Cameron: Question time 'We have got to solve the problems

A We criticised the Government when the Single Farm Payment system came and they put in a very complicated system. I recall Boris Johnson saying he was paid money for his orchard before his neighbour who grew beef cattle. That was a mistake and we identified it.

In terms of helping farmers, the biggest thing, and we are at one with the Yorkshire Post on this, is food labelling. The best friend for the British farmer has got to be the well-informed consumer wanting to buy quality British produce.

In terms of CAP, we like the idea of compulsory co-financing, which means trying to get an agreement that countries should not be cutting agricultural support but paying for more of their own agricultural support. But no farmer wants to live on subsidies.

Frank Chislett, National Farmers' Union council delegate

Planning

Charles Forbes-Adam, Yorkshire region vice-chairman of the Country Land and Business Association

Q The planning system has all but collapsed. However, the Conservative Party is proposing to bring decision-making down to a very local level, which smacks of a vote-grabbing 'Nimby's Charter'. How do you defend these proposals and how would the Conservatives promote economic development and housing in rural areas?

A What we have got is a planning system which is very top down with great big targets of how many houses we are going to build. It is creating huge unhappiness. I really believe that if you localise this decision-making you have got far more chance of getting things done. Under our plans, villages can decide if they want to build another 10-15 houses. They can almost grant themselves planning permission.

Crime

Diana White, of Diana White Associates

Q As a victim of violent crime I would like to know what steps the Tories will take to cut violent attacks, which are estimated to be 44 per cent higher than they were in 1998?

A We obviously need to reform the police to make sure they are actually out on the streets and not stuck behind their desks.

We want honesty in sentencing, where it is read out in court the minimum amount of time you will have to spend in prison and the maximum amount of time you could spend in prison.

The difference between the two should be how well you behave and whether you pay money back to your victim.

But I think we need to recognise why is crime is so high in this country . We have got to solve the problems of social breakdown to try and get people off the conveyor belt that leads people into crime.

Michael Downs, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation

Q Is our judicial system focusing on rehabilitation rather than focusing on the victims of crime and on being punitive?

A I have always been a big believer that – as flawed as they are – real crimes, reported to real police stations are something that Governments really should look at. Any judicial system has got to have at its heart the victim and the public.

You should start from the premise that these are our courts, these are our police services, our prisons – that we pay for with our money.

We need public justice in Britain for a very good reason and public justice that puts the victim first.

Port Tax

Richard Kendall, policy executive Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping

Q Some firms based in ports are facing backdated business rate bills thanks to the Government's incompetence. Will you commit to saving them, if elected?

AFirst of all, we do think that business rate relief should be automatic and we're going to put that into our manifesto. We think the Government should be helping business in terms of bill paying.

On the specific issue, I don't think I can give you the guarantee because I don't know what the situation will be after the election, so I'm afraid – rather a disappointing answer – I'll have to come back after the election.

Universities

Martin Allison, dean of business and law, Leeds Metropolitan University

Q Do you feel that universities should contribute to the strengthening of regional economic growth and if so how capable are they?

A We have to be a knowledge- based economy. But we cannot rely on the elites in the Russell Group such as Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial etc. We need strong universities across the country and they have got to be properly funded.

"That means we cannot, sorry to the young people in the audience, get rid of top-up fees. We need to set universities free more from government control. At the moment they are very regulated in terms of who you have, how much you charge, what you teach and what kind of research you do.

Emilie Lambert, sixth-form pupil, Harrogate Ladies' College

Q Due to recent budget cuts universities have cut places by up to 300,000. If you win the election what will your party plan to do about this?

A There is no pot of money, our finances are in dire straits. So we have to be inventive, and one way we have thought of to ease this crisis is to copy what happens in Australia and New Zealand and come up with a scheme to incentivise people to pay back their student loans early.

"By doing that you can create some extra university places now.

"We estimate we create an extra 10,000 places, not as many as we would like, not enough to make up for the cuts, but it is at least a start and I think we should do that straight away.

First-time voters

Jacob Odu, sixth-form student, Roundhay School, Leeds

Q How do you plan to engage first-time voters?

A The heart of the problem is not that young people do not care about politics. They care passionately about issues.

People just do not see a connection between an issue they care about and what is going on in Parliament.

The problem is to demonstrate that politics can make a difference. We need to be smarter as politicians in terms of communicating with young people. We need to communicate using all the modern tools. All politicians have to give interviews, go on TV shows, do everything you can to get across to people who might not be interested in politics. Politics is for everyone to take part in and you have to be where people are.

Middle East

Dr Abdul Barry Malik, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Bradford

Q As British Prime Minister, how would you bring both Israel and Palestine to the table to discuss long-standing issues?

A It's very depressing because we are not making much progress. But I think there is a deal that can be done. A two-state solution, involving an exchange of land, which has to come to an agreement over Jerusalem, which has to do something about right of return.

Your question is what can the British do? We shouldn't over-estimate our influence. Our influence comes because we do have a strong relationship with the US. We have to convince the US that this is something that can make a real difference to the security of our world, and that it needs to go up the order of priorities. At the same time in the European Union we can provide some leadership and support there.