The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1993Prime Minister (1990-1997)

PMQT Written Answers – 1 July 1993

Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 1st July 1993.


PRIME MINISTER:

 

Commonwealth Conference

Mr. Cox : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Government of Cyprus regarding the political and social arrangements for the forthcoming commonwealth conference to take place in Cyprus later this year; and if he will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : I discussed arrangements for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting with President Clerides, when he called on me in March. I understand that the planning for these arrangements is progressing well.

 

Parliamentary Private Secretaries

Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 24 November, Official Report, column 577-8, if he will publish the current list of parliamentary private secretaries and the Ministers to whom each is attached.

The Prime Minister : The current list of parliamentary private secretaries and the Ministers to whom each is attached is as follows :

Ministry |Parliamentary

|Private Secretary

———————————————————————————————–

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Minister for Agriculture (Mrs. G. Shephard) |Mr. J. Brazier

Minister of State (Mr. M. Jack)Miss E. Nicholson

Defence

Secretary of State (Mr. M. Rifkind) |Mr. H. Bellingham

Minister of State (Mr. J. Aitken) |Mr. S. Milligan

Minister of State (Mr. J. Hanley) |Mr. R. Gale

Duchy of Lancaster

Chancellor of the Duchy (Mr. W. Waldegrave) |Mr. I. Taylor

Education

Secretary of State (Mr. J. Patten) |Mr. M. Carrington

Minister of State (Lady Blatch) |Mr. D. Evennett

Employment

Secretary of State (Mr. D. Hunt) |Mr. N. Evans

Minister of State (Mr. M. Forsyth) |Mrs. A. Browning

Environment

Secretary of State (Mr. J. Gummer) |Mr. J. Paice

Minister of State (Sir G. Young) |Dr. C. Goodson-Wickes

Minister of State (Mr. D. Curry) |Mr. D. French

Minister of State (Mr. T. Yeo) |Mr. M. Trend

Foreign Office

Secretary of State (Mr. D. Hurd) |Mr. D. Martin

Minister of State (Mr. A. Goodlad) |Mr. G. Kynoch

Minister of State (Mr. D. Hogg) |Mr. H. Booth

Minister of State (Mr. D. Heathcoat-Amory) |Mr. R. Richards

Minister for Overseas Development (Lady Chalker) |Mr. M. Robinson

PUSS (Mr. M. Lennox-Boyd) |Mr. M. Robinson

Health

Secretary of State (Mrs. V. Bottomley) |Mr. K. Mans

Minister of State (Dr. B. Mawhinney) |Mr. P. Thompson

Home Office

Secretary of State (Mr. M. Howard) |Dr. L. Fox

Minister of State (Mr. P. Lloyd) |Mr. D. Wilshire

Minister of State (Mr. D. MacLean) |Mr. J. Arnold

Law Officers Department

Attorney-General (Sir N. Lyell) |Mr. T. Devlin

Solicitor-General (Sir D. Spencer) |Mr. G. Streeter

National Heritage

Secretary of State (Mr. P. Brooke) |Mr. A. Steen

Northern Ireland Office

Secretary of State (Sir P. Mayhew) |Mr. M. Moss

Minister of State (Mr. R. Atkins) |Mr. J. Hayes

Minister of State (Sir J. Wheeler) |Mr. J. Evans

Prime Minister |Mr. G. Bright

Privy Council Office

Lord President and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. T. Newton) |Mr. J. Marshall

Scottish Office

Secretary of State (Mr. I. Lang) |Mr. S. Coombs

Social Security

Secretary of State (Mr. P. Lilley) |Mr. P. Merchant

Minister of State (Mr. N. Scott) |Mr. M. Bates

PUSS (Mr. A. Burt/Lord Henley/Mr. W. Hague) |Mr. I. Bruce

Trade and Industry

President of the Board (Mr. M. Heseltine) |Mr. R. Ottaway

Minister of State (Mr. T. Sainsbury) |Mrs. A. Knight

Minister of State (Mr. R. Needham) |Mr. A. Rowe

Minister of State (Mr. T. Eggar) |Mr. S. Burns

Transport

Secretary of State (Mr. J. MacGregor) |Mr. G. Riddick

Minister of State (Mr. R. Freeman) |Mr. B. Wells

Treasury

Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. K. Clarke) |Mr. P. Oppenheim

Chief Secretary (Mr. M. Portillo) |Mr. D. Amess

Financial Secretary (Mr. S. Dorrell) |Mr. G. Brandreth

Paymaster General (Sir J. Cope) |Dr. I. Twinn

Welsh Office

Secretary of State (Mr. J. Redwood) |Mr. D. Evans

Minister of State (Sir W. Roberts) |Mr. D. Tredinnick

 

Engagements

Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 1 July.

The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

 

Iraq and Somalia

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has had from UNICEF on the effects on children and infants of United Nations high-tech military action in Iraq and Somalia.

The Prime Minister : UNICEF has not made such representations to me. We remain in close touch with United Nations agencies providing humanitarian relief to Iraq and Somalia.

 

Legislative Drafting

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what percentage of Government legislative drafting is carried out by lawyers not permanently employed as parliamentary counsel; and what plans there are for change.

The Prime Minister : In terms of primary legislation, all Government Bills, except those relating exclusively to Scotland and the Appropriation and Consolidated Fund Bills, are drafted by members of the parliamentary counsel office. From time to time some consolidation Bills have been drafted by lawyers who have been members of the parliamentary counsel office but who are no longer employed in the public service. The proportion of work undertaken in this way is not significant and it is not practicable to specify it as a percentage of the total drafting work undertaken by the members of the parliamentary counsel office. There are no plans for change at the moment.

 

Questions of Procedure for Ministers

Mr. Denham : To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the last 12 months he has been consulted by the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for Hampshire, East (Mr. Mates), under paragraphs 126 and 127 of “Questions of Procedure for Ministers”; on what subjects; and on what dates.

The Prime Minister [holding answer 24 June 1993] : Consultations between the Prime Minister and other Ministers are private.

 

Morgan Rogerson (Car Loan)

Mr. Denham : To ask the Prime Minister on which date he was first aware that the hon. Member for Hampshire, East (Mr. Mates) had received the loan of a car from the Morgan Rogerson company or from individuals associated with that company.

The Prime Minister [holding answer 24 June 1993] : My hon. Friend issued a statement to the press explaining the circumstances in which a temporary loan of a car to his wife had been made. He informed my office at the time he issued the statement.