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 – 19 March 1993

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Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 19th March 1993.

PRIME MINISTER:

 

General van der Westhuizen

Mr. Rogers : To ask the Prime Minister which Government officials have meetings with or conducted business with General van der Westhuizen in South Africa or Chile in each year since 1980.

The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom military attache s in Pretoria were in contact with Lieutenant-General Pieter van der Westhuizen, as chief of staff intelligence (South African military intelligence service), in the normal course of their duties, until their withdrawal in 1985. Our ambassador in South Africa also had occasional contacts during General van der Westhuizen’s period as secretary to the State Security Council between 1985 and 1987.

During the period of Lieutenant-General van der Westhuizen’s appointment as South African ambassador to Chile from 1987-91, our ambassador in Santiago had occasional contacts with him as a colleague on the diplomatic circuit.

 

DTI (Security Services)

Mr. Rogers : To ask the Prime Minister what is the policy of the Government in relation to the transfer of secret intelligence service or security service personnel to the Department of Trade and Industry; and if he will make a statement on the range of functions those personnel carry out in the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Prime Minister : It is not the Government’s policy to comment on staffing arrangements with respect to the security and intelligence services. Members of these services would, however, be regarded no differently from other Crown servants for the purposes of transfer to employment elsewhere in the public service.

 

Citizen’s Charter

Ms Hoey : To ask the Prime Minister which Cabinet Committees deal with the Citizen’s Charter programme.

The Prime Minister : Citizen’s Charter issues requiring collective discussion would normally fall within the remit of the Ministerial Committee on Home and Social Affairs. In addition, I chair six-monthly ministerial meetings to monitor progress and agree future priorities for the charter programme.