Questions for David Cameron

[mumsnet]

We know what he thinks about education, the economy and Europe, but what about the really important stuff? Like how many nappies, exactly, has he changed in the last two weeks? And does young Arthur favour a three-in-one travel system, or a rugged off-roader? You can find out the answers to these and other pressing questions (and tell him what you think of all that tummy-patting) next Monday lunchtime when David Cameron visits Mumsnet to give his first interview since the birth of his third child. David will be online from 12.45pm. You can post advance questions for him here.

[joolsw]

David - in today's 'equal' society where the female in the household could be the main breadwinner - do you ever see a time when maternity pay/leave is truely transferable between parents? Ie Mother has the first 2 months to recover etc but then the father takes the remaining months.
And congratulations on your new addition!

[Sparklemagic]

We have recently sold our house and gone into rented accommodation because we were struggling so badly financially. I work two days a week and I refuse to do more before my son starts school, because I believe his emotional and developmental needs are best served by being with his mum during these years. He has been looked after by his grandmother for two days a week and I cannot and would not ask her to do more, nor do I want to use someone outside the family to care for him, least of all an institution like a nursery.

I feel angry that the government would pay 70% of expensive nursery costs for someone else to bring him up but they will not pay me this money.

What money will you make available to enable parents to bring up their own children until they are at school?

[fuerteturtle]

Hello David. Can you tell me if you are using reusable or disposable nappies? Some councils (but not all) are now offering incentives to parents to use reusable nappies. Do you think the government should become more involved and do more to try to encourage parents to use the more environmentally friendly reusables? Many families cannot afford the initial outlay to buy a full set of reusable nappies (can be up to £300 for shaped nappies, liners, wraps etc)and for that reason alone will not even consider using them. Perhaps a scheme could be introduced to help spread the cost over a few months.

[oliveoil]

David - hubba hubba

[Feistybird]

OO - easy tiger!

[nailpolish]

i want to know why he doesnt agree with extended paternity leave

[spursmum]

What would you do to help us single mums that are royally screwed over by absent dads and the CSA? Would you reform the CSA or scrap it and do something different?
A lot of women are left to struggle on their own without any help and the CSA is worse than useless.

[Freckle]

Why is there so much emphasis on getting mums back into work, paying childcare costs, etc.? Why not make staying at home to raise your own children more financially viable? What about tax breaks for families where one parent gives up work to raise the family? What about increasing child benefit for those who don't work?

With the birth rate dropping and serious problems on the horizon for an increasing elderly population, where are the incentives for women to have more children? Child benefit, for exampl,e decreases for the second and subsequent children. Shouldn't it increase? Most families have to have two incomes just to survive and many of these would love to have one parent at home raising their children - so why not make it easier to make that choice?

[FairyMum]

I want to know why there is NOT enough emphasis on getting women into work. Why are childcare costs so expensive ? Why is he against extended paternity leave? What does he think about paid maternity leave extended to 12 months? What family friendly policies would he suggest could be implementet in the workplace to help mums AND dads achieve a better work/life-balance.

[morningpaper]

How many times a night do you get up to look after the children?

[Elf1981]

David - firstly congratulations on the new addition to your family.
My question is this:
My husband and I are homeowners. We live in a two bedroom house, have a mortgage and I have a student loan. We have a 20 week old daughter. I am currently on maternity leave but due to return to work in March. I cannot survive on benefits and have to return to work, even though a portion of my salary will be going to my childminder (£90 per week). My husband is currently training in his job, and I have put further study plans on hold through my work place as the study times is weekends and I would hardly ever see my daughter.
A friend of mine lives down the road. She and her husband are in rented accomodation. They have two daughters. Neither of them work. Yet their disposable income at the end of bill paying is greater than mine and my husbands. This is becuase they have discounted council tax, discounted water, gas and electric bills. They have discounted rent. The wife has had money from the government to help her study two days a week to become a nursery nurse assistant, her childcare costs were paid in full by additional benefits. They often say they'll try for another child, despite being in a two bedroom becuase they know that they will be rehoused by the housing assosiations.
I realise that the government plans to pay 70% childcare costs, but to me this is not helpful. I want help in order to stay home and look after my child. To be a full time parent. But with paying a mortgage, full council tax, gas, electric and water rates etc, it is not possible. What help can your government offer? Or do I have to sell my home and try to get on the council listing in order to be able to afford this?

[krabbiepatty]

WHY DO WE HAVE TO PAY TAX TWICE ON CHILDCARE (NANNIES IN PARTICULAR)? WHAT WOULD YOU DO ABOUT THIS????

[Elf1981]

Freckle and FairyMum - much more eloquently put than my attempts at asking the same question!!

[edam]

How would you ensure our right to free speech is protected after the Danish cartoons row?

What is your attitude to the government's bill which would allow them to bypass parliament and bring in new legislation through regulation, rather than through the proper process of parliamentary debate? How would you ensure a proper separation of powers between the legislature and the executive?

Will you instruct the police to destroy the DNA samples of children who have been questioned by the police but never charged or convicted of any crime?

Will you ensure NHS treatment remains free to patients? And remove the unfair contracts which give financial advantages to independent sector treatment centres so primary care trusts have to pay them more than the NHS would be paid for the same work - and also guarantees them work so patients have no choice about where they are treated?

[soapbox]

Life with a child with SN must be hard. In addition, your wife has a high profile job as indeed you do, what childcare arrangements do you have in place and what made you choose the type of childcare you did? How do you juggle all the balls?

A tax break for those of us employing nannies would be nice - a refund of a portion of their national insurance and PAYE would be very helpful

[Heathcliffscathy]

are you going to be the party that realises that one to one consistent midwife care during pregnancy and birth would save the nhs a lot of money in terms of interventions and complications and that home births for women that want them should encouraged rather than discouraged by healthcare professionals.

[Caligula]

What measures will you put into place to ensure that the rate of breastfeeding babies is raised? How will your government support mothers to breastfeed their children and ensure that they are not harrassed when they do so?

[Elf1981]

What plans do you have with regards to bringing home our troops from countries we invaded (wrongly in my opinion, but thats by the by) and putting the money into something more useful such as the nhs / dentists / development of green energy resources (gas and electric going through the roof, wind power is cheaper after the initial investment but hardly used).

[puddle]

What were your reasons for voting against:

Giving parents of young and disabled children the right to request flexible working?

Extending maternity leave to 26 weeks

Raising maternity pay

Introducing 2 weeks paid leave for fathers

What do you think of the IPPR report on the £11 billion 'baby gap'? Should to government be intervening to make parenthood more attractive to working mothers and fathers?

[soapbox]

Puddle - I am not David - but I think it might have been a 3 line whip that made him vote that way

[mommie]

David: have your children had the MMR vaccine? Will Arthur have it, or single jabs? And is it still Tory policy to offer single vaccines on the NHS?

[puddle]

soapbox...well, maybe . He can tell us tomorrow if he had to ignore his own feelings and vote with the party. And whether that his policy review is coming up with radical new ideas to support parents!

[tetti]

I am from Sweden where my sister only pays £70 per month for a fulltime nursery place and she also got 1.5 years paid maternity leave.I live in London with my (british) partner and our child,and we would have to pay £300/week in nursery/childminding fees.With or without tax credits,we cannot afford this.I have to stay at home to raise our daughter,and things are extremely tight financially,even though I work eve's,we still have to rely on family for financial help at times.What would YOU do to solve this problem,as I know that therer are MANY people in our situation.

[Flossam]

Do you agree that the child benefit agencies are too ineffective and that the CSA and Child Tax Office need to be simplified and standardised? Or completely overhauled to improve their services and make them reliable and supportive. I'd rather no have the money than have the worry that I will have to give it all back from my CTC

[uwila]

I believe we pay tax FOUR TIMES on nannies. My employer pays tax on my income. I pay tax on my income. I use what's left to pay the nanny. Then I pay tax on the nannie's pay, and then she pay tax on her pay. I count FOUR. Why oh why are working parents treated like profitable business when it comes time to employ a nanny, which is the only suitable childcare for me to keep my 40-45 hr per week job?

This does not encourage people (mums especially)to go to work to contribute to our economy.