Member News
The leader of the opposition has accused the prime minister of "betraying a whole generation of young people".
At PMQs, Ed Miliband asked if the government's strategy is working, with rising inflation and stalled growth.
David Cameron said he regrets the figures on youth unemployment, which has been a problem "for well over a decade".
He said it went up by 40 per cent under the last government.
Cameron said "we have to sort out" both welfare and education, while Labour's back to work programmes did not work.
He said that the country's credit rating is secured, and the country needs fiscal consolidation to deal with the debt.
Miliband said the UK is the only major Euro economy where there was not growth in the last quarter.
He said Cameron was wrong to scrap EMA and the future jobs fund.
The prime minister said 279,000 people took part in the 'flexible new deal' from Labour, but just 3,800 ended up with a longterm job.
Miliband said the "great new work programme" from the government will have 250,000 fewer opportunities than under Labour.
Cameron said he is spending 'future benefits' to get young people training and work now, in the biggest back to works scheme since the 1930s.
Miliband asked if the prime minister is "happy with his flagship policy on forestry".
Cameron responded: "The short answer to that is no".
He said it is a consultation and there have been "a range of interesting responses".
"We should be making sure we increase access to our forests and do not make the mistake of selling forests with no access rights," he told the House.
Miliband said he appreciates the irony of the man who made a tree the Tory party logo now selling off forests.
Cameron said the whole point about a consultation is to listen to the answers.
Miliband said the prime minister is going to have to drop this "ludicrous" policy.
The prime minister replied: "I think the bandwagon has just hit a bit of a tree".
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.