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 – 4 May 1993

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Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 4th May 1993.

PRIME MINISTER:

 

Buses

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will commission a study of experience of bus tendering in London, deregulation elsewhere in England and Great Britain and of regulation in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister : The Transport Select Committee is currently considering these issues in the context of its inquiry into bus deregulation in London and is taking evidence from a number of sources, including the Government.

 

Overseas Visits

Mr. Batiste : To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy for taking senior British business representatives with him on official overseas visits.

The Prime Minister : I am firmly committed to taking senior business representatives with me whenever possible when I visit key markets overseas. My recent visits with a business group to India and Saudi Arabia were examples. I intend to build on them. I hope to visit Japan in the Autumn with senior business representatives. My ministerial colleagues also take every opportunity to promote Britain and British goods abroad. They are planning to lead at least 14 missions to 17 countries, to markets as diverse as Ghana, Singapore and Kazakstan this year.

 

Prerogative Powers

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the groups of actions taken using prerogative powers for which it would incur disproportionately high costs for them to be recorded individually.

The Prime Minister : No.

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to record the occasions on which prerogative powers are used where disproportionate costs would not be involved.

The Prime Minister : No.

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what prerogative powers have been attenuated by being bought within statute law since 1979.

The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 1 March at column 19 , and to the response of my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Department’s response to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett) on 21 April at column 492. The relationship between statutory and prerogative powers can be very complex. This complexity would mean examination of each section of each Act passed since 1979 in order to determine whether a prerogative power had been brought within statute law. This would be impracticable and would lead to disproportionate cost.

 

Treaty on European Union

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration was given at the European Council held at Edinburgh in December 1992 to the termination of membership of any member state of the European Community in the event of non-ratification of the treaty on European union.

The Prime Minister : The issue was not considered at the Edinburgh European Council.

 

Engagements

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 May.

The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.