6 February 2007
Tony Blair faced questions on the biggest challenges facing the UK during his latest appearance in front of the Liaison Committee.
The PM, who gives evidence to the cross-party panel of MPs twice a year, began the two and a half hour session with a brief presentation about the Government’s policy review process.
The PM’s views on the big issues
On the UK’s foreign policy
"I would say for us now the critical thing is to say, given what foreign policy that we have had over the last decade - highly interventionist, based on hard and soft power, with those alliances, Europe and America - is this the right way forward for our country or should we take a step back, maybe, and not be engaged in these international issues as we have been?"
On the Equality Act and catholic adoption agencies
"We are trying to find a way to make sure over this next couple of years that the Catholic adoption agencies carry on their excellent work … but at the same time you don’t produce discrimination, or you remove discrimination."
On tackling climate change
"There will be requirements for individuals to change their behaviour, although I personally think you will not get people to give up the motor car or give up cheap air travel. But there are lots of things that we will ask individuals to do or help individuals to do."
The link between poverty and terrorism
"If you want to tackle terrorism worldwide sensibly then I think to tackle poverty in Africa is a major part of that."
On the centrally-driven approach to NHS targets
"My feeling at the moment is that, if you withdrew the central pressure, the system would start to retreat."
On the success of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos)
"The worry in most communities is ‘how do we get the Asbo?’ and not ‘why is it there?’ We have got to make sure we don’t live on a different planet from ordinary people."
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