Cameron tells young reporters of Saturday morning electronics ban on children

Updated

David Cameron has revealed he bans his children from playing with electronic devices on Saturday mornings.

The glimpse into home life at 10 Downing Street came as the Prime Minister spoke to a group of 10-year-olds in an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of the First News children's newspaper.

The 10 young reporters quizzed the PM on fracking, support for child refugees, library closures and the upcoming referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Isabelle Hall, from Yorkshire, said Mr Cameron was "extremely tall" and "seemed really nice", adding: "Even though he was in a rush, he still answered nearly all of our questions which I thought was kind."

And Alex Garcia-Ghuran, from Hertfordshire, said: "We learned from Mr Cameron that his children do not get to play with any electronic devices on Saturday morning and he will get upset if he catches them breaking the rule. That sounded like my dad."

Challenged by Amelia Angel Fleming, from Cambridge, over why the Government allowed fracking for shale gas under national parks, the PM said: "If it was dangerous we would not do it. When you transport gas all the way to Britain, think about all the energy you are using. If we use our own gas, it will reduce carbon emissions and it might even mean cheaper bills."

Amelia later gave a mixed verdict on his argument, saying: "He gave a good answer but I still don't agree with it."

Mr Cameron also told the children that he aimed to "balance the country" and reduce reliance on London with initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse project, and said that the UK had made a "huge" pledge to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. "We need others to take action too," he said. If every country did that, we could get global warming under control."

First News editor-in-chief Nicky Cox said: "Children are 27% of the world's people but 100% of the future. And, for the world to become a better place, the next generation needs to be better informed than the last.

"First News readers know a lot about the world in which they're growing up, and the 10 ten-year-olds who came to 10 Downing Street with me knew about everything from the EU referendum, to the refugee crisis, to environmental issues and so much more - it was truly inspiring to listen to them."

:: Mr Cameron's interview features in the 10th anniversary edition of First News, on sale from May 6.

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