The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1997Prime Minister (1990-1997)

PMQT Written Answers – 16 January 1997

Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 16th January 1997.


PRIME MINISTER:

 

Lord-Lieutenants

Mr. William Powell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Lord-Lieutenants together with their date of appointment and current date of expected retirement.

The Prime Minister: A list of Lord-Lieutenants, together with the dates of their appointment and expected retirement, at the age of 75, is set out in the table.

 

County        Name        Appointed        Retirement date at 75

 

England

Bedfordshire        Mr. Samuel Whitbread        January 1991        February 2012

Berkshire        Mr. Philip Wroughton        May 1995        April 2008

Bristol        Mr. Jay Tidmarsh        April 1996        September 2007

Buckinghamshire        Sir Nigel Mobbs        January 1997        September 2012

Cambridgeshire        Mr. James Crowden        May 1992        November 2002

Cheshire        Mr. William Bromley-Devonport        June 1990        March 2010

Cornwall        The Lady Mary Holborow        September 1994        September 2011

Cumbria        Mr. James Cropper        July 1994        December 2013

Derbyshire        Mr. John Bather        June 1994        May 2009

Devon        The Earl of Morley        May 1982        May 1998

Dorset        The Lord Digby        September 1986        July 1999

Durham(5)        Mr. David Grant        August 1988        January 1997

East Sussex        Admiral Sir Lindsay Bryson        November 1989        January 2000

East Riding of Yorkshire        Mr. Richard Marriott        April 1996        December 2005

Essex        The Lord Braybrooke        August 1992        January 2007

Greater London        Field Marshal The Lord Bramall        January 1986        December 1998

Greater Manchester        Colonel John Timmins        December 1987        June 2007

Hampshire        Mrs. Mary Fagan        January 1994        September 2014

Hereford and Worcester        Sir Thomas Dunne        June 1977        October 2008

Hertfordshire        Mr. Simon Bowes Lyon        January 1986        June 2007

Isle of Wight        Mr. Christopher Bland        December 1995        October 2011

Kent        The right hon. The Lord Kingsdown        July 1982        January 2002

Lancashire        The Lord Shuttleworth        December 1996        August 2023

Leicestershire        Mr. Timothy Brooks        April 1989        March 2004

Lincolnshire        Mrs. Bridget Cracroft-Ely        March 1995        October 2008

Merseyside        Mr. Alan Waterworth        October 1993        September 2006

Norfolk        Sir Timothy Colmon        March 1978        September 2004

Northamptonshire        Sir John Lowther        March 1984        November 1998

Northumberland        The Viscount Ridley        December 1983        July 2000

North Yorkshire        Sir Marcus Worsley        March 1987        April 2000

Nottinghamshire        Sir Andrew Buchanan        February 1991        July 2012

Oxfordshire        Mr. Hugo Brunner        February 1996        August 2010

Shropshire        Mr. Algernon Heber-Percy        February 1996        January 2019

Somerset        Sir John Wills        October 1994        July 2003

South Yorkshire        The Earl of Scarborough        March 1996        December 2007

Staffordshire        Mr. James Hawley        May 1993        March 2012

Suffolk        The right hon. The Lord Belstead        December 1993        September 2007

Surrey        Mr. Richard Thornton        May 1986        October 1997

Tyne and Wear        Sir Ralph Carr-Ellison        May 1984        December 2000

Warwickshire        Mr. Martin Dunne        December 1996        March 2013

West Midlands        Mr. Robert Taylor        November 1993        June 2007

West Sussex        Major General Sir Philip Ward        July 1994        July 1999

West Yorkshire        Mr. John Lyles        August 1992        May 2004

Wiltshire        Lieutenant General Sir Maurice Johnston        June 1996        October 2004

         

Wales

Clwyd        Sir William Gladstone        August 1985        October 2000

Dyfed        Sir David Mansel Lewis        February 1979        October 2002

Mid Glamorgan        Mr. Murray McLaggan        December 1989        September 2004

South Glamorgan        Captain Norman Lloyd-Edwards        August 1990        June 2008

West Glamorgan        Mr. Robert Hastie        April 1995        May 2008

Gwynedd        Mr. Meuric Rees        December 1989        March 1999

Gwent        Sir Richard Hanbury-Tennison        June 1979        January 2000

Powys        Mr. Mervyn Bourdillon        June 1986        August 1999

 

Scotland

Aberdeen City        Lord Provost ex-officio                

Aberdeenshire        Captain Colin Farquharson of Whitehouse        May 1987        August 1998

Angus        The right hon. The Earl of Airlie        October 1989        May 2001

Argyll and Bute        The Duke of Argyll        January 1996        August 2012

Ayrshire and Arran        Major David Henderson        April 1991        July 2006

Banffshire        Mr. James McPherson        October 1987        November 2002

Berwickshire        Major General Sir John Swinton        September 1989        April 2000

Caithness        Major Graham Dunnett        January 1996        March 2004

Clackmannan        Colonel Robert Stewart        December 1994        August 2001

Dumfries        Captain Ronald Cunningham-Jardine        October 1991        September 2006

Dunbartonshire        Brigadier Donald Hardie        June 1990        January 2011

Dundee        Lord Provost ex-officio                

East Lothian        Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple        January 1987        April 2001

Edinburgh        Lord Provost ex-officio                

Fife        The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine        October 1987        February 1999

Glasgow City        The Lord Provost ex officio                

Inverness        The Right Hon. The Lord Gray of Contin        August 1996        June 2002

Kincardineshire        The Viscount of Arbuthnott        July 1977        October 1999

Lanarkshire        Mr. Hutchison Sneddon        June 1992        April 2002

Midlothian        Captain George Burnet        January 1992        December 2002

Moray        Air Vice Marshal George Chesworth        March 1994        June 2005

Nairn        The Earl of Leven and Melville        June 1969        May 1999

Orkney        Vacant                

Perth and Kinross        Sir David Montgomery        March 1995        March 2006

Renfrewshire        The Lord Goold        July 1994        May 2009

Ross and Cromarty        Captain Roderick Stirling of Fairburn        May 1988        June 2007

Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale        The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry        June 1974        September 1998

Shetland        Mr. John Hamilton Scott        February 1994        November 2011

Stewartry of Kirkcudbright        Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur        January 1996        March 2006

Stirling and Falkirk        Lieutenant Colonel James Stirling of Garden        December 1983        September 2005

Sutherland        Major General David Houston        November 1991        February 2004

Tweeddale        Captain David Younger        June 1994        May 2013

West Lothian        The Earl of Morton        July 1985        March 2002

West Lothian        The Earl of Morton        July 1985        March 2002

Western Isles        The Viscount Dunrossil        December 1993        May 2001

Wigtown        Major Edward Orr Ewing        September 1989        September 2006

 

Northern Ireland

Antrim        The Lord O’Neill        April 1994        September 2008

Armagh        The Earl of Caledon        March 1989        May 2030

Belfast        Colonel J. Elliott Wilson        February 1991        May 2000

Down        Major William Hall        October 1996        August 2009

Fermanagh        The Earl of Erne        June 1986        July 2012

County Londonderry        Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell        May 1975        May 2000

County Borough of Londonderry        Mr. James Eaton        August 1986        August 2002

Tyrone        The Duke of Abercorn        December 1986        July 2019

(5) To be succeeded by Sir Paul Nicholson.

 

Visits to Pensioners

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what visits he made to pensioners on low incomes during the recent cold weather.

The Prime Minister: I meet pensioners throughout the year. Our commitment to help during periods of cold weather is underlined by the fact that over 5 million cold weather payments worth more than £43 million have been made this winter.

In addition to cold weather payments, the total extra help above normal upratings made available to pensioners on income-related benefits since 1988 is worth around £1.2 billion a year.

 

Bangladesh (Biharis)

Mr. Gapes: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had during his recent visit about the situation of the Biharis living in Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister: This issue was not raised during my visit. We regularly discuss human rights issues such as refugees and displaced people with the Bangladeshi authorities.

 

Companions of Honour

Mr. Powell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those people created Companions of Honour since 30 November 1990.

The Prime Minister: Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour appointed since 30 November 1990 are as listed:

      13 April 1992: The right hon. Kenneth Wilfred Baker MP

      13 April 1992: The right hon. Peter Leonard Brooke MP

      13 April 1992: The right hon. Thomas Jeremy King MP

      13 June 1992: Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink DBE

      13 June 1992: Noel Joseph Terence Needham FRS

      31 December 1992: Sir Victor Sawdon Pritchett CBE

      12 June 1993: Charles Hubert Sission

      12 June 1993: Dr. Elsie May Widdowson CBE FRS

      31 December 1993: Francis David Longhorne Astor

      31 December 1993: Dame Janet Abbott Baker DBE

      31 December 1993: Sir John Lindsay Eric Smith CBE

      11 June 1994: Sir Alec Guiness CBE

      11 June 1994: Professor Reginald Victor Jones CB CBE

      11 June 1994: The right hon. David Anthony Llewellyn, Baron Owen

      31 December 1994: Cesar Milstein

      31 December 1994: Professor Carel Victor Morlais Weight CBE

      17 June 1995: Sir Denys Louis Lasdun CBE

      17 June 1995: Sir Nevill Francis Mott FRS

      30 December 1995: Sir David Frederick Attenborough CVO CBE

      30 December 1995: Sir William Richard Shaboe Doll OBE FRS

      30 December 1995: The right hon. Douglas Richard Hurd CBE MP

      30 December 1995: The most Reverend Derek John Harford Worlock

      15 June 1996: The right hon. Richard Edward Geoffrey, Baron Howe of Aberavon QC

      31 December 1996: Alfred Leslie Rowse

 

Pakistan and Bangladesh

Mr. Gapes: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has recently had with the Governments of Pakistan and of Bangladesh about refugees and displaced people in their countries.

The Prime Minister: I discussed Afghan refugees in Pakistan during my recent meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan. I have not had any discussions recently with the Government of Bangladesh. However, we do discuss these issues regularly with the Bangladesh authorities.

 

Peerages

Mr. William Powell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the peerages created since 30 November 1990 together with the dates on which the holders were introduced.

The Prime Minister: The peerages created since 30 November 1990 are as listed, together with the dates on which the holders were introduced:

Title        Created        Introduced

Lord Waddington        4 December 1990        4 December 1990

Lord Sterling of Plaistow        17 January 1991        23 January 1991

Lord White of Hull        25 January 1991        29 January 1991

Lord Runcie        1 February 1991        26 February 1991

Lord Palumbo        4 February 1991        12 February 1991

Lord Griffiths of Fforestafch        5 February 1991        20 February 1991

Baroness James of Holland Park        7 February 1991        19 February 1991

Lord Laing of Dunphail        8 February 1991        19 February 1991

Baroness Seccombe        14 February 1991        26 February 1991

Lord Wolfson of Sunnigdale        26 March 1991        26 March 1991

Lord Desai        5 June 1991        18 June 1991

Baroness Hamwee        6 June 1991        12 June 1991

Lord Marlesford        7 June 1991        11 June 1991

Lord Judd        10 June 1991        25 June 1991

Baroness Denton of Wakefield        11 June 1991        11 June 1991

Baroness Hilton of Eggardon        14 June 1991        2 July 1991

Baroness Mallalieu        19 June 1991        19 June 1991

Lord Hollick        20 June 1991        25 June 1991

Baroness O’Cathain        21 June 1991        3 July 1991

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn        24 June 1991        9 July 1991

Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish        26 June 1991        26 June 1991

Lord Skidelsky        15 July 1991        17 July 1991

Baroness Perry of Southwark        16 July 1991        16 July 1991

Lord Cheshire        17 July 1991        24 July 1991

Lord MacFarlane of Bearsden        29 July 1991        15 October 1991

Lord Craig of Radley        30 July 1991        16 October 1991

Lord Browne-Wilkinson (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        1 October 1991        15 October 1991

Lord Mustill (a Lord of Appeal of Ordinary)        10 January 1992        11 March 1992

Lord Rix        27 January 1992        12 February 1992

Lord Prentice        30 January 1992        12 February 1992

Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank        12 February 1992        25 February 1992

Lord Wilson of Tillyorn        14 February 1992        15 July 1992

Lord Slynn (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        11 March 1992        11 March 1992

Lord Wakeham        24 April 1992 am        28 April 1992

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey        24 April 1992 pm        28 April 1992

Lord Taylor of Gosforth        27 April 1992 am        29 April 1992

Lord Rodger of Earlsferry        29 April 1992        29 April 1992

Baroness Thatcher        26 June 1992        30 June 1992

Lord Finsberg        27 June 1992        13 July 1992

Lord Parkinson        29 June 1992 am        7 July 1992

Lord Healey        29 June 1992 pm        1 July 1992

Lord Owen        30 June 1992 am        8 July 1992

Lord Howe of Aberavon        30 June 1992 pm        1 July 1992

Lord Lawson of Blaby        1 July 1992 am        6 July 1992

Lord Merlyn-Rees        1 July 1992 pm        7 July 1992

Lord Howell        2 July 1992 pm        9 July 1992

Lord Moore of Lower Marsh        3 July 1992        6 July 1992

Lord Tebbit        6 July 1992        9 July 1992

Lord Younger of Prestwick        7 July 1992        14 July 1992

Lord Amery of Lustleigh        8 July 1992 am        8 July 1992

Lord Walker of Worcester        8 July 1992 pm        21 October 1992

Lord Archer of Sandwell        9 July 1992        14 July 1992

Lord Ashley of Stoke        10 July 1992        13 July 1992

Lord Eatwell        14 July 1992        19 October 1992

Lord Weatherill        15 July 1992        15 July 1992

Lord Ewing of Kirkford        17 July 1992        26 October 1992

Lord Geraint        18 July 1992        27 October 1992

Lord Stewartby        20 July 1992        20 October 1992

Lord Clark of Kempston        21 July 1992        28 October 1992

Lord Plant of Highfield        24 July 1992        4 November 1992

Lord Archer of Weston Super Mare        27 July 1992        20 October 1992

Lord Ridley of Liddesdale        28 July 1992        28 October 1992

Baroness Jay of Paddington        29 July 1992        21 October 1992

Lord Williams of Mostyn        30 July 1992        26 October 1992

Lord Braine of Wheatley        10 August 1992        2 November 1992

Lord Cooke of Islandreagh        11 August 1992        3 November 1992

Lord Barber of Tewkesbury        12 August 1992        2 November 1992

Lord Hayhoe        21 August 1992        3 November 1992

Lord Gilmour of Craigmillar        25 August 1992        4 November 1992

Lord Elis-Thomas        18 September 1992        27 October 1992

Lord Woolf (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        1 October 1992        11 November 1992

Baroness Williams of Crosby        1 February 1993        17 February 1993

Lord Kingsdown        14 July 1993        21 July 1993

Lord Dahrendorf        15 July 1993        21 July 1993

Lord Menuhin        19 July 1993        20 July 1993

Lord Attenborough        30 July 1993        25 October 1993

Lord Lloyd of Berwick (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        1 October 1993        12 October 1993

Lord Haskel        4 October 1993        12 October 1993

Lord Dean of Harptree        5 October 1993        13 October 1993

Baroness Gould of Potternewton        6 October 1993        13 October 1993

Lord Dixon-Smith        11 October 1993        19 October 1993

Baroness Dean of Thornton Le Fylde        12 October 1993        19 October 1993

Lord Lester of Herne Hill        13 October 1993        3 November 1993

Baroness Miller of Hendon        14 October 1993        20 October 1993

Lord Tugendhat        15 October 1993        27 October 1993

Lord Nolan (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        11 January 1994        18 January 1994

Lord Wright of Richmond        14 February 1994        16 February 1994

Lord Nickson        22 March 1994        4 May 1994

Lord Quirk        12 July 1994        20 July 1994

Lord Phillips of Ellesmere        14 July 1994        12 October 1994

Lord Sheppard of Didgemere        6 September 1994        26 October 1994

Lord Hambro        26 September 1994        26 October 1994

Lord Dubs        27 September 1994        19 October 1994

Lord Gladwin of Clee        28 September 1994        18 October 1994

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton        29 September 1994        11 October 1994

Lord Shaw of Northstead        30 September 1994        11 October 1994

Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        3 October 1994        19 October 1994

Lord Tope        4 October 1994        12 October 1994

Baroness Rawlings        5 October 1994        18 October 1994

Baroness Thomas of Walliswood        6 October 1994        2 November 1994

Lord Kingsland        7 October 1994        2 November 1994

Lord Blaker        10 October 1994        25 October 1994

Lord Steyn (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        11 January 1995        18 January 1995

Baroness Hogg        3 February 1995        14 February 1995

Lord McConnell        10 February 1995        15 February 1995

Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill        17 February 1995        22 February 1995

Lord Hoffman (a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        21 February 1995        1 March 1995

Lord Hope of Craighead        28 February 1995        28 March 1995

Lord Blyth of Rowington        24 July 1995        18 October 1995

Lord Cuckney        25 July 1995        18 October 1995

Lord Eames        25 August 1995        1 November 1995

Lord Habgood        8 September 1995        25 October 1995

Lord Mackay of Drumadoon        13 December 1995        13 December 1995

Lord Winston        18 December 1995        20 December 1995

Lord Wallace of Saltaire        19 December 1995        20 December 1995

Lord McNally        20 December 1995        9 January 1996

Lord Borrie        21 December 1995        16 January 1996

Baroness Hayman        2 January 1996        10 January 1996

Lord Sewel        10 January 1996        10 January 1996

Lord Harris of Peckham        11 January 1996        7 February 1996

Lord Pilkington of Oxenford        12 January 1996        7 February 1996

Lord Feldman        15 January 1996        14 February 1996

Baroness Wilcox        16 January 1996        13 February 1996

Lord Taverne        5 February 1996        14 February 1996

Lord Kilpatrick of Kincraig        16 February 1996        28 February 1996

Lord Gilmore of Thamesfield        21 February 1996        28 February 1996

Lord Cooke of Thorndon        3 April 1996        8 May 1996

Lord Bingham of Cornhill        4 June 1996        26 June 1996

Baroness Lloyd of Highbury        19 August 1996        –

Lord Vincent of Coleshill        3 September 1996        30 October 1996

Lord Hussey of North Bradley        11 September 1996        6 November 1996

Lord Thomas of Gresford        30 September 1996        29 October 1996

Lord Clyde (A Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        1 October 1996 am        16 October 1996

Lord Currie of Marylebone        1 October 1996 am        29 October 1996

Lord Taylor of Warwick        2 October 1996        30 October 1996

Lord Saatchi        4 October 1996        20 November 1996

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean        7 October 1996        27 November 1996

Lord Alderdice        8 October 1996        5 November 1996

Lord Paul        9 October 1996        12 November 1996

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale        11 October 1996        12 November 1996

Baroness Anelay of St. Johns        14 October 1996        5 November 1996

Baroness Byford        15 October 1996        19 November 1996

Lord Chadlington        16 October 1996        6 November 1996

Lord Rogers of Riverside        17 October 1996        3 December 1996

Lord Maclaurin of Knebworth        18 October 1996        27 November 1996

Lord Whitty        21 October 1996        19 November 1996

Lord Hutton (A Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)        6 January 1997        14 January 1997