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| Brown pressed on incentives claim | Brown pressed on incentives claim |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has denied offering backbenchers incentives to vote through controversial counter-terrorism laws, during questioning by senior MPs. | Gordon Brown has denied offering backbenchers incentives to vote through controversial counter-terrorism laws, during questioning by senior MPs. |
| The prime minister is facing the chairs of 30 Commons committees, among them Home Affairs chairman Keith Vaz. | The prime minister is facing the chairs of 30 Commons committees, among them Home Affairs chairman Keith Vaz. |
| Mr Vaz, whose decision to back the proposals prompted rumours he had been offered a knighthood, asked Mr Brown to confirm he had made no such offers. | Mr Vaz, whose decision to back the proposals prompted rumours he had been offered a knighthood, asked Mr Brown to confirm he had made no such offers. |
| "Not at all," replied Mr Brown, who also faces questions on the economy. | "Not at all," replied Mr Brown, who also faces questions on the economy. |
| Mr Vaz was in the news on Wednesday, after a letter to him from Labour chief whip Geoff Hoon, suggesting he may be "appropriately rewarded" for his help, was leaked to the Daily Telegraph. | Mr Vaz was in the news on Wednesday, after a letter to him from Labour chief whip Geoff Hoon, suggesting he may be "appropriately rewarded" for his help, was leaked to the Daily Telegraph. |
| At the start of the session Tory MP Patrick Cormack suggested the reward might be the opportunity to question Mr Brown - to which Mr Vaz joked: "I'm not sure that's not being shortchanged". | At the start of the session Tory MP Patrick Cormack suggested the reward might be the opportunity to question Mr Brown - to which Mr Vaz joked: "I'm not sure that's not being shortchanged". |
| The prime minister is pressed on his lifestyle and job satisfaction by Tory MP Sir Patrick Cormack and urged to take a holiday - Mr Brown says he has "the best job in the world" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7487029.stm">LIVE: Key points as they happen | |
| But in his question to the prime minister about counter-terrorism laws he asked him: "You only got your legislation through by nine votes. Is it the case that you authorised or offered any backbench Member of Parliament a peerage or a knighthood or honour, or even the Governorship of Bermuda in order to vote for your legislation?" | |
| Mr Brown replied: "Not at all, nor do I recall writing any letters to anyone." | Mr Brown replied: "Not at all, nor do I recall writing any letters to anyone." |
| Asked if he made any offers to the Democratic Unionists whose nine votes proved to be decisive in the vote, Mr Brown replied: "I think that the criticism of the DUP has been totally misplaced. If there was any party in the House of Commons that knows what terrorism can do and what is its impact on our society, it is the Ulster Unionists." | |
| Conservative chairman of the public accounts committee, Edward Leigh, also pushed Mr Brown for a "yes or no" answer on whether there were "absolutely no discussions" with the DUP about anything other than the merits of the 42-day proposal. | |
| Pre-charge detention | Pre-charge detention |
| Mr Brown replied "yes" and added: "We were discussing the issue on its merits and I think you do a great disservice to members of Parliament if you suggest otherwise." | Mr Brown replied "yes" and added: "We were discussing the issue on its merits and I think you do a great disservice to members of Parliament if you suggest otherwise." |
| Mr Vaz also asked whether there was a danger of breaching the "constitutional settlement" by having Parliament vote on extending pre-charge detention for terrorism suspects. | Mr Vaz also asked whether there was a danger of breaching the "constitutional settlement" by having Parliament vote on extending pre-charge detention for terrorism suspects. |
| Mr Brown said he did not accept that, as the home secretary would come to Parliament with the support of police and prosecutors. | Mr Brown said he did not accept that, as the home secretary would come to Parliament with the support of police and prosecutors. |
| He also said he thought Muslims would support the laws as they wanted protection from terrorism as much as anyone. | He also said he thought Muslims would support the laws as they wanted protection from terrorism as much as anyone. |
| He has also been asked about each individual's rights and responsibilities, the powers of the attorney general and rebalancing power between Parliament and the executive. | He has also been asked about each individual's rights and responsibilities, the powers of the attorney general and rebalancing power between Parliament and the executive. |
| Sir Patrick Cormack, chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs committee, suggested some of the constitutional changes had been "window dressing" - Mr Brown said there had been significant changes, such as giving MPs' a vote on going to war. | Sir Patrick Cormack, chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs committee, suggested some of the constitutional changes had been "window dressing" - Mr Brown said there had been significant changes, such as giving MPs' a vote on going to war. |
| He is also being questioned on "managing the economic slowdown" a day after predictions of lower standards of living in the UK for at least a year. | He is also being questioned on "managing the economic slowdown" a day after predictions of lower standards of living in the UK for at least a year. |
| Quizzed by Labour's European scrutiny committee chairman Michael Connarty, Mr Brown said people saw the disadvantages of globalisation - like job losses to emerging economies like China - without appreciating the benefits - like cheaper consumer goods. He said western economies were capable of adapting and producing high value goods and services. | |
| Asked whether he was still enjoying being prime minister Mr Brown said: it was "the best job in the world" and "plenty of other people" wanted it. |