Pressed by the MPs about whether he would take "fairly direct" responsibility for the Swiss tax scandal, Mr Meares responds: "I take responsibility for control failings that may have happened". A lengthy discussion then ensues as MPs try to get a yes or no answer from Mr Meares about whether he was responsible. He says he was not accountable for the actions of individuals at the Swiss bank that he was "wholly unaware of". For more updates on this hearing click here.

Security officials will produce a written report tomorrow on how an intruder managed to climb onto the roof of the Palace of Westminster on Saturday evening and "immediate remedial actions" have been taken to prevent it happening again, Speaker John Bercow has told MPs.

tweets: , externalDavid Laws says Tory free schools plan would blow £4bn hole in the school buildings budget

Away from the campaign trail, the HSBC bosses are currently getting grilled by MPs over the alleged tax scandals at the bank. HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver and the former head of the bank's private banking division, Chris Meares, are giving evidence to MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the committee asks Stuart Gulliver how HSBC customers can have confidence in the bank given his past taxation arrangements. He said he paid PAYE tax in the UK on his global earnings. After becoming the bank's boss he became a UK tax resident and insists his personal financial affairs were not put ahead of HSBC's interests. Chris Meares is currently repeatedly being asked how much responsibility he accepts for what went on under his watch.

House of Commons
Parliament

Meanwhile in the Commons, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves tells MPs that 2.8 million households will be worse off when Universal Credit is rolled out.

Iain Duncan Smith replies that Universal Credit will benefit "the vast majority of claimants in this country", and criticises Ms Reeves for playing "cheap politics".

Reacting to the Tory policy for more free schools Chris Keates, the general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "It is scandalous that in the context where the Conservative Party is proposing even deeper cuts to funding post the general election, it still plans to pour millions of pounds into free schools. There is no evidence that structural change raises educational standards."

tweets:, external Labour donor John Mills follows @GiselaStuart suggesting Labour/Con "grand coalition" possible

Daily Politics
Live on BBC Two

It has been suggested the House of Commons could save money by selling off its silver-plated cutlery used in the dining rooms. On the Daily Politics, Jo Coburn heard from auctioneer Tom Keane who says they could be sold to tourists. There was also reaction from Conservative Charles Walker, Lib Dem Jenny Willott and Labour's David Lammy on the future of the silver spoons. Watch the clip

Here is a bit more detail about what the prime minister has just said about defence spending: "What we have said very clearly is that the £160bn capital budget, the equipment budget in defence over the next 10 years, will grow in real terms under a Conservative government making sure that vital equipment we have ordered - the aircraft carriers, the frigates, the destroyers, the hunter killer submarines... that all of that can be delivered.

"And we have also said that we do not have to see further reductions in the regular forces. But again, I would say you can't have strong defence without a strong economy. We would not be able to make those pledges without the strong economy we now have."

The Guardian

The Guardian's Andrew Sparrow points out, external that despite saying just now that he never called grammar schools an "albatross", David Cameron did indeed use that phrase in 2007. According to our fellow live blogger at the Guardian, Mr Cameron said back then: "Far from being some winning slogan, a pledge to build more grammar schools would be an electoral albatross."

tweets:, external Grammar schools are good schools says PM.

tweets:, external Don't tell Lynton Crosby, but Cameron's just extolled the virtues of the 'big society'

tweets: , externalPM is speaking at the Green School in Hounslow. 84% 5ACME in 2014, 40% EBACC. Opening a free school nearby in 2016

Mr Cameron is asked how he can justify a real-terms cut in education spending and at the same time, put money in to free schools. He says free schools have been very successful and are more likely to be outstanding than the average school. He says the amount of money that follows an individual child to a particular school will not be cut.

tweets:, external PM quashes any compromise over #tvdebates "I won't be changing my mind over any of the other proposals"

"I am trying to break the log jam" over the TV debates, says Mr Cameron, "because I am proposing a television debate before the campaign gets under way.

"That is my proposal, I hope it will be taken up, but I won't be changing my opinion about the other proposals."

Asked about Ed Balls' assertions earlier about the Tories' plans for "extreme" cuts, he says Labour are simply proposing more spending, more borrowing, more debts. He sidesteps a request to answer Mr Balls' charge about the NHS being under threat.

Asked about grammar schools and whether they were an albatross round the government's neck David Cameron said: "I have never said they are an albatross". He said they were "good schools" - and "if they want to expand, they should be able to expand".

"It's a weight off everybody's mind," says David Cameron, confirming that his daughter has got a place at the Grey Coat School, not far from Downing Street.

Now for the Q&A. On defence spending, the PM says the equipment budget for the armed forces will continue to grow and the Tories are committed to no further reductions in the size of the regular armed forces. However, Mr Cameron doesn't touch on the issue of the 2% Nato target.