Ed Miliband accuses David Cameron of breaking promises

Labour leader Ed Miliband accused David Cameron today of breaking a string of promises, including to increase NHS spending and keep the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

As the pair faced each other for the final Prime Minister's question time of the year, Mr Miliband said the Commons Health Select Committee had warned that inflation could mean the Government failing to make real-terms increases in NHS funding.

But Mr Cameron told him: "We are not breaking that promise. We want to see NHS spending increase by more than inflation every year."

In a final jibe at Mr Miliband, he compared the Labour leader to his predecessor Gordon Brown, claiming he was "dithering and has no answers on the economy".

Mr Miliband asked him: "Can you now confirm that you are set to break the promise made in the coalition agreement which said 'we will guarantee that health spending increases in real terms in each year of the Parliament'?"

Mr Cameron told him: "We have increased the NHS budget by £10 billion in this Parliament."

He said only the Conservatives had stood on an election platform of "saving the NHS and its spending".

He added: "I am confident that we will fulfil our goal of real terms increases every year in the NHS."

But Mr Miliband said the Conservative-led select committee had warned "the Government's commitment to a real terms increase in health funding will not be met" because of higher inflation.

He added: "We all remember those posters during the election, we all remember your face airbrushed on those posters, will you now admit that your are breaking that promise?"

Mr Cameron said: "We are not breaking that promise. We want to see NHS spending increase by more than inflation every year."

Labour would have cut NHS spending, he added.

"On this side of the House we want real terms increases in health spending to make sure that we improve the health of our nation.

"The Party opposite is committed to cutting the NHS."