Mr Blair faces his second session of PMQs

Prime Minister's Questions - A Round-Up

The row that erupted between Tony Blair and John Major over devolution laid waste to the Prime Minister's wish that PMQs will become less confrontational.

The sound and fury that is traditionally associated with the confrontations between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition swept all before it. The other issues, some equally contentious, raised today were...

The single currency raised its head, prompting the Prime Minister to say he would maintain his pre-election pledge to keep his "options open". But he did say if the convergence criteria were "fiddled, fudged or botched" then moves towards a single currency should be shelved rather than delayed. "We have made it clear that it would be highly unlikely that Britain would want to join the first wave of monetary union."

Cherie Blair, the Prime Minister's wife, had her good name besmirched when the Conservative MP for Spelthorne, David Wislhire asked the Prime Minister, "When President Clinton and a real First Lady had dinner with you last Thursday rather than at Buckingham Palace, did you take that opportunity to explain why members of Her Majesty's Government have taken to referring to the wife of the British Prime Minister as Britain's First Lady?" The question caused outrage on the Labour benches and the Speaker, Betty Boothroyd, called for members to be more "adult" and that they "should not abuse the family members of those elected to this House". The Prime Minister called for all politicians spouses to be kept out of the cut and thrust of public life.

Vat on Fuel is to be cut by the new government but the Conservative MP for Dorset South, Ian Bruce, asked the Prime Minister, "Why do you continue to insist that pensioners will benefit?" Mr Bruce claimed that figures released by the Treasury proved the opposite. Mr Blair said, "Of course pensioners will benefit from the reduction in VAT of course they will, which is precisely why so many of them supported the policy of reducing VAT on fuel. There was probably no more unpopular policy pursued by the last Government than raising VAT on fuel in direct breach of their election commitments. In contrast this Government having promised that it will reduce VAT on fuel will do so."

The Earth Summit to be held in New York later this month will see Britain promise to cut CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010. The Prime Minister said "We will be pressing for action across a range of issues, including a commitment by this country to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by the year 2010, based on 1990 levels. That is a challenging commitment and demonstrates the commitment of this Government to a more green world."

The Murder of RUC officer Greg Taylor was condemned by the Prime Minister, who said that the continuation of talks between the Government and Sinn Fein depended on events on the ground. Kate Hoey, the Labour member for Vauxhall, asked the Prime Minister when he would say "enough is enough" and end talks with terrorists. He said, "Of course as we made clear when we announced the process of officials of the Government talking to Sinn Fein, it was important that was subject to events on the ground and that continues to be the case."

"We absolutely abhor, as I am sure the whole House does, the murder of the member of the RUC.It was absolutely appalling, it was totally unprovoked and it is precisely the example of random, vicious violence that we want to stop and that is why it is so important that we give every impetus that we can to carry the talks process further but do so in a way ... that must be entirely consistent with the principles which we set out and it will."