As promised, here are some extra answers from David Cameron.
Herbietea: Mr Cameron, My DH is in the RAF. He is very overstretched thanks to this Government's contempt for the Armed Forces in general. What are your plans for the Armed Forces?
I know we can't pull out of Afghanistan, but something needs to be done about manpower. There aren't enough men and women out there and there are barely enough left in this country to keep the equipment, aircraft and ships servicable. DH regularly works 60+ hours a week. He has just been on a course, which had to be condensed from 3 weeks in to 2 because of this Government and their cutbacks, where he worked from 7am until 1 am every day (including the weekend). That is not fair.
I asked Gordon Brown a similar question, but all I got back was "we are proud of the Armed Forces"hmm , so please if you do take the time to answer can it be a real one, with real information?
Our Government commits the Forces to wars and duties around the world, but doesn't have the good grace to equip them properly or provide enough man power. It would, also, be nice for the Forces to have a proper pay rise once in a while. What will your Government (when you get in wink) pledge to do for the Forces?
PS I have had major troubles regarding my disability adaptations in my married quarter. I have repeatedly 'phoned Alan Duncan's office (my local MP) and written to him - yet he has never got back to me. Can you give him a telling off please?
DavidCameron: I?m really sorry that the reply I typed to you earlier seems to have been lost. RAF Brize Norton is in my constituency in Oxfordshire and it?s a permanent reminder of the importance of this issue. I passionately believe that we need to do more for our armed forces and their families.
On day one of a Conservative Government I will immediately convene a War Cabinet and ensure that Whitehall is put on a war footing. We will ensure that our commitments are matched with the appropriate resources, and the size and shape of our Armed Forces will be determined by our Strategic Defence Review, which we will start immediately.
We have said in October that the Armed Forces will be exempt from a public sector pay freeze in 2011, and we will double the operational allowance.
We?ll also be publishing a Forces Family Manifesto at the next election. We?ll be making sure that forces families don?t get dropped down NHS waiting lists when they move home; that schools with a high proportion of forces kids get the funding and support they need; and that when servicemen and women go home on leave the clock starts as soon as they leave the base ? not when they touch down on British soil. But supporting our forces is not just about what government does.
I also think our wider society needs to do more. That?s why my party came up with the idea of Tickets for Troops, which asks sporting and music venues to donate tickets so that those home on leave can go to a match or a gig for free. You can find out more on the website: www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk/
Scarletlilybug: (and anyone else on universities): What do you think about the target of 50% university participation? Is it desirable or realistic?
DavidCameron: I think we should encourage as many young people who want to go to university to do so. It's especially important at the moment when jobs are hard to come by, which is why we promised to fund an extra 10,000 places next year as part of our plan to Get Britain Working (funded by encouraging the early repayment of student loans). But we also need good vocational courses - some good schemes are heavily oversubscribed. We know that many more young people want to do apprenticeships than can get on them, so we'll increase the number of apprenticeship places by 100,000.
Leningrotto: Do you support the Equality Bill and it's positive action measures to help people from some groups who, for whatever reason, do not get the same opportunities as others for a work role or to serve as a judge or MP for example despite being equally suitable?
DavidCameron: There are things we support in the Equality Bill ? especially the provisions for better transparency over equal pay in the workplace. We will also be making positive suggestions to help improve the bill, for instance by ensuring that companies which are found guilty of pay discrimination have to have a full pay audit. We suggested this as one of the ways to help bring equality about.
Mamamiji: Following the Badman report and the wholesale adoption of it by the government without any or adequate consultation, and despite strong opposition and research disputing the validity of Mr Badman's report and warning against the removing the parent's duty to educate children and placing it on the state, what does your party intend to do to safeguard the right of children to home education, and in particular to autonomous education?
Should I be permitted a further question, my second question is, would you agree that children should have a right to flexible education at schools as they are entitled to school placements anyway [and their parents still have to make tax payments even though the children are home schooled], and that the choice should not be 'either in school or out of school'; and how do you intend to ensure that children can access their schools. Thank you.
DavidCameron: I do have concerns about the direction the Badman review has taken, and I?ve always been impressed by the commitment home educators have shown to their children. I think the commitment they show is admirable, and it?s really disappointing that this review has cast suspicion on what they do.
I strongly believe that we should trust parents more when it comes to determining the shape of their children's education and the whole thrust of our policies for schools are driven by a desire to give parents more control. I am concerned by the idea of closer monitoring of home educators and this is something my schools team have been looking at.
I am deeply committed to respecting individual choice and there are many reasons, some very personal, which may incline families to opt for home education. I want a future conservative government to support them in that choice.
WilfSell: What is your party's position on civil partnerships? How do you expect us to believe what you say, when you appoint an adviser on family policy who says something entirely different to you on this matter?
DavidCameron: I support civil partnerships and voted for them in Parliament, and two of my senior frontbenchers have entered into civil partnerships in the last year. In my first party conference speech as leader I said that commitment is important, whether it is between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and a man.
StarlightMcKenzie: Dear David (on behalf of DH), are nuclear deterrents relevant in today's international situation?
DavidCameron: Yes I believe a nuclear deterrent is relevant in today?s international situation. And the reason why Britain should retain an independent nuclear deterrent is because it?s the ultimate insurance policy against nuclear blackmail in a dangerous and uncertain world.
Scottishmummy: NHS trusts and imperative to reduce costs and reduced pct spending have lead to many inequalities in provision of nhs services.indeed where one lives determines the services delivered,there are already many trusts who do not adhere to national recommendations. In England and Scotland and Wales, there is not parity of provision. So in essence the national health servive is not national nor doIin particular, the less affluent suffer more in allocation of resources.
How will you ensure enhanced universal provision of service and end "post code lottery"?
DavidCameron: The tragic fact is that health inequalities in Britain today are as bad as they were in Victorian times. I think a big part of that problem can be combatted by prioritising public health ? tackling obesity, smoking, drink and drug addiction. So we?ve said that while cuts have to be made to spending because of the state of the public finances, the NHS is special and its budget should grow. In particular we?ve said that public health budgets should be ring-fenced and local health authorities should respond to the priorities in their area.
Swedes2Turnips: The Tories have been accused of castrating Britain's EU position by taking an autistic approach on Europe. What is the Tory position on Europe precisely?
DavidCameron: I want Britain to be an active member of the European Union ? we are a major trading nation with a big role to play. But I do think that when powers are passed from Britain to Brussels, the British people should have the ultimate say. That?s why we will pass a law introducing a referendum lock ? that means in the future, any times extra powers are going to be transferred to Brussels, you will get a referendum.
In terms of our new grouping in the EU Parliament I want to make sure we?re saying the same things about an open, flexible and trading EU in Brussels as we do in Westminster. That?s what our new grouping stands for ? and it?s what millions of Europeans stand for too.
I would never let my party associate with extremist groups ? our group in the European Parliament includes the Czech ODS Party ? a longstanding ally of the Conservative Party ? and the Party of the President of Poland and Parties in the Governments of Latvia and the Netherlands.