The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: Prime Minister (1990-1997)

  • PMQT – 28 February 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 28th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : 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.

    Mr. Hicks : I am sure that the whole House will wish to pay tribute to those who have been involved in the successful liberation of Kuwait and especially to our own armed forces whose courage, professionalism and inspiration have been an example to us all. We offer our deepest sympathy and gratitude to the families who have lost their loved ones.

    Does my right hon. Friend agree that very real problems still exist in that part of the world and that it is incumbent on all nations, through the United Nations, to ensure that a middle east peace conference is established at which all the issues, including Israel, the Palestinians and the rest, can be discussed? Does he agree that we should give every encouragement to the Arab nations to formulate their own security arrangements for the future?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I shall, of course, be making a full statement on those matters very shortly. The fact is that Kuwait has been liberated and that one of the most remarkable military campaigns of recent years has been concluded. I want to pay the warmest possible tribute to the commanding officers of all nations out there and especially to General de la Billiere, who has commanded our own troops with such skill. I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. We must now look to the future and secure peace, especially by the means mentioned by my hon. Friend.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I say to the Prime Minister that today, in this Parliament and throughout the country, we share the feelings of satisfaction at the defeat of aggression, and the feelings of sorrow at the deaths and misery caused directly as a result of that aggression? Does the Prime Minister agree that the only fitting memorial to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice is to build, through the United Nations, lasting peace and lasting justice?

    The Prime Minister : I share the emotions expressed by the right hon. Gentleman and the conclusion that he reached.

    Mr. Temple-Morris : Does my right hon. Friend agree that if politicians do half as good a job in sustaining the peace as the armed services have done in winning the war, we shall not be doing at all badly? In sustaining that peace, will my right hon. Friend differentiate between the Iraqi people on the one hand, and Saddam Hussein and his Baathist clique on the other? Does he further agree that the longer that Saddam Hussein and that clique remain in power, the more difficult it will be for all nations to have a charitable attitude towards Iraq?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend. We have never opposed the Iraqi people ; it is their leadership and Saddam Hussein who have been the enemy on this occasion.

     

    Q2. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Home Robertson : Will the Prime Minister pay tribute to the 300 service men and their five minesweepers from the Rosyth naval base on their skilful achievement in the long and hazardous task of clearing mines for the allied fleet? Is he aware that the Minister of State for the Armed Forces said on Tuesday that Rosyth naval base was the “easiest and most suitable” target for closure, in spite of the assurance given by the Prime Minister to the House on 5 February? Is that the kind of welcome home that our returning heroes can expect from Ministers in this Government?

    The Prime Minister : I willingly join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to the men from Rosyth and the Royal Navy who have done such a magnificent job in sweeping the northern Gulf of mines. I do that with the greatest warmth and willingness. As the hon. Gentleman knows, for I have told the House before, a whole range of possible options concerning the armed forces generally is being considered to reduce the cost of defence support. In the case of the Royal Navy, that is bound to mean the closure of some naval establishments. At this stage the Ministry of Defence is looking at various possibilities and studies are being carried out. It is essential that those studies are carried out before any decisions of any sort can be made. I repeat my assurance to the hon. Gentleman : no decisions whatsoever have been made about the future of Rosyth.

     

    Q3. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Devlin : My right hon. Friend will be aware of the profound joy and relief among families of service men in the north of England at the news of the ceasefire today and, in particular, at the extremely low level of casualties. Will he confirm that the troops will be brought back from the middle east as soon as possible and be replaced by a United Nations peacekeeping force?

    The Prime Minister : We shall certainly be bringing our own troops home shortly. Precisely what will happen thereafter is a matter yet to be determined. No doubt I shall have more to say about that shortly.

    Mr. Ashdown : May I associate myself with the words of other hon. Members on the role of our armed forces? The use of their professionalism and skill has been put to the service not just of the freedom of Kuwait but to the rule of international law and the authority of the United Nations. May I also pay tribute to the Prime Minister for the calmness and authority with which he has led the nation at a difficult time? Is his view about the future the same as mine? If the coalition invests the extraordinary victory in the United Nations, we will have created a powerful instrument not just for peace in the middle east now, but for peace in the world in the future as well.

    The Prime Minister : I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. I am grateful to him for his kind words. The attitude taken by the Leader of the Opposition and by the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) has led to a unity in the House which can have been only a comfort to all our troops.

     

    Q4. Mr. Speller : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Speller : Will my right hon. Friend accept the congratulations through me of the people of north Devon on his leadership over the past few months? Now, as he turns his view towards domestic problems, will he see whether he can right some of the inequalities that have bothered people about the community charge? In particular, will he consider the case where a husband and wife both have to pay community charge even though only one is at work?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. As he knows, we are examining the community charge and we will make announcements on that when our examination is concluded.

    Mr. James Lamond : Is there any chance of Governments at the United Nations applying the same energy and enthusiasm to trying to stop the sale of arms to dictators like Saddam Hussein throughout the world, in which case it might not be necessary to sacrifice young men such as those who were sacrificed in the recent war?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman knows that there has been an embargo by this country on sales of arms to Iraq for a considerable number of years. My right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) imposed a strict embargo on sales to Iraq many years ago.

     

    Visits

    Q5. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit Dover, Deal and south- east Kent.

    The Prime Minister : I am making plans for a series of visits to all parts of the country and very much hope to include Kent among them.

    Mr. Shaw : Will my right hon. Friend confirm the commitment of his Government to completing the dual carriageway A20 into Dover and– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. It is a perfectly legitimate question.

    Mr. Shaw : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that his Government is committed to completing the A20 dual carriageway into Dover and to completing the A2 dualling between Lydden and Dover? Furthermore, will he send his best wishes to Bob Bale, Trevor Povey and all my constituents who have been fighting for Britain in the Gulf?

    The Prime Minister : I am happy to send the best wishes that my hon. Friend suggests. My hon. Friend has raised his first point with me before, both privately and publicly, and I am happy to confirm that part of the A20 between Folkestone and Dover is under construction and, as my hon. Friend is aware, a scheme for the improvement of the A2 entered the road programme last year.

     

    Engagements

    Q6. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Eastham : With the welcome end of the Gulf war, will the Prime Minister ensure that the same endeavours are used to reduce hospital waiting lists, which now stand at 980,000, as were used to open wards and provide beds for possible casualties? If he bothers to visit Ribble Valley during the by-election will he try to explain why the waiting list for beds there has doubled during the past four years and now stands at 4,380?

    The Prime Minister : As the hon. Gentleman should know, the health service is now treating more people more efficiently than ever before, not least due to the reforms introduced by the Government and the funding provided by them.

     

    Q7. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Dykes : I thank my right hon. Friend for his incisive and decisive War Cabinet leadership which has led to success in the Gulf and I add my words of admiration for the unsurpassed and brilliant performance of our armed forces. As I have RAF Bentley Priory in my constituency, from which the Battle of Britain was directed 50 years ago, I particularly think of the performance of the Royal Air Force. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the particularly brave performance of the Tornado pilots in low flying on the Iraqi airfields did, contrary to rumours, substantially neutralise many of the Iraqi airfields and prevent the Iraqi air force from fighting?

    The Prime Minister : I can certainly confirm that. The bravery of the Tornado pilots in the early part of the campaign played a material part in ensuring that casualties in the land war were so few. I am happy to pay tribute to all those pilots.

    Mr. William Ross : Will the Prime Minister give an assurance to the House that considerable expense will now be put to trying to find a better means of identifying friendly ground troops?

    The Prime Minister : That is a matter to which we shall certainly give attention. The House will understand the tragic occurrence that leads the hon. Gentleman to ask that question. It is certainly a matter which will have the most careful examination.

     

    Q8. Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Arbuthnot : In view of the recent murder of an innocent civilian by the IRA and the attempted murder of the War Cabinet, does my right hon. Friend agree that now is not the proper time to water down the prevention of terrorism Act?

    The Prime Minister : I very much agree with my hon. Friend. The prevention of terrorism Act has served us well in recent years and for the moment we still require it.

    Mr. Mallon : On this historic day when people throughout the world can again savour peace, may I as an Irishman express the anger and revulsion felt by the vast majority of Irish people at the murderous attempts on commuters in Victoria and other stations? Does the Prime Minister agree that the contrived security alerts that we saw again yesterday are causing enormous suffering and disruption to thousands of people going to and coming from work? Does he share my view that to kill and to heap suffering on people in furtherance of political ends is a sad and cynical perversion of the very concept of patriotism?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It is wickedness beyond belief, and it deserves the contempt of everyone.

     

    Q9. Dr. Twinn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Dr. Twinn : May I join in the warm congratulations of the House to my right hon. Friend for his conduct of the war? In looking to the future, will he bear in mind the problems caused by the division of Cyprus and the fact that United Nations Security Council resolutions have still not been implemented there?

    The Prime Minister : I shall certainly put my mind to that problem. I share my hon. Friend’s hope that the Cyprus question will be resolved. Indeed, I am sure that everyone in the House wants to see that. I do not believe that question of Cyprus can be directly related to the Gulf conflict.

     

    Q10. Mrs. Alice Mahon : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mrs. Mahon : Has the Prime Minister had time to read the recent Amnesty International report on the people of East Timor? Will he now make a commitment to the achievement of a peaceful and just world by banning the sale of weapons to Indonesia, given that that country has illegally occupied East Timor for 15 years and has committed the most atrocious acts of violence against its population? Is not this a good time to do something about the evil of the arms trade?

    The Prime Minister : I have not read the Amnesty International report to which the hon. Lady has referred, but I shall certainly seek to do so and reflect upon what she has said.

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview in London – 27 February 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview held on 27th February 1991.

    [Mr Major was asked whether Iraq had accepted the requirements set out by the United Nations]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    They haven’t yet offered to meet all the resolutions. They’re not yet clear about leaving their equipment. And of course also, we want to make sure that they return any Kuwaitis that they may have abducted and taken to Iraq. So although they appear to be making some movement, they certainly have not yet, so far as I understand it from the information yet available, they have not yet met the conditions we have repeatedly set out, and they must do so.

    QUESTION:

    And until they do, the war continues, all the way to Baghdad?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Until they do so, the conflict continues.

  • Doorstep Interview with Jill Morrell – 27 February 1991

    Below is a doorstep interview given by Jill Morrell, from the Friends of John McCarthy, after meeting the Prime Minister in London on Wednesday 27th February 1991.

    [Quality of recording very poor, some parts missing]

    QUESTION:

    Did Mr Major give you any grounds for optimism or hope?

    MISS MORRELL:

    Mr Major was very reassuring [inaudible] but he had nothing concrete to tell us, we did ask him for our points of view to be high on the agenda in the [inaudible] over the next few weeks.

    QUESTION:

    What more do you think he should be doing?

    MISS MORRELL:

    We just asked that they make sure that hostages are high on the agenda in any talks that do take place between Syria and [inaudible] and that they redouble their efforts to these governments to make sure that the hostages come home. But what we really wanted was [inaudible] and we do not actually have that yet.

    QUESTION:

    Are you optimistic that he will be home?

    MISS MORRELL:

    Not any more so really, no, but we do hope that the government will keep their promise to make sure that hostages are high on the agenda.

    QUESTION:

    Do you feel that there is any more that people in this country should be doing?

    MISS MORRELL:

    I think if they carry on sending postcards and the letters to their MPs and to [inaudible] and the Foreign Secretary then governments will not be allowed to forget the hostages.

    QUESTION:

    And do you think that the hostages there will be aware of it?

    MISS MORRELL:

    I think they may be aware of it, they may not, they hear very little about what is going on in the outside world. The only time they will be aware of what has been done for them is when they are actually released.

    QUESTION:

    How long has John been held hostage?

    MISS MORRELL:

    It will be five years on 17 April.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    MISS MORRELL:

    We were very glad that he made it out and it does show that the governments do have to [inaudible].

  • Mr Major’s Joint Doorstep Interview with the Kuwaiti Ambassador – 27 February 1991

    Below is Mr Major’s joint doorstep interview with the Kuwaiti Ambassador in London on Wednesday 27th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I have had the opportunity over the last few minutes of speaking to the Kuwaiti Ambassador, we have been discussing the general situation. As you will know, I am delighted to confirm that Kuwait City is now entirely free, there are a large number of allied troops actually in Kuwait City and other operations this morning are going extremely well. British troops are now in the British Embassy in Kuwait City, they are cleaning it up and I hope very much that the British Ambassador will be able to return very speedily, perhaps as early as tomorrow. I think the Ambassador may wish to say a word or two.

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    This is a great moment for me to hear that Kuwait City has been liberated and the British Ambassador is going soon to Kuwait. Thank you very much, we have seen the flag today rising up on the soil of Kuwait. Thank you for your sympathy and cooperation.

     

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    QUESTION:

    Prime Minister, how much more fighting do you still feel has got to be done?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I hope there will not be too much still to come but clearly there is some, it is still continuing in places. I hope very soon that the Iraqis will realise the impossibility of their position and that fighting will be able to cease. But that is not wholly in our hands, I think we do have to look to the security of our own troops and our own positions and that does mean that the initiative is going to have to come from the Iraqis. But military plans are proceeding very satisfactorily at the moment.

    QUESTION:

    How are we telling the Iraqis to surrender given their poor communications?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think the Iraqis know what the situation is in the field and I think the Iraqis in Baghdad are very clear about the present situation.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think we had better conclude it first, we have never seen it in terms of victory or defeat, our purpose has been to ensure that Kuwait is free, to make sure that the legitimate government is back in Kuwait and that there is peace and security in the area. That has been our position all the way through, that is now in sight and I am very pleased about that.

    QUESTION:

    How far are you prepared to go particularly with those anxieties expressed internationally about your attitude towards Saddam Hussein himself and the possibility you might remove him?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have made our position perfectly clear and it has not changed throughout the whole conflict. We require the implementation of all the Security Council resolutions and the conflict can cease when it is clear that those Security Council resolutions will be met in full. That is and always has been the situation.

    QUESTION:

    How long do you expect to remain on Iraqi territory?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We are not planning to occupy territory or dismember Iraq or any of those things, we have made that clear repeatedly, our aims are those we have set out. In due course events will return to normal, quite how speedily that will be one cannot be clear. There is still the fog of difficulties to determine, one does not know precisely what one is going to find. We are still seeing what difficulties exist actually in Kuwait City and elsewhere but we hope to bring the matter to a conclusion as speedily as possible.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think it is a very welcome sign to have, do you not think so?

    QUESTION:

    Can we ask you, Ambassador, what your priorities are now for Kuwait?

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    To ensure the safety of the people who are living now in Kuwait, that is our priority now.

    QUESTION:

    Are we going to see moves towards a freer government in Kuwait?

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    Yes, for sure.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 26 February 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 26th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

     

    Civil Servants

    Mr. Dunn : To ask the Prime Minister what was the number of civil servants employed by each Department in 1979, and the number employed in the last year for which figures are available.

    The Prime Minister : Information on staff numbers by Department is to be found in summaries of departmental staff returns for 1 April 1979 and 1 October 1990, copies of which have been placed in the statistical section of the House of Commons Library. Table 2 of the Treasury publication “Civil Service Statistics”, 1984 and 1989-90 editions, will assist in tracing machinery of Government changes that have taken place between 1979 and now. Copies of this publication have also been placed in the Library.

     

    The Gulf

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning the Gulf war.

    The Prime Minister : I have received a substantial number of representations, many supporting the Government’s policy to secure full, immediate and unconditional compliance with the Security Council resolutions.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what Governments of the allied coalition in the Gulf were contacted by Her Majesty’s Government, and in which sequence, for consultations on the Soviet peace plan for resolving the Gulf conflict before Ministers in the Government issued statements responding to the plan on 19 February.

    The Prime Minister : We remain in constant touch with our coalition partners on a wide range of matters relating to the Gulf crisis.

  • PMQT – 26 February 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 26th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

    Mr. MacKay : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that there can be no ceasefire in the Gulf war until all relevant United Nations resolutions have been fully implemented, prisoners of war and Kuwaiti hostages held in Iraq have been released and all Iraqi troops have laid down their arms?

    The Prime Minister : I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, but unfortunately the conditions that he so succinctly set out have not yet been met. As my hon. Friend will know, Saddam Hussein spoke again this morning, but without giving any indication whatsoever that Iraq will comply with all the Security Council resolutions. Instead, this morning Saddam Hussein reiterated his untrue claim that Kuwait was part of Iraq and threatened implicitly to return. He must know that meeting the Security Council resolutions is an essential step, and he must publicly and explicitly do so.

    I believe that we are now in a new situation with the beginning of the ground war. Our first concern has to be with the safety and security of our forces–[Hon. Members :– “Hear, hear.”] That means that we require all Iraqi forces in the theatre of operations–those occupying and those supporting the occupation of Kuwait–to abandon their weapons and equipment, and withdraw. Until they do so, they will be treated as hostile.

    Saddam Hussein started this war on his terms. He must end it on the terms set out by the United Nations.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I take this opportunity strongly to commend our forces for the bravery and professionalism that they are showing in the liberation of Kuwait? Does the Prime Minister share my view that Saddam Hussein could halt the war instantly if he were personally to announce his complete compliance with all relevant United Nations resolutions and, in addition, immediately release all the prisoners of war and civilians he is holding against their will in both Kuwait and Iraq?

    Finally, is it not clear that if Iraqi forces leave their military vehicles and lay down their arms, they will be safe from attack, our forces will know that they are also safe from attack, and all hostilities can end?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is entirely right and I agree with him without reservation. He will know that, even this morning, Saddam Hussein said–I shall quote him because there was an implicit threat in what he said :

    “the Gates of Constantinople were not opened before the Muslims in the first struggling attempt.”

    That is the clearest threat that he will yet again return. We have a duty and an obligation to remove that threat using all necessary means.

    Dame Janet Fookes : As Saddam Hussein, like the devil, is the father of lies, would my right hon. Friend ensure that all in authority take not the slightest notice of what he says, but only of what he does?

    The Prime Minister : I can certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance. There have been many occasions in recent months when Saddam Hussein expressly told untruths. At one stage, his Foreign Minister was negotiating on one tack while he was speaking and acting on another. We simply cannot and do not trust him.

    Mr. Ashdown : Does the Prime Minister agree that, despite today’s welcome news, there is still much hard and potentially costly work to be done before Kuwait is made secure? He is entirely right to say that the safety of our troops and the long-term security of Kuwait mean that any Iraqi troops who wish to return home may do so, but only after they have surrendered their weapons. If they do so, will he say that, once Kuwait is at last liberated, secure and free from threat, Desert Storm will end?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is quite right. Those are the circumstances in which Desert Storm can end. He is right to emphasise yet again the safety and security of our troops. Frankly, I do not believe that either they or world opinion would forgive us if, at this stage of the conflict, we permitted the Iraqis to withdraw with their weapons, perhaps with risk to our troops and the risk that they would return later.

     

    Q2. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Hughes : Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government have established 12 regional technology centres to aid technology transfer? Can he also confirm that under this Government, the number of science parks has increased from two to 39 with 22 more planned and that spending on civil research and development is higher, as a percentage of the gross national product, in this country than in Japan or in the United States? Does he agree that calls for the establishment of such policies, when they are already in train, merely demonstrates that those who call for them show muddle and ignorance, which dominate Labour party thinking?

    The Prime Minister : I cannot immediately imagine to what document my hon. Friend is referring. If, perchance, he is referring to the document on industrial and manufacturing matters that was released yesterday by the Labour party, he is a little unkind. There were some good ideas in that document. Unfortunately, the good ideas are already being implemented and the bad ideas are being recycled.

    Mr. Allen McKay : Does the Prime Minister agree with the Secretary of State for the Environment who wants to do away with the poll tax or with the Minister of State for the Environment who has gone on record in the Ribble Valley by-election as saying that he wishes to keep it?

    The Prime Minister : The next Member of Parliament for Ribble Valley, who I hope will soon be on the Conservative Benches, will be here in time to hear the result of our review of the community charge.

     

    Q3. Mr. French : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. French : Does my right hon. Friend agree that an industrial policy that is based on the creation of quangos, subsidies and inadequately costed tax breaks is, as the Financial Times called it this morning, a “recipe for economic distortion”?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend, but, again, I fear that he is being too charitable. He has forgotten the reinvention of the son of National Enterprise Board, an enterprise which took money away from viable businesses to pick winners which, alas, went bust.

    Mr. Alfred Morris : What emphasis will the Government put on reparations from Iraq and to what extent will they be demanded? Moreover, what is the attitude of other Governments in the coalition?

    The Prime Minister : The attitude is set out in the Security Council’s resolutions. All Governments in the coalition subscribe to them and that remains the position.

     

    Q4. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Taylor : This House has been powerfully united against the terrorism practised by Saddam Hussein in Kuwait. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is important that the House is also united against the evil acts of terrorism in this country and that it supports all measures, including the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989? Will he have a word with the Leader of the Opposition to encourage him to be more robust on the issue?

    The Prime Minister : No one doubts the commitment of the whole House to deal effectively with terrorism and not to give way to it. In my judgment, the widest possible support for the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act would be a welcome event and would help to that end.

     

    Q5. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Brown : I know that the Prime Minister is involved in many important duties. However, will he understand one thing? The real enemy is at home ; the enemy is the capitalist system and the Tory Government. They are responsible for the problems of the British people.

    We have an example of a state-owned British company wishing to take over the fertiliser business, presently owned by ICI. That is blocked because of the Government’s blind party dogma. If we want investment in this country, is not that unfair to workers who may lose their jobs, especially in Leith, where there is a subsidiary owned by ICI called Scottish Agricultural Industries? Is not that wrong?

    The Prime Minister : It is a rum occasion when I have to take lessons in dogma from the hon. Gentleman.

     

    Q7. Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Sir Hugh Rossi : As a successful end to the hostilities in the Gulf is happily within reach, will my right hon. Friend now ensure that the allies will combat, with the same vigour and single-mindedness of purpose, the premeditated ecological vandalism perpetrated by Saddam Hussein? It places at risk the worldwide environment from acid deposition, from accelerated global warming and from desertification, and it also pollutes and poisons the waters of the Gulf.

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right and he touches on an important point. The United Kingdom has already made a substantial contribution to help to deal with the pollution caused by the Iraqis in recent weeks. I am sure that my hon. Friend is right. An international effort will be needed and we will be part of that.

     

    Q8. Mr. Battle : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Battle : As it is clear that some of the right hon. Gentleman’s Social Security Ministers want to continue the freeze on child benefit and that some do not, will he tell us which ones he will back? Will he pledge now to make good the four-year cut in child benefit or will people have to rely on his one-off, occasional piecemeal statements at the Dispatch Box for their basic benefits?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman knows very well that there are occasions when we make statements on public expenditure matters such as child benefit. This is not one of them.

    Mr. Dunn : When accounts are rendered for the Gulf war, will the Prime Minister seek to obtain an explanation of the extraordinary behaviour of the Soviet Union in recent days? Will he make it plain to the Soviet Government that they can play ball either with the west or with Iraq, but not with both?

    The Prime Minister : I shall have the opportunity to discuss all those matters with Mr. Gorbachev early next week.

     

    Q9. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. McAllion : Is the Prime Minister aware that hundreds of young Scots, half of them aged under 18, pass through London’s night shelters every year and that research has shown that on average each of those youngsters has less than £2? Why does the Prime Minister continue to deny to the 16 and 17-year-olds among them the right to benefit? Is the fate of those youngsters who have been thrown on to the streets and are vulnerable to drugs and prostitution a matter of complete indifference to the Prime Minister and his Government?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman is entirely wrong, as he knows. We have provided unprecedented training opportunities for young people of that age. There is no necessity whatsoever for any of them to be sleeping rough on the streets of London.

     

    Q10. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Thurnham : Does my right hon. Friend agree that just as the world recognises the strength and discipline of our armed forces, so it should recognise the strength and discipline of our economy? Is not our pound sterling as strong as Chobham armour?

    The Prime Minister : I agree. My hon. Friend will know that there has been a remarkable series of events in recent months and he will also know that sterling has remained remarkably stable despite those events.

    Mr. Hume : During his visit to Northern Ireland last week, did anyone raise with the Prime Minister the security value of fixed military checkpoints? Did anyone point out that over the past 20 years nothing of security value has been found at such checkpoints, and that they have become security risks providing targets in the form of the young soldiers and policemen who man them? Is the Prime Minister considering reviewing the use of such checkpoints?

    The Prime Minister : I discussed a raft of security matters during my meetings in Northern Ireland last week. However, the hon. Gentleman is aware that it would be unwise to discuss them.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 25 February 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 25th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Norwegian Prime Minister

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what was discussed at his meeting with his Norwegian counterpart on 13 February.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 February at column 223.

     

    Street Lighting

    Dr. Twinn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek to improve co- ordination between the Home Office and Departments of Environment and Transport to identify where early action can be taken to reduce the public’s fear of, and to help prevent, crime by improving the standard of street lighting in towns; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : The Home Office has just received a first draft of a report of a major research study undertaken by the University of Southampton to assess the impact of improved street lighting on crime and the fear of crime in the London borough of Wandsworth. The results are being considered. The Home Office is also engaged in a monitoring exercise on the link between lighting improvements and crime in four urban areas. When all the relevant information is to hand Home Office Ministers will consider, in conjunction with other Departments as appropriate, what further action is necessary to try and reduce the public’s fear of crime.

     

    German Chancellor

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed during his meeting with Chancellor Kohl in Bonn on 11 February.

    The Prime Minister : Chancellor Kohl and I discussed a number of current issues, including the Gulf, relations with the Soviet Union and European Community affairs. I look forward to developing our close relationship.

     

    Nuclear Accidents

    Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his progress in preparing a contingency plan to deal with the effects of any future nuclear accident overseas following the parliamentary answer to the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet) on 30 June 1987, Official Report, columns 65-67.

    The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley), the then Secretary of State for the Environment, announced in January 1988 that proposals for implementing the national response plan had been finalised. Details of the proposals have been published in a booklet : “The National Response Plan and Radiation Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET). A Statement of Proposals” published by HMSO, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

    The radiation monitors for the first phase of the RIMNET system have been in operation since June 1988, and I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be making an announcement shortly with regard to the award of the contract for installing phase 2 of RIMNET.

     

    Electricity Prices

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister whether his office has been consulted about the proposed 13 per cent. increase in domestic electricity prices.

    The Prime Minister : It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to receive and consider the companies’ proposals, and to satisfy himself that they are consistent with the companies’ licence requirements.

     

    The Gulf

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what communications he, or his officials, had with the deputy director-general of the BBC on 13 February concerning BBC news coverage of the casualties caused to Iraqi civilians by allied air raids on Baghdad.

    The Prime Minister : There is contact on a regular basis between my office and the media on a variety of subjects, including the coverage of the Gulf conflict.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if President Bush contacted Her Majesty’s Government prior to his speech in Massachusetts on 15 February calling for the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein; and what is the Government’s policy in relation to the President of Iraq.

    The Prime Minister : The Government’s policy towards Iraq is to secure full, immediate and unconditional compliance with the Security Council resolutions.

    Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the progress of military action to liberate Kuwait in accordance with resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

    The Prime Minister : The military action to free Kuwait is making steady progress, while attempting to avoid civilian casualties so far as possible. The forces of the multinational coalition deserve great credit for their performance.

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Statement – 24 February 1991

    Below is Mr Major’s doorstep statement given in London on Sunday 24th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:
    The Chief of the Defence Staff has just been briefing me on operational matters so far and I have also had the opportunity of talking to President Bush so we can concert the advice that we both had. The Chief of the Defence Staff has also been in close consultation with General Powell throughout the day.

    Thus far things seem to be going very well indeed, we are pleased with what has happened so far. The plans do seem to be ahead of schedule and as you will have heard earlier there are a very substantial number of Iraqi prisoners that have been taken. I must say at this stage though that this is a very early stage of the campaign, it may well be tougher in days to come though the beginning has been as satisfactory as we could have hoped.

    We are still getting continuing reports of atrocities in Kuwait City, the damage, damage to buildings, blowing up the Parliamentary building and the other atrocities that I mentioned earlier today, they are continuing and I think that does illustrate very clearly that we were right to take this action now and not to delay any longer. I am afraid there is no further information that I can give you at the moment but I am happy to take one or two questions on non-operational matters if that would be helpful.

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    QUESTION:

    Prime Minister, do you feel that the accounts coming out from some allied centres are in danger of being euphoric or are you yourself just saying cautious?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    No, I think it is right to be cautious, this is a very early stage of the campaign, we must wait and see what happens over a longer period. There may be more difficult days ahead than those we have had thus far.

    QUESTION:

    General Schwarzkopf has said that casualties had been very light, what do we know about the British forces and what happened to them?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    No I can give you no operational information of that sort but I can certainly confirm what General Schwarzkopf has said, the casualties have been very light so far.

    QUESTION:

    He also did mention British involvement. I know you cannot go into detail but can you just say a word or two about the extent of British involvement so far?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    British involvement is growing and I think that will become apparent over the days ahead but I am afraid I can give you no more information than that.

    QUESTION:

    Dick Cheney has said he thinks it is going to be a relatively short war, is that your reading of the situation?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think it will be relatively short, I think that is true, I do not think it is possible at this stage to put a time limit to it, that depends on a large number of matters that at the moment are simply not knowable. It has begun well, there is some way to go, but I do not think it will go on for a terribly long time.

    QUESTION:

    And the casualties, however light, what is your message to the families who are waiting at home and do not know any more than we do?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Everyone can understand the agony of the people who are waiting at home and I am sorry one cannot give them more precise information. As soon as any information is available we will of course communicate it but it must of course be first to them I think.

    QUESTION:

    Can you give us a flavour of what you were able to say to President Bush or what he was able to say to you?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We simply compared notes on how it had gone so far and how we expected it to develop from now on and I think that is all I can say about that.

  • Mr Major’s Statement from Chequers – 24 February 1991

    Below is Mr Major’s statement from Chequers on Sunday 24th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think as you all know the land battle started at an early time this morning. It is a massive encounter and it will not cease until the Iraqis have been completely driven out of Kuwait. I very much appreciate the diplomatic efforts that have been put in hand over the last few days to try and avoid this particular conflict. But they have failed and they have failed because at no time was the Iraqi leadership prepared to accept the Security Council resolutions in full, at no time were they prepared to do so.

    We have also seen in the last few days that there was neither time nor reason to delay the land battle any longer, no reason because the Security Council resolutions were not going to be met, and no time because of what is now happening in Kuwait city. There are now something over 200 oil wells that have been wantonly set alight on the direct instructions of the Iraqi leadership. That number is rising hour by hour. The Iraqis are engaged upon the systematic destruction of Kuwait city. We have repeated reports of young men and women being rounded up and executed in Kuwait city, murdered perhaps would be a more apt word for what is going on there. And we also have reports of large numbers of Kuwaitis being herded together on trucks and taken out of Kuwait to Iraq, presumably to be used as a bargaining counter in some discussions at the end of the conflict.

    I think it is clear therefore that the nature of the regime with which we are dealing is not a regime whose words you can rely upon or with whom you can deal in the normal manner. The land campaign has therefore begun.

    I spoke at length yesterday afternoon not only to the leaders of a number of members of the allied coalition but also to the Commander of our forces in the Middle East, General de la Billiere. He was confident of what was to come, he was well prepared and assures me that the troops were well prepared. He is also well aware of the risks and the dangers that will need to be overcome in the next few days.

    I know you will not expect me to give you any indication at this early stage of how the conflict is going. I cannot do so, it would not be in the interests of our troops to do so and they of course must be our prime concern. As soon as it is possible to say something more concrete about that then of course we will do so.

    If I may, I would like to add one final word to the families of those men who are engaged in this conflict in the Gulf. It will not, I believe, be a long conflict but it may be a fierce one. There is no doubt in my mind that it is an absolutely justifiable conflict and that we will win it. As soon as that is confirmed we will bring home the men who have been engaged in it at the earliest possible time.

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    [Indistinct] time and time again, we have had quite differing signals from the Iraqis, we simply cannot rely on what they have said. The whole world will have noticed in the last few days the quite distinct voices that came out of Moscow with the negotiations that Tariq Aziz was carrying out there and the speeches that Saddam Hussein was making in Baghdad, they were wholly different. As for the future, that will have to take care of itself.

    QUESTION:

    What were your personal feelings this morning?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I am very sorry that it has come to this. A tremendous amount of effort has gone in over many months by a large number of people to ensure that we did not come to this particular conflict so I am saddened that it has done so. But I must say I am absolutely convinced that there is no choice and that it is right. If the Iraqis were to succeed, if they were to get away with what they have sought to do over the last few months, then I think that would be intolerable not just for Kuwait but for the rest of the world. So I think there is an inevitability about what is happening at the moment and I am absolutely clear in my mind that it will end successfully.

    QUESTION:

    Saddam Hussein has been defiant yet again in his tone, what do you think of his tone that he seems to be continuing with again this morning?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Arrogant, unrealistic, and it must soon dawn even on him that he is going to lose and lose big.

    QUESTION:

    Now that the land war has started, how should Saddam Hussein end it, is it going to be difficult for him merely to make a statement that he intends to withdraw now that the forces are engaged? What signal does he have to give that will allow this war to end?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    There is no sign of him giving any signal at all that it proposes to end, even this morning he has been making wholly unrealistic and wholly defiant and wholly untruthful speeches. So there is no sign from him whatsoever that it is going to end so I am in no position to forecast that. I know what the end will be, the end will be that he will lose, but how that will come about I am afraid it is impossible for me to judge at the moment.

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Comments at Warrenpoint – 22 February 1991

    Below are extracts from Mr Major’s doorstep answers to the media at Warrenpoint on 22nd February 1991, at around 12.30pm.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    “We have been in touch with our allies this morning. We have discussed what the Iraqis have had to say. I have spoken to the President. We have co-ordinated our response to what they have had to say and on behalf of the allies the President will make that public at some stage later this afternoon.”

    [Prime Minister confirmed he had just spoken to President Bush, but couldn’t provide further details]

    “We were discussing what the response should be to the apparent offer that may have been made and that will become apparent later on this afternoon and President Bush will announce it.”

    [Prime Minister asked if British people were prepared for horrors of war]

    “I think the whole world knows that we have done everything we possibly could, by we I mean the allies collectively, firstly to persuade him to withdraw peaceably very shortly after he first invaded in August; there have been repeated options for him to withdraw over the past 5 or 6 months; nothing that could have been done has not been done, that could have persuaded him to withdraw and end this matter peaceably.

    “The responsibility for the conflict is in Iraq and there is absolutely no doubt whatever about that. I believe people are well aware of what has happened in Iraq. They are well aware of the principles which are at stake, although nobody wants a large land conflict, if it is avoidable. They understand very well that it may be necessary if he doesn’t obey the Security Council Resolutions.”

    “It is not a question of conscience on the issue. Everyone has tried to avoid a conflict. Saddam Hussein could have avoided conflict. He could have obeyed the Security Council Resolutions and withdrawn. He still has that option.”