The Full Story: PM's questions

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The full 30 minute session of prime minister's questions

By Justin Parkinson

1331 That ends our coverage of prime minister's questions for this week. It was a day when Gordon Brown's character was used as a weapon by both Labour and the Conservatives. Voter focus groups on both sides must be suggesting the issue is a potential winner. The political volume is rising - in Parliament and the country at large. An election is in the offing. Will it be called for 6 May? Please join us for more clues next Wednesday.

1326 On BBC Radio 4's The World at One, Labour's Stephen Timms says Mr Brown's character will be an asset at the election and that he and his aides will make the "right judgement". But Lib Dem Ed Davey says the public will be "turned off", adding that at the televised leaders' debates, his party leader, Nick Clegg, will seem the "freshest". Conservative Theresa May says her party, under David Cameron, will take the country in the right direction. Themes for the campaign are being set - and frequently repeated - it seems.

Nick Robinson and Daily Politics guests' verdict on PM's questions

1322 In a round-up of some other newspapers, The Mirror says calling the Budget for 24 March makes a 6 May election more likely. The Sun is in full agreement on timings. Meanwhile, The Daily Mail focuses on Mr Brown's declaration that character will be a key issue.

1317 Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World at One, Treasury minister Stephen Timms says the senior public sector workers' pay freeze is an "important step" towards cutting the budget deficit. Shadow work and pensions secretary Theresa May says the biggest risk for economic recovery is a "failure" to deal with debt quickly enough. And Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey says cutting spending too quickly will damage the UK, adding that the Tories want to "slash and burn this year".

1312 Writing for the Independent, Andrew Grice gives prime minister's questions today a football score, saying it went 2-1 in Mr Cameron's favour.

1306 The Politics Home website describes today's prime minister's questions as "particularly rowdy". Was the session as rowdy as last week's Harman vs Hague clash, though?

1258 The Conservative Home website says Mr Brown was "cheap" to answer questions on Afghanistan by mentioning Lord Ashcroft.

1256 On the Guardian website , Andrew Sparrow says that Mr Brown does not have to answer every question directly to be seen as "winning" prime minister's questions.

1247 On BBC 2's Daily Politics Jacqui Smith says most voters will think Gordon Brown is the most likely party leader to lead the UK out of its economic problems. Iain Duncan Smith says Labour must "come clean" on its plans to deal with the budget deficit.

1244 Nick Robinson predicts that Mr Brown will call the election for 6 May, making the announcement shortly after the end of the Easter parliamentary recess. That means not many more PM's questions to go, I'm afraid. Iain Duncan Smith says Robinson's assessment looks "about right".

1242 BBC political editor Nick Robinson says the equipping of forces will be an election issue, as it can be made a discussion of Gordon Brown's "character" by the Conservatives.

1238 Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith tells Daily Politics he has "deep misgivings" over Afghanistan. There is no question the Ministry of Defence has known for some time about equipment deficiencies, he adds.

1236 Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith tells Daily Politics that she thought that some of the noise from MPs seemed "inappropriate" when Afghanistan was being debated.

1234 From BBC political correspondent Peter Hunt:

It was muted to start. The weekly reference to Afghanistan's rising death toll is sobering. But after David Cameron reacted angrily to Labour heckling, normal service was resumed. The Conservative leader tried to suggest Gordon Brown had failed in his duty of care to the military. The prime minister gave the impression of wanting to occupy a higher moral ground, but he couldn't resist several jibes about Lord Ashcroft. His exchanges with Nick Clegg on crime lacked the passion of his confrontations with the leader of the opposition. As the noise level rose, and the politicians roared, the Speaker - with a walk-on role as a head teacher - delivered possibly the best line. To one excited MP, John Bercow said, "I'm quite worried about you. Calm down."

1232 Labour's Barry Sheerman says Rupert Murdoch's empire is trying to undermine the BBC. Mr Brown says he is more worried by the Conservatives' attitude. That ends prime minister's questions for this week.

1231 Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker says the cost of rail travel has risen and that of road travel has fallen. Mr Brown says the government will announce plans on Thursday to modernise and expand rail services. It has been reported this will include a proposed route for high-speed rail services from London to Birmingham.

1230 Labour's Ann Winterton asks for a commitment that Labour would not put VAT on children's clothes and non-luxury foods. Mr Brown says the Tories use VAT more readily than Labour.

1229 Labour's Willie Baine asks an easy question on the Conservatives' plans to cut the budget deficit. Mr Brown says the opposition is "wrong" to call for cuts at this "fragile" stage.

1228 After a question from Tory Ann Widdecombe, Mr Brown restates his commitment to preventing deaths in childbirth.

1227 Mr Brown says the Tories should reveal their policy on whether they want to cut the aircraft carrier programme.

1225 Labour's David Winnick says Michael Foot was one of the "greatest patriots" the UK has had. He asks about the government's policy on torture - Mr Brown says it opposes the practice.

1223 Tory Richard Bacon also asks about soldiers killed by a mine while in a Snatch Landrover in Afghanistan in 2008, saying the equipment they had was "unsuitable". Mr Brown says equipment and training are improving.

1222 Labour's Fiona MacTaggart urges action to cut the deaths in childbirth of women and babies around the world. Mr Brown says this will be a theme of the G8 meeting this year and says is "vital" that medical supplies are improved.

1221 From BBC political correspondent Peter Hunt: It must always be quite a difficult change of gear. David Cameron had to first pay tribute to those who have died in Afghanistan and then go on the attack. His focus was defence and the criticisms of government policy by former army chiefs. There was a flash of anger, in response to Labour heckling, and a jibe about CND. In response, the prime minister wanted to talk about finding common ground and avoiding division. This inhabiting of the moral high ground was slightly undermined by five prime ministerial references to Lord Ashcroft's tax status.

1220 Mr Clegg says nine out 10 young men given short prison sentences re-offend within two years of release. The PM says that, if the Lib Dems supported the government on CCTV and DNA, it would help cut crime.

1218 Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg pays tribute to soldiers killed in Afghanistan and former Labour leader Michael Foot. He says Labour has allowed prisons to become "colleges of crime". Mr Brown says re-offending among the young is down by 25%.

1216 Mr Cameron, who also says Mr Brown was wearing a CND badge during the Cold War, says the government failed to plan for Afghanistan and to carry out its duty of care for troops. Mr Brown jokes that Mr Cameron was "at school at the time" the Cold War was being won. He makes another jibe about Lord Ashcroft. Mr Bercow tells off Tory MP Simon Burns, rather more critically than usual, by accusing him of "boring" and "boorish" heckling.

1214 In further skirmishes on the issue, Mr Brown says the defence budget has risen under Labour and fallen under the Tories. But Mr Cameron says this was because the Conservatives "won the cold war". Speaker Bercow tells Labour MP Derek Twigg to calm down. Highly animated scenes.

1212 Mr Brown says he put the facts on military spending to the Iraq inquiry last Friday. He adds that the chief of the defence staff says UK forces are the best equipped they have ever been. The PM says he will take no lectures on character from the Tory leader, citing the Lord Ashcroft affair.

1211 Mr Brown says he wants to applaud the patriotism of all serving the UK. Mr Cameron says he has not got the character to tell off his own MPs.

1209 Mr Cameron notes Mr Brown's apology and moves on, with angry scenes from Mr Cameron as Labour MPs shout that the former military personnel criticising the PM over funding are "Tories". Mr Cameron asks Mr Brown to disassociate himself from the comments. Mr Brown says parties must find "common ground". Mr Cameron says Labour MPs have sullied the names of the military personnel involved and repeats his call for the PM to disassociate himself from them.

1206 Tory leader Mr Cameron is up, paying tribute to soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Michael Foot. He asks the PM to apologise over comments by a minister after the deaths of service personnel in 2008, saying they were linked to the vehicles used. Mr Brown replies, promising to look at the details of their inquest. He says engineering and surveillance capabilities in dealing with roadside bombs was improving.

1204 Labour's David Drew asks whether the Cabinet Office is looking at the tax returns of Tory deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft. Mr Brown says he has nothing to do with any such investigation and then has a dig at David Cameron on the issue.

1203 Tory Richard Benyon asks the PM to ensure troops abroad can vote. Mr Brown says Justice Secretary Jack Straw is making the best arrangements possible.

1202 Gordon Brown begins by paying tribute to the soldiers killed this week in Afghanistan, saying they will be remembered "with great pride". He also recalls former Labour leader Michael Foot, who died last week, as a "man of great vision".

1200 BBC political editor Nick Robinson says Labour is trying to portray Mr Brown as "an economic Churchill", dealing with a huge national crisis. And now over to the Commons where Mr Brown is on his feet.

1157 Not long to go now. It's still Cabinet Office questions and Speaker John Bercow is telling off MPs for being too loud.

1156 Ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith tells Daily Politics that the government's decision, announced earlier today, to freeze pay for top public sector employees is "fair".

1154

On BBC Two's Daily Politics former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith says a key concern of the government is to find an affordable solution to the costs of caring for the UK's ageing population. This follows a fall-out by the main three parties on the issue. It's an outside bet for a question to the prime minister today.

1152 Thoughts of summer are far away, as the cold winds of early spring rattle through Westminster, chilling the bones of the civil servants sneaking outside for a crafty fag. In the warmth of the Commons chamber, Cabinet Office questions are going on. It's pretty busy - about half full.

1150 From BBC political correspondent Peter Hunt: After last week's absence, the main players are back for this weekly performance of political theatre. Two issues have the potential to dominate. David Cameron may well question Gordon Brown's assertion that he has the "character" to lead Britain through to economic recovery. And, once again, he could challenge the Government's record on the provision of resources for the armed forces. The Tory leader has ammunition including yesterday's inquest verdict that training was "inadequate" and the critical response of several former military chiefs to the prime minister's appearance at the Iraq Inquiry.

1149 Among those on the ballot to ask questions of Mr Brown are Conservatives Richard Benyon and Richard Bacon, Labour's David Drew and Lib Dem Paul Burstow.

1148 The decision to freeze the pay of senior civil servants could arise too. But, given the fact MPs are to get an extra 1.5%, it might not...

1146 What else is on the radar this week? Gordon Brown's appearance before the Iraq inquiry last Friday might well feature. So might the situation in Afghanistan, given Foreign Secretary David Miliband's call for the country's government to work harder to find a political solution to the conflict with the Taliban. And, of course, there is the Northern Ireland Assembly's vote in favour of devolving justice powers.

1145 Hello and welcome to our coverage of prime minister's questions, on the day that the Budget date - of 24 March - was announced. With the economy set to be the key issue in the run-up to the election, we can expect some lively exchanges on the subject today. It's all about the money. Joining me with his instant analysis will be the BBC's Peter Hunt. And, courtesy of BBC 2's Daily Politics, we will have the opinions of those partial namesakes former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and Labour's ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. Plus we'll have the views of other BBC correspondents and guests on events as they happen.