Cameron demands PM spending apology

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In bruising Commons question time exchanges, Mr Cameron said that the Government's own figures showed this was incorrect but Mr Brown was not a "big enough man" to admit it.

But Mr Brown angrily insisted that capital spending had been brought forward because of the recession and accused the Tories of planning 10% cuts in public spending.

As the row escalated, new Speaker John Bercow intervened to calm things down, saying: "There is simply far too much noise. The public doesn't like it and neither do I."

Mr Cameron said: "Last week you told the House that capital expenditure will grow until the year of the Olympics. The Government's own figures show that is just not the case. Will you take this opportunity to correct what you told the House last week."

Mr Brown replied: "Yes. In the building of the Olympics capital investment will rise very substantially. I can tell you that capital investment is rising from £29 billion to £37.7 billion and then to £44 billion in 2009-10 and that is to help complete the building of the Olympics."

To Tory jeers, he added: "Thereafterwards it will fall as a result of decisions that we made."

He said the comparison was between £44 billion of investment now and in 1992, when Mr Cameron was advising at the Treasury, investment of only £16 billion.

Mr Cameron retorted: "That is just not good enough. Last week you made a clear statement to the House. You said capital expenditure will grow until the year of the Olympics.

"Here are the figures - capital expenditure this year, 2009, is £44 billion. Next year, 2010, it is £36 billion. The year after, 2011, it is £29 billion and in the year of the Olympics, 2012, £26 billion. That is a cut of almost half from £44 billion to £26 billion. so will you now apologise, correct your statement and admit you are cutting capital expenditure?"