competition law, a question which Cameron did not directly answer, instead citing a tribute to Andrew Lansley once paid by shadow health secretary, John Healey. Miliband repeated his question, citing how the Bill has multiple references now to the Office of Fair Trading and Competition Commission.

Labour rigged the system to allow cherrypicking, claimed Cameron, and furthermore, the Labour manifesto said people would be able to choose from any provider:  they favoured competiition in their manifesto, now they're jumping on bandwagons, he said.

Miliband concluded by suggesting that the Government is threatening the fabric of the NHS, breaking promises, showing arrogance and incompetence, whilst Cameron's final flourish saw the Labour leader accused of feebly reading out a BMA press release - showing how he backs all trade unions - conveniently forgetting the fact that the BMA also opposed foundation hospitals and fundholding as introduced by Labour.

A no-score draw today, I'd say: Cameron avoided answering Milband's specific questions, but in turn, Miliband's points were based on opportunistic soundbites.

On other topics:

• The Prime Minister announced that the Queen is conferring the designation Royal to the town of Wootton Bassett as an enduring symbol of "the nation's admiration and gratitude" to the town for its dignified shows of respect  during military repatriations.
• Answering a question from SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson, Mr Cameron said that today's unemployment figures were a "very mixed picture", good that the claimant count was down but "very disappointing" on youth unemployment.
• If Gaddafi is left in place in Libya, it will send a "terrible message" to the world, the Prime Minister said in reply to Lib Dem Jo Swinson.
• Bernard Jenkin took the opportunity to embarrass Ben Bradshaw, who is running Labour's pro-AV campaign by reading out a previous attack of his on the very AV system he now supporting. Incidentally, many Labour MPs were wearing NO2AV stickers on their lapels in the chamber today.
• Nuclear power should be part of Britain's energy mix in the future, as it is now, said Mr Cameron, although there will be lessons to be learned after recent events in Japan, he said in reply to Damian Collins .