Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, on Mumsnet for a webchat

[JustineMumsnet]

Do post your advance questions here.

How is Sue?

lilmissmummy, yes I totally get where you are coming from. I just can't see a cap of £50k working on a national level.

Maybe those who know they don't need it, just don't apply for it

clam 1:1 tuition has not stopped at all - it is massive here - but maybe plugging the holes in failing primary schools?

" there is going to be a huge shift in the need for skills in coming years. We will need five million more skilled jobs in the next ten years - and so we will need the graduates to fill them."

I assume Gordan (correct me if I'm wrong) is referring to the skills we need to develop in terms of sustainable energy, looking after the environment and battling climate change. Me and my colleagues see a huge opportunity for the UK to lead in this area and were a bit disappointed that there wasn't more about it in the manifestos.

Reducing child poverty is a massive accomplishment, but we're about to lose the gains made.

My question - again - is whether you'd step aside as prime minister in favour of one of your colleagues if this was the price of a coalition?

It's clear neither you nor Nick Clegg like each other or could work together. Your personal position is not worth destroying your legacy for.

jackbaeur - I have already answered on child trust funds, as far as ID cards are concerned, they are voluntary and in the next parliament they will self financing so scrapping them won't save any money.

Dear Mr Brown,

As im sure you are well aware there is massive problems within our education system finding suitable schools for children with special needs, i would really like you to answer the question below posted by Whimsy.
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By whimsy Mon 03-May-10 19:15:56
Mr Brown,

What would you do for families with a child with on the autistic spectrum who have been failed by the school system.

My little boy is 4 and started reception in September, he has never done a full day or week in school and is currently at home due to the fact the school can't/won't cope with him and are threatening permanent exclusion. They say they haven't got the space or money to accommodate him.

No-one will help me find the right school that can help him ( the local mainstream school who do have ASD places is less than a mile away but comes under a different Authority). I feel my little boy is being written off by the system at 4years of age. How would you help parents like me whose children are being failed daily.

LittleRock - I thought the expenses thing involved MP's from all the parties not just Labour so they can't really be soley to blame for that.

Also children with SEN statements who are stated as requiring a full-time one-to-one worker are only funded for a maximum of 0.8 of this service, again leaving the schools to top up the difference. Worse still, children on School Action+ who do not have statements but who clearly need additional support - often this is very clear to the parents, the school and the child, but the gauntlet-run of the statementing process makes it difficult to substantiate - receive no funding and become a serious drain on schools' overstretched budgets. I personally know of a head teacher who is using every devious means at her disposal to refuse places at her school to SN children within catchment, because the school's finances are already in dire straits and redundancies for support staff (the ones who pick up the tab when children with additional needs are NOT funded individually. Do you agree that this is preposterous and unfair, and that children are being denied theior basic right to be educated within catchment? Some children who would be able to cope in a mainstream setting are sent to special schools purely because the school does not have the money to pay for the additional support that inclusion would require.

Dear Gordon, thanks for introducing longer maternity leave when you were Chancellor, and thanks to Labour for making it easier for parents to work part time. I think you should talk more often about this..Great work on this and many other things that are really not being recognised! Take it from me, you've really changed lots of people's lives for the better.

One area where I think your government has been weak though is climate change. What more would you do to fight climate change so that my 2 1/2 year old son and his children have a chance to enjoy a good quality of life rather than face the prospect of catastrophic change in their lifetime? We need much more action than is currently the case.

greensleeves Good one , Teachers are not happy about all the meetings and especially now the Designated teacher is mandatory. (I call a lot of the meetings )

Gordon Brown
Is there any plans on how to cut the interference in schools /Government initiatives that increases teachers work load with minimal influence on the children (apart from more exhausted teachers)

Where are the plans to make cuts actually going to affect Social Care? We currently don't get maternity/sickness cover and secondments have minimal cover. Recruitments take 6 months +

ericpicklesfatneck - Peter is a great guy, but he might take that as a compliment...

janeit - what page is your CVA question on ?
Hope GB answers it .

Eric

My ds had a bad dream about David Cameron. I know because he shouted out "David Cameron!" in his sleep, in the same tone of voice that you'd use for "Behind you!"

Can't Europe pitch in with some cash for Trident or do we have to pay it all ourselves?

Reducing child poverty is a massive accomplishment, it still hasn't gone far enough as I said my familys on benefits the job centre doesn't want to help my husband into work so my daughter remains in poverty we can't even afford to pay for her school trip this year and thats only £20. What are you going to do to stop this happening? I'm trying my best to raise my daughter well but we can't do it without some goverment support for the unemployed.

oooh thank you for answering I lived next to faslane for many years and my dad worked as a director for ships in MOD - I know how many jobs rely on it - but if the current system will work for another 20 years why so much commitment now? Why not use that money for helping with the debt and just keep it at maintenance level?

Just reposting my earlier question, just in case you missed it but want to/have time to answer it

I'd firstly like to say I am very disappointed in the media circus that has plagued you since you became PM. You have my utmost respect, an honest man who just wants to get on with his job. I will be voting for you on Thursday and I just hope that everyone else sees sense and does the same.

My question would be:

How will you ensure that those that can work but are claiming benefits, get back into the workplace. I hear so many times that people say it isn't financially viable for them to work.

Thank you and the very best of luck for Thursday, I do hope and pray that I wake up to a Labour government on Friday smile.

"What would you do for families with a child with on the autistic spectrum who have been failed by the school system.

My little boy is 4 and started reception in September, he has never done a full day or week in school and is currently at home due to the fact the school can't/won't cope with him and are threatening permanent exclusion. They say they haven't got the space or money to accommodate him."

I feel your pain whims, been there done that been home ed-ing for two years, Ed balls wants to stop that as well.

I don't think the idea of ID cards are bad, but what I do disagree with is all this propaganda about how they will help combat terrorism, fraud etc? How? They won't stop people getting up to naughty things, you'll just know who they are when they get caught.

To ButterPie and everyone who has asked about home education. We discussed this last time I was on Mumsnet so I know it?s a really big issue for people. We've always been clear that parents have the right to educate their children at home and there are no plans to change this. I understand that parents choose to home educate for a number of different reasons, but we are making some changes. First, we know there are a small number of cases where local authorities have concerns for the safety of home educated children. Government has a responsibility to make sure that the safety and rights of vulnerable children are protected, which is why we are looking at how we can put in place better checks and balances, so we can be confident every child is safe and learning. Secondly, we are looking to improve the support available to parents who opt for home education. This includes more flexible access to exam centres and improved access to things like school libraries, sports facilities and music lessons and also have more tailored support for special educational needs.