Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, on Mumsnet for a webchat

[JustineMumsnet]

Do post your advance questions here.

Sorry but why on earth do we need to send so many young people to University? Why not pay for those who would really benefit. I am socialist through and through but no one can pretend that we are all so equal that we should all have the same education!

I'm with Dramamama. Best of luck to you, and we are hoping it all comes good. Shame about Iraq of course.

Hello Mr Brown.
I may be a bit late but I really need to know how I'm going to fund 2 children through university (middle bracket type earnings - no savings -large mortgae etc)

Gordon, not all carers want this budget

many have too much on their plate or simply couldn't manage it

And how would it be distributed? Social services? here they use a definition which emans that despite two disabled children (uisng both DLA and need for a statement as criteria) we qualify for nothing. At all. If they hold a budget for us we will not see any of it either- how could we?

If you consider bringing in this budget and it is distributed in this manner, please make it impossible for Social Services to arbitrarily use definitions that prevent certain diagnoses from getting help.

I did contact all three parties about this:
Tories said they may bring in thiis system Lib Dems probably not (and wrote a very good letter), and the Labour party emailed me to say speak to a different department.

Gordon - why is so much money wasted on agency staff to provide carers?? The agencies earn all the money for it too, not those doing the hard work, they are often paid a pittance.

Why can't these be provided directly by the public sector??

Good luck on Thursday by the way.

Gordon where do I send my queries about tax credits and self employment for you to look into. thanks

Get saving!

Portabello - Got an idea. When our second son Fraser was born we wanted to call him James, but our first son insisted on calling him Fraser - a name we had never thought of before. Kid power took over in our house... But all your names sound good!

Just supporting Riven's cause.

Mr Brown, even if you don't get around to answering my question will you please consider if sits well that my 6yr old has over 5k in his savings account that came directly from the taxpayer?

Parents like us who are fortunate enough not to need child benefit should not receive it. Will you consider capping it at a certain income level?

I didn't realise that Lou... thanks for answering

Go Riven
(We love you)

University is not the be all end all we need trades and skills also.

Molesworth - I believe we can't afford not to continue our mission in Afghanistan. We know that three quarters of the terrorist plots against Britain have their roots in the border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan, so our troops are fighting there to keep your streets safe here. When the Afghan security forces have been built up and trained, our troops will be able to come home. In the meantime they're doing a brilliant and incredibly brave job. We should be proud of all of them.

Are you actually doing the typing yourself, only there appear to be no typos?

woosam - what an amazing attitude

Please, in this short time, can we have less about your kids and TV likes/dislikes and more answers to political questions?

Lou, your comment on tax credits is but very enlightening.

Ah you may have already 'answered' that although I doubt solved the problem.

On a different note

SAVE THE ALBANY.

And how do you see improvements in maternity services and giving wome real choice in where and how to birth their babies?

Do you think 40% of young people are really equipped for university? Don't you think many of these young people should be learning on the job, rather than building up huge debts that they are unlikely to pay off because not everyone can earn a 'graduate wage'. There are many graduates working in jobs that don't need degrees. Wouldn't it be better for only the top 20% to go to uni and for them to get their tuition paid?

I think if you can't get, say, 3 Cs at A Level, you are probably not really cut out for further study. Generally speaking of course as there will be exceptions