PMQs: what about the big issues?

In a week where big topics dominated the agenda – tax transparency, the Care Quality Commission and the rights of the families of servicemen and women killed in combat to sue for negligence, PMQs this week had the potential to be an embarrassment of riches, as well as full of the embarrassment of the rich. Instead, we had David Cameron on lawn tennis, property values around HS2 and the Bushmills whiskey given to G8 leaders.

The topic of the week was Syria, with Cameron failing even to give the impression of someone looking for, let alone in possession of answers.

Verdict: If bonuses were awarded for time-wasting …

The serious points

Ed Miliband opened by asking if Cameron would support the parliamentary commission on banking standards proposals on criminal penalties for bankers. Cameron said he would. Ed pointed out that bonuses for bankers are up 64 per cent on last year. The legal establishment thinks of all the potential bail money, and cheers.

Labour’s Richard Burden asked why at least two-thirds of children in poverty are in a family where at least one person works. Cameron said that the best route out of poverty is work. Presumably, why the Victorian workhouse has so rarely been bettered as an economic stimulus.

In the context of the continuing debate about hospital standards and the performance of the CQC, Cameron accepted that the performance of the CQC has not been fit for purpose. As monitoring and performance measurement is rolled out across every aspect of the policy agenda, the question now is ‘Who analyses the performance of the statisticians?’ The answer, apparently, is parliament.

Thank goodness for all of those parliamentarians noted for their skills in quantitative analysis.

And then to Syria. Cameron says he will not plunge in recklessly.

No eyebrow in parliament remains unraised.

The time-wasters

See some above.

See also Angie Bray, Conservative, asking what can be done to stop young Britons going to Syria and becoming radicalised. Because that’s the Syria problem right now.

Winner of the Baldrick Award for Cunning Plans

Cameron for his update on the tackling extremism taskforce: In response to a question from Labour’s Nick Raynsford, Cameron said that the taskforce had met and were looking at a number of solutions including legal aid to drive extremists out of mosques.

Because if there’s anything we know about extremism, it’s that it never works when driven underground.

Funniest Moment

None. These are serious topics, which demanded, but rarely received, a serious response.