The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1991

  • PMQT Written Answers – 4 December 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 4th December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Live Television Feed

    Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the locations of the television sets in his Department which can receive the live television feed from the Chamber and the total cost to his Department of this service.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 3 December 1991] : The cost of receiving live television feeds from the Chamber to 10 Downing Street is £2,925.

     

    Parliamentary Questions

    Mr. Nellist : To ask the Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to Ministers to ensure that any parliamentary question answered by an agency begins by quoting verbatim the parliamentary question asked.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 2 December 1991] : My right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council recently announced the Government’s proposal that replies from agency chief executives to written parliamentary questions should be published and that he would be pursuing the proposal with the House authorities– Official Report, 27 November, column 558. We hope that new arrangements can be implemented soon and at that point will issue guidance on the arrangements to Departments and agencies. In preparing such guidance, we shall certainly bear in mind the suggestion made by the hon. Member.

  • Mr Major’s Press Conference with Charles Haughey – 4 December 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s joint press conference with the Irish Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, held in Dublin on 4th December 1991.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    It is my pleasure to introduce to you the British Prime Minister and the first thing I want to say is that this is his first visit to Dublin and for that reason he is particularly welcome. We have just had a very useful, constructive, discussion about matters of mutual interest, bilateral, European and international. And it is now my pleasure to introduce John Major, the British Prime Minister, to you.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Taoiseach, thank you very much indeed. Can I just echo what has been said a moment or so ago. We have I think this morning and over luncheon had a very valuable discussion following on the discussion we had at Downing Street earlier in the summer. It has given us a very useful opportunity to exchange views on current developments in the European Community, on other international issues, and of course on a range of bilateral matters including specifically the Anglo-Irish relationship.

    In my view in the past the meetings between the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister perhaps have taken place too rarely. And one matter we have decided upon this morning is that in future we will meet twice a year, alternating those meetings between London and Dublin. And in those meetings we will cover the whole range of issues, bilateral matters, international matters, Community matters and any other events that it seems necessary for us to discuss and I think those will prove to be most useful meetings in the future.

    I believe it is pretty hard to see how we can make progress on the difficult issues before us without more regular contact. And if today’s meeting is anything to go by, I have no doubt that a continuing dialogue will bear fruit in time.

    We both are of the opinion that we need to set an example in this respect, we need to show everyone that democracy is strengthened and not weakened by dialogue and the sooner everyone commits themselves to dialogue rather than violence the sooner we will begin to solve the problems in front of us.

    In our discussions this morning on the Community, the Taoiseach and I have discussed the position on a number of matters likely to arise at the European Council next week, which both of us of course will be attending. We share many similar views on these issues – common foreign and security policy, defence, the social area and powers for the European Parliament are areas where there is a substantial similarity of view between the two governments, not on every dot and comma of the discussions but a broad and welcome similarity.

    Some very useful progress has been made at the meetings in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, but I do not think anybody attending the meeting next week has any doubt that a number of very important issues still remain to be sorted out. We will be doing our best in Maastricht to reach an agreement on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

    We also had a very useful exchange on the Uruguay Round and I emphasised in particular the importance of reaching agreement on that round before the end of this year. This will require flexibility on all sides, by the United States, by the Community, by the Cairns Group, but the prize of being able to liberalise world trade is a very valuable prize for every country in the world.

    The Taoiseach and I also had the opportunity of discussing important aspects of the unique relationship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and following on from our meetings in London and in Luxembourg in the summer, and those other occasions we have been able to meet, on occasions when we have been together at European meetings, we have again stressed today the very great value of close cooperation across a whole range of issues between our two countries. We both welcome that .

    We also in our discussion this morning affirmed yet again our joint unreserved condemnation of terrorist violence, including the tit for tat killings by both Republican and by Loyalist terrorists. And I think the joint message of our discussion this morning is quite simple, quite unequivocal, their campaigns are futile and we are determined that those who commit terrorist crimes should be brought to justice.

    We have agreed this morning to keep under review a whole range of measures on cross-border security cooperation, we have reiterated the importance we attach to the arrangements for ensuring that fugitives are brought to justice, we welcome the very valuable and constructive political talks which took place in Northern Ireland earlier this year and we have reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to do all we can to help with the early launch of fresh talks.

    I believe it has been a very refreshing and a very worthwhile exchange of views. And it is for that reason that I look forward very much to continuing this dialogue both informally and in the formal bilateral contact that I announced a few moments ago. I am sure that is in the interests of both our countries and I know the Taoiseach and I both look forward to it. I think if I may I will leave opening remarks at that.

     

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    QUESTION:

    In relation to Northern Ireland the communique does speak of the need to get fresh talks under way, but it seems to be weak on what you as the heads of two sovereign governments can do in relation to encouraging the parties in the North to get together round the table and indulge in dialogue. What initiative do you propose to take to encourage them to do that?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    That is primarily a matter for Secretary Brooke and Minister Gerry Collins and as you know Secretary Brooke in particular has been making very dedicated efforts to get the process restarted. He has had discussions, particularly with the representative of the Unionists and with the other parties in Northern Ireland and he is personally committed to resuming the process and will make every effort he can. So far as the Prime Minister and myself are concerned, what we can do is lend the weight of our respective authorities to the process and we do in the communique urge everybody concerned to make an effort to get the process under way again and indeed to promote harmony and agreement, not just through the process of the talks but in every other way possible.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think there is no need to add anything to that, I agree with it, I think that says it all.

    QUESTION:

    Prime Minister, how are you hoping to get this dialogue going again before the British general election?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Irrespective of the British General Election, the need for political progress in Northern Ireland remains. We think there is still an opportunity for talks before the election if the basis of them can be agreed. And that, as the Taoiseach has just said, is what Peter Brooke is working for and I hope it will be possible to bring that about. We certainly see no reason for an interregnum between now and the other side of the election, that is just time wasted. The sooner they can start the better.

    QUESTION:

    It seems that other European countries would like you to give something in return for the federal phraseology coming out, do you think you should give something in return and if so what?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have given a great deal, we have given a great deal in the discussions and we put a great deal into the discussions, and a good deal, as you will see when the latest draft of the Treaty is produced, actually incorporates British suggestions. So I think the suggestion that because on a particular issue there has been movement that there needs to be reciprocal horse-trading of that rather blunt kind is not something I accept.

    There are a whole range of issues that need to be determined by agreement, the political union treaty goes ahead by the agreement of all Twelve, and we have to reach agreement and respect the areas of particular concern to individual countries. A number of countries have reservations about different aspects of the treaty. The Community, to be successful, will have to respect those and reach an agreed position wherever that is possible.

    I have made it clear from the beginning of these negotiations I want an agreement in Europe, but I cannot have any agreement, it has got to be an agreement that I think is in the interests both of the United Kingdom and of Europe and if I can get an agreement on that I will be very pleased and I will come back, I will place that agreement before Parliament and I will fight very hard for it. But that does mean that there will need to be movement from the situation as it has been over the last few days.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I do not take at all lightly the views of people who have to face terrorist activities from whatever community they come from and whether they are in Northern Ireland or whether they are in the United Kingdom itself, in the mainland of the United Kingdom, it is very serious. It is because of the concern that we have about security matters that we have taken so much action over recent years to try and end it, it is for that reason that Peter Brooke is engaged perpetually in trying to bring talks about and political development about. It is for that reason that he and Gerry Collins meet regularly and the inter-governmental conference meets every six weeks. It is for that reason the Taoiseach and I have begun a series of dialogues.

    What we are concerned about is to stop the circumstances in which some people think they have a right for an aggrievance they feel to murder other people and to blow them to pieces, that is not acceptable. That is what we are here talking about to stop and will go on talking about it and seeing what we can do stop it. And when we catch the people who do that they must face the requisite punishment.

    So I feel very strongly about it and I want to see that violence brought to an end. That is the Taoiseach’s view too, that is why we are talking.

    QUESTION:

    Do you recall a similar commitment back in 1980, it did not happen, can I ask both of you why you think it is actually going to become a reality now, eleven years later?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I left office shortly after that, but I am back in office now.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    And I am not proposing to leave office.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I think you can take it we are both firmly committed to this, it make common sense. No two countries in Europe have more interests in common today, we have a shared history, not all of which is to our mutual benefit, but certainly today we are partners in the Anglo-Irish Agreement, we are members of the European Community together, and the two countries have at personal, social, economic level enormous ties. So it makes sense that we should meet regularly and discuss matters of mutual bilateral interest, but also matters of European interest and international matters.

    QUESTION:

    Mr Haughey, the Irish Times says you have a new initiative on Northern Ireland, can you tell us what it is?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I am not responsible for what the Irish Times publishes.

    QUESTION:

    Do you have a new initiative on Northern Ireland?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    We have agreed, the Prime Minister and myself, to meet regularly to discuss all aspects of Anglo-Irish relations, including political progress in Northern Ireland.

    QUESTION:

    Do you regard the Anglo-Irish Agreement as merely a foundation which should be built upon?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Yes, certainly.

    QUESTION:

    In what way would you like it built upon?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I would like to see, and the British Prime Minister agrees with this, that we should extend it to have other Ministers present, and as your communique in front of you says, we would see the advent of the Single Market next year as offering a wide range of opportunities for greater north-south cooperation in areas like energy, agriculture, tourism and so on. So the inter-governmental conference could play a part in encouraging that sort of cooperation.

    QUESTION:

    Could I ask you a little bit more about your hopes for the Maastricht summit, where do you stand now, is the issue of federalism off the table, do you think you have achieved something on that and at what cost?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    As far as I was concerned the issue of federalism was never on the table, a federal destiny is not our view of the European Community, we have made that perfectly clear right from the start. As to where I stand across the whole range of issues, I invite you, Neil, to read the speech I made in the House of Commons last week, very comprehensive, very clear and has not changed.

    QUESTION:

    You say that you are rejecting any kind of horse-trading; you also say you want to see further movement before the treaty is acceptable to you. Does that mean that you are now less optimistic of a settlement?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    It was always going to be the case from the very beginning that many of the things that I hope will form part of the final settlement at Maastricht would not be agreed until the Heads of Government got round the table. Until everything is agreed, a great deal will not be agreed. That has always been the position.

    What I said a moment ago about horse-trading is that it is a very simplistic way to conduct negotiations to say: “If you happen to make a concession here, there must be a corresponding concession there!” That is not the way to conduct extremely complex negotiations of this sort where national interests are at stake across a whole range of issues.

    We must take the negotiations in the round. We must look at them and then we must make a decision when the negotiations are completed as to whether the whole package collectively is in the interests of Europe and in the interests of the United Kingdom.

    Let me make one further point: there is no single country in the European Community who at the end of Tuesday if we reach an agreement will be absolutely satisfied with every aspect of that agreement. All of them will not be. All of them will have something in that agreement that they for preference would not have had and we will all have to make adjustments: is the balance of the package right and is it a package that we can go back and present to our individual domestic parliaments as a package we should sign up to? That is what we have to consider, looking at the whole thing collectively.

    QUESTION:

    Are you more or less optimistic that that can be achieved?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I don’t know yet whether it can be achieved. I have set out what I believe needs to be done in the House of Commons. As to whether it can be achieved, I will know that when we have the discussions at Maastricht – I can’t make judgements of that in advance.

    What I have said consistently is that it is in the interests of Europe to get an agreement. That is not just my view; that is the view of every Minister who will actually be at the Maastricht Summit. With that collective will, I would hope we can reach agreement.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I can confirm that the Prime Minister in my conversation with him is quite clear that he wants an agreement in Maastricht and so do I – there is no doubt about that.

    QUESTION:

    Could I ask you a question based on the communique? Since believing things to be full of sweetness and light, what did you disagree about?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    That is a new definition of optimism!

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Unfortunately, Prime Minister, this man was here with us in Dublin for a long time and then he went over to London and he learned these bad habits.

    We don’t agree on everything. We have different priorities going to Maastricht naturally. We in Ireland, a small peripheral country, have our own priorities and the things that we will be looking for but, as the Prime Minister pointed out, when agreement is reached, as we hope it will be, there will be things that we will not be all that enamoured about but by and large we hope that the overall balance of the agreement will be to everybody’s advantage.

    QUESTION:

    Do you agree on defence and the social charter?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Not fully, not totally.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    There are very substantial areas of agreement in both those areas but I don’t think when one runs down the Community that you find any two countries who would wholly and absolutely agree on each part of every aspect of that. There is a broad measure of agreement and of objective in many of those areas but it would be very difficult to say one agreed with every dot and comma and think that is true even of those countries who traditionally have been closer together on individual issues.

    QUESTION:

    Mr. Haughey, did you get a legal binding commitment by the richer countries to increase the structural funds for poorer countries from Mr. Major?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    It is not in my gift.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    It is not in his gift.

    QUESTION:

    [Indistinct] the richer countries are opposed to binding legal agreements to increase structural funds [Indistinct] you are all in favour of political statements [Indistinct].

    MR HAUGHEY:

    The shorthand we use there is “economic and social cohesion” and so far we have been able to have inserted in the treaty language a number of important principles which acknowledge the importance of economic and social cohesion and that certain steps must be taken in regard to it.

    In the Maastricht discussions and negotiations, we will be looking for firmer guarantees as to the future of the implementation of the principles of economic and social cohesion but just as everything else, there is still a great deal of negotiation to take place.

    QUESTION:

    What was Mr. Major’s view on the commitment to binding [Inaudible].

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Well I will answer for him on that one.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I might say a word myself too!

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Because he knows that this is a matter of great importance and significance to Ireland, he will be as favourably disposed as possible! [Laughter]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Perhaps I might add a word to that [Laughter]. We need to examine the details of what it means, how it would work and what can be done. I am perfectly content for us to look at the general principle of cohesion – I think it is quite wise for us to do so – and I am perfectly content for us to agree at the Summit the areas that we should actually look at but these are decisions that will affect not just beneficiary countries, not just the relatively rich countries, but all the countries of the Community.

    We do actually need some solid facts, some solid research, some solid background. We need to know what it affects and how it affects and in what time-scale and to what degree. None of that is yet clear and it is for that reason that you can’t make binding agreements.

    What I am perfectly prepared to say is that I understand the concern that is felt in Ireland about that. I understand that very clearly and other countries have the same feeling and I think it is right for us to examine the matter and make it clear that we will examine it but we cannot reach conclusions on it until that examination is over, not in advance of that examination.

    If one wants to get the wrong answer not just for one country but for every country, then you start making commitments without having examined what those commitments might mean and for that reason I think we have to take this measure in detail when we have that information before us and when we have to discuss all the financial perspectives.

    QUESTION:

    Can I ask you please for your comments on the latest French proposal on this that if there isn’t agreement by 1996, then the whole thing will go to majority voting by 1998?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I haven’t seen the text of anything the French may have produced. A new proposal on one or other aspect of the treaty emerges out of every 15 seconds at the moment from somewhere or other. I haven’t seen it.

    But nothing can change the position that I have set out before on economic and monetary union and that is the position that the British Government and the British Parliament will want to decide upon at the time Stage 3 looms and be able to decide on that without commitment at that time. That means we need to know not just when but whether we go into Stage 3 at that stage. No new commitments can change that.

    At first blush, the French proposal is not attractive; I have not myself examined it, but in any event, even if people decided they would go forward by qualified majority vote, no qualified majority vote could take the British Parliament and the British Government into economic and monetary union unless the British Government and the British Parliament wished to go into it.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    Our position is that we are different from Great Britain in that regard and again, that is because as a small peripheral country we have a different set of priorities. We are wholeheartedly in favour of economic and monetary union because we believe that it is in this way that we can best secure our economic future.

    We have been negotiating for 12 months on the details of economic and monetary union and so far we don’t feel that at the end of the day we will have any particular difficulty with what will emerge.

    QUESTION:

    In view of the recent [Indistinct] in London, will you use that time [Indistinct] to assess the success or otherwise of Mr. Brooke’s initiative and decide on whether or not [Indistinct].

    MR HAUGHEY:

    The Brooke initiative or the Brooke talks are ongoing and of course there will be intergovernmental conferences to assess progress in that regard. Our bilateral, twice-annual meetings will be of a much wider scope; they will naturally review progress made in regard to Secretary Brooke’s initiative or any other matters in Northern Ireland but they will also range over the totality of relationships between the two countries.

    QUESTION:

    Will you have to [Indistinct] from both governments working to prepare for that first bilateral meeting?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    That is the normal process, yes.

    QUESTION:

    Can the European Community tackle the problem of Northern Ireland? Does it have the scope for that? Recently, the European Office in Brussels referred to [Inaudible].

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I wouldn’t see the Community becoming involved in anything purely political but I do see the whole evolution of the Community as having an enormous impact on the affairs of Northern Ireland and indeed the whole island of Ireland. In particular, the advent of the single market, for instance, is bound to have major beneficial repercussions on the possibilities for economic cooperation between the two parts of Ireland and I also believe that as Europe moves closer to real union – to economic, monetary and political union – that that general movement will have a beneficial effect on the community relationships in Northern Ireland. If all the people in Europe, particularly the nations of Europe who in the past have been enemies and gone to war with each other, can now sink their differences in a new exciting and forward-looking European union, surely that must have a message for all the people in Ireland and particularly in Northern Ireland?

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    No.

    QUESTION:

    Taoiseach, one question. How is it compatible that you are asking in Maastricht for more political union but you are not prepared to accept that the EC be involved in political involvement in the case of Northern Ireland?

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I was asked about the European Community getting involved politically in Northern Ireland. I don’t think there is any possibility of that no more than the Community will be involved in political affairs in Dublin.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Common foreign policy is for the Community to collectively use its weight externally – that is what it does very successfully.

    MR HAUGHEY:

    I don’t see what the contradiction is.

    QUESTION:

    You stressed the importance of dialogue and [Indistinct] in Northern Ireland. Is it in any way a message also [Indistinct].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    The prospect of getting together and talking about the difficulties that people face seems to me the only rational way to move towards areas of agreement. I believe in that prospect and want to reach agreement and I think a proper dialogue which enables a better understanding of the positions of people who may be quite sharply opposed on some things is the only credible and rational way to proceed so I do want to see such a dialogue.

    I have watched with admiration the way in which Peter Brooke has brought together parties to talk – I think it it wholly admirable – and I think that principle is one that bears very wide application.

    QUESTION:

    The Deputy of the [Indistinct] Peter Robinson said recently that the Union no longer existed in any recognisable form and that Britain was in fact slowly pushing Northern Ireland out of the Union. Would the Prime Minister like to comment on that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I didn’t see the comment and I didn’t see the context in which the comment was made but the British position has been perfectly clear for many years and it hasn’t changed.

    QUESTION:

    Prime Minister, can I ask you a question about security? The communique talks about the two governments building on a high level of security cooperation. One of your MPs, Ken Hinds, in Dublin with the British-Irish Parliamentary Group, did express reservations about cross-border security and suggested that failures on the southern side were costing lives in the north.

    What have you got to say about that?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    There is good cooperation between the security forces and I welcome that but we do know that the terrorists do try and exploit the border – we have seen that over many years – and what we want to see is whether more can be done to deny them that resource but I do not believe that elaborating upon that would be at all useful.

    QUESTION:

    Mr Major, the Unionists argue that you will have to restart these talks from scratch. Do you think that you should go back to the drawing board? What is your attitude to it?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    My attitude is that I wish to see the talks restarted. I want to see Strand 1 restarted. That is what we are working for. The sooner we can get that done the better and I think often it is better to stick to those propositions and make sure we get the talks started. That is the most important thing for us – by “us” I mean the British Government, the Irish Government – and for all the communities in Northern Ireland and that is the direction in which we are working.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible but would Mr. Major consider personally asking the political parties in Northern Ireland to come and see him if there were a breakdown of the talks so that they could be restarted]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think everybody knows – and if they didn’t know they have certainly known from what we have put in the communique and what I have said today – that we actually want those talks to recommence. That is a general message.

  • Mr Major’s Meeting with Charles Haughey – 4 December 1991

    Below is the summary of the meeting between John Major and the Irish Taoiseach, Charles Haughey. The meeting was held at the Government Buildings in Dublin on 4th December 1991.

     

    1. The Taoiseach and Prime Minister met in Government Buildings in Dublin on Wednesday 4th December 1991. They discussed a range of issues including the negotiations, within the European Community, to prepare for the forthcoming European Council at Maastricht, and issues in Anglo-Irish and International relations.

    2. The Taosieach was accompanied at the meeting by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Gerard Collins TD and the Minister for Finance, Mr Bertie Ahern TD. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Rt. Hon Peter Brooke MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Mr Tristan Garel-Jones MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with particular responsibility for European Community affairs.

    EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

    3. The Taoiseach and Prime Minister were in agreement as to the benefits of membership of the Community for Ireland and Britain, both economically and in their international relations. They will work for a successful outcome of the European Council in Maastricht next week and for agreement on a Treaty on European Union. Among the matters discussed in this context were issues in relation to economic and monetary union, the development of a common foreign and security policy, European Parliament, cohesion, social policy, competence and majority voting.

    NORTHERN IRELAND

    4. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister had a full discussion of current issues in Anglo-Irish relations, with particular reference to Northern Ireland. They confirmed the unique character of the relations between the two islands, and affirmed the intention of both Governments to continue developing closer mutual understanding and cooperation, in line with the intensive human contacts between the two peoples, the importance to both countries of their economic links, their role as partners in the Anglo-Irish Agreement and their common membership of the European Community.

    5. They re-affirmed their determination to do everything possible to promote agreement and reconciliation and their support for a process of political dialogue. They appealed to all parties concerned to continue the search for a solution which would address relationships within Northern Ireland, within the island of Ireland and between the peoples of these islands. They expressed the determination of both Governments that efforts to help find a solution would be fully commensurate with the gravity and complexity of the problem and reaffirmed their commitment to do everything possible to ensure that agreement is reached on fresh political talks addressing these three relationships.

    6. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister had an exchange of views on the current security situation in Northern Ireland with particular reference to the recent escalation in the level of violence and in sectarian murders. They reiterated their condemnation of violence and emphasised the appalling human suffering and the unemployment and social and economic damage it causes. They re-affirmed the commitment of their Governments to build on the high level of security co-operation already existing and ensure by all lawful means that those who resort to terrorism will not succeed.

    7. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister discussed a range of bilateral economic issues. They are conscious of the opportunities and challenges which will open up for both countries and both parts of Ireland with the removal of economic barriers throughout the Community, and progress towards European Union. They underlined the potential for North/South cooperation in areas such as services, energy, trade, tourism, health, agriculture, planning and transport and other infrastructure.

    8. The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister agreed that the special nature and depth of the Anglo-Irish relationship make it desirable for Heads of Government to meet regularly. They have found their meetings in London and Dublin very valuable. with this in mind, they have decided to hold half-yearly meetings alternately in London and Dublin at which they would review progress in all aspects of relations.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 3 December 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 3rd December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Visual Handicap

    Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the Royal National Institute for the Blind survey on blind and partially sighted adults in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : I wrote to the director general, Ian Bruce, congratulating the RNIB on the report which I believe will be a useful resource to agencies in the statutory and voluntary sectors in planning and developing services.

     

    Unfair Competition

    Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make it his policy to ensure that there is a level playing field in business and commerce, including the retail sector, and that observance of the law does not lead directly to a commercial penalty for law-abiding companies.

    The Prime Minister : Law enforcement authorities required to act in the public interest are themselves responsible–not the Government–for determining what action is most appropriate and effective to uphold the law.

    Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make it his policy to protect small and family businesses in the retail trade from unfair competition.

    The Prime Minister : Businesses of all sizes and in all trades are protected from unfair competition by the Fair Trading Act 1973 and the Competition Act 1980. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Director General of Fair Trading, in conjunction with the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, ensure the effective application of the Acts.

     

    Upholding the Law

    Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it the Government’s policy to ensure that the law is upheld consistently by all Departments of state and agencies and organisations responsible to them.

    The Prime Minister : All Departments of state and agencies and organisations responsible to them are aware of the need to uphold the law. In the case of law enforcement authorities required to act in the public interest, it is the responsibility of those authorities–not the Government–to determine what action is most appropriate and effective to uphold the law.

     

    Clearance Procedures

    Dr. David Clark : To ask the Prime Minister which grades of civil servants require clearance before taking up posts with outside organisations and companies; what are the procedures involved for such a clearance; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : All civil servants at grade 3 or above must obtain approval before taking any form of outside employment within two years of leaving Crown employment, unless it is unpaid employment in a non-commercial organisation.

    The circumstances in which other civil servants must seek approval before taking up outside employment and the detailed procedures for dealing with applications, including the role of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, are set out in the rules on the acceptance of appointments by Crown servants. These are included in the 1989 statistical report “Acceptance of Outside Appointments by Crown Servants”, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

  • PMQT – 3 December 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 3rd December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

    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 be having further meetings later today.

    Mr. Carrington : Is my right hon. Friend aware that in my constituency Labour-controlled Hammersmith and Fulham council keeps many of its council houses and flats empty? Does he agree that the most effective action that could be taken to end homelessness would be if Labour-controlled London councils brought back into use the many thousands of empty homes under their control?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend makes a valid point and I share his concern about homelessness. For that reason, we are spending more than £100 million over the next three years to provide accommodation for young single people. The Government’s initiatives on rough sleeping are having a marked effect on the problem in London.

    Mr. Hattersley : Is the Prime Minister aware that doctors working in the health service have said today that his promise to cut waiting lists to two years can be achieved only if desperately ill patients sacrifice their beds to less serious cases who have waited longer? Is he prepared to sanction such manipulation of waiting lists?

    The Prime Minister : I have not seen that comment by doctors, but I assure the right hon. Gentleman that that is not the situation. Long waiting lists are falling fast. Since March 1990, the number of patients waiting more than two years has come down by 47 per cent.–a substantial reduction–and the number waiting longer than one year has reduced by a quarter.

    Mr. Hattersley : During the day, doctors from Nottingham University hospital and Chase Farm hospital Enfield have said that they can meet the target only if seriously ill patients are sacrificed. Is the Prime Minister prepared to abandon the target or the seriously ill patients?

    The Prime Minister : There is no question of abandoning the seriously ill patients. For that reason, we have expanded expenditure on the health service, increased the number of medical staff and introduced initiatives to cut waiting lists. All those are practical methods, all of them are working, and all of them are delivering better health care and will deliver faster health care.

    Mr. Hattersley : The Prime Minister’s wilful refusal to answer a specific question demonstrates the underlying truth of the Government’s health service policy : they are interested in public relations, not patient care. No wonder the people of this country know that the health service is not safe in their hands.

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is talking nonsense on stilts, and he knows it.

    Mr. McAllion : Is the Prime Minister aware of the survey published yesterday by the housing charity, Shelter, which revealed that on every working day in Scotland last year 84 children became homeless because the Government had failed to invest enough in decent, affordable rented housing? Is he not ashamed that so many children have been thrown on to the streets of Scotland while he has been Prime Minister? Will he now do something about it by calling a general election and making way for a Labour Government committed to ridding this country of the Tory scourge of homelessness?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman would do well to recall that the policies of so many Labour authorities leaving properties empty and voids untreated which significantly adds to the level of homelessness; until those Labour authorities operate properly with their housing resources, they will not make inroads into the housing problem.

    Several Hon. Members rose–

    Mr. Speaker : Order. I inadvertently called two hon. Members from the same side.

     

    Q2. Mr. Franks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Franks : Will the Prime Minister state clearly and concisely that, irrespective of the place or the audience or the day of the week, he has but one policy for the fourth Trident submarine–to build it, equip it and send it to sea armed for the nation’s defence? Will he find time to read recent Official Reports of debates and questions in the House where he will find “We will build a boat”, “We won’t build a boat” and “We will build a boat but it will have no weapons”, all of which is official Labour party policy?

    The Prime Minister : I am happy to confirm the Government’s commitment to Trident, as so frequently set out in this House. As my hon. Friend makes clear, there is no comparable commitment from the Opposition, whose polices on defence vary from day to day.

     

    Q4. Mr. Cran : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Cran : Is my right hon. Friend aware that a senior Japanese industrialist has made it clear that if the European Community adopts the social action programme it will be committing industrial suicide? That being so, will my right hon. Friend give the House a commitment that he will not give way on that in the discussions next week? Does he also agree that the European Community should be an evolutionary community, not a revolutionary one?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right to say that we live in an increasingly competitive environment and that much in the social action programme would damage that competitiveness within the European Community– to the interests of the Japanese, the United States and our other competitors. I confirm to my hon. Friend that I am not prepared to see our competitiveness lost in that manner.

    Mr. Wallace : I congratulate the Prime Minister on the fact that at long last common sense prevailed and he was prepared to meet the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Can he give any indication of whether at that meeting he expressed the British Government’s support for the United Nations human rights sub-commission report in relation to the expressions of concern about the violations of human rights in Tibet, and what proposals did he make to help the many thousands who have been refugees from Tibet in the past 30 years?

    The Prime Minister : The substantive part of my discussion with the Dalai Lama was specifically concerned with human rights–most notably, though not exclusively, in Tibet. We discussed the present situation and the representations that we had made to the People’s Republic of China, and I reaffirmed the fact that I would continue to make such representations.

     

    Q4. Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Bottomley : As this is “Youth and Parliament” day, led by the British Youth Council, would my right hon. Friend recognise the importance of investing in the young, overcoming unnecessary disadvantages such as handicap, and giving them the opportunity to contribute fully to a better future for the country?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend. Perhaps the most striking expression of the changed opportunities for young people is the increasing number now going into higher education. In 1979 it was one in eight–today it is one in four, and in the future, under the plans now projected, it will be an even higher percentage.

    Mr. Vaz : Will the Prime Minister reflect on the continued hardship and anxiety facing depositors, creditors and former members of staff of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International? Will he join me today in thanking the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi for his recent proposals which form part of the crucial negotiations that are taking place? Will he for the first time publicly endorse those negotiations and wish them well? Will he ensure that his Ministers are actively involved in getting the best possible settlement for those who have suffered and who are the real victims of this awful tragedy?

    The Prime Minister : We have repeatedly made it clear that we wish depositors to get back as much of their money as possible. I am pleased with the improvements evident from the negotiations that have taken place. As the hon. Gentleman will know, the recent adjournment is to allow the provisional liquidator to formalise details of the compensation package that he has been negotiating with the Government of Abu Dhabi. That is proceeding and I welcome it. I hope that it will reach a satisfactory conclusion and remove the substantial problem that it has laid over the lives of so many former customers of that bank.

     

    Q5. Mr. Speller : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Speller : On our way to the single market, is it not time to give a healthy nudge to the metrication programme so as to enable our manufacturers and exporters to compete more fairly with our continental rivals?

    The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend knows, there will be a similar system by the end of 1994, which I believe will bring substantial advantages for industry.

    Mr. Enright : Will the Prime Minister explain what attitude he intends to take at Maastricht to co-operation on development issues, and what practical result that will have?

    The Prime Minister : We are content to develop on a co-operative basis a whole range of policies. Where we often have great difficulty with Community proposals is when co-operation is replaced not by agreement but by majority voting on issues of concern to us.

     

    Q6. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Evennett : Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating the Secretary of State for Education and Science on devising tests for seven-year-olds which go back to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic? Will he further commend the Secretary of State for pushing on with the tests, despite the opposition of the National Union of Teachers, the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats? The parents of this country will welcome those tests most warmly.

    The Prime Minister : I believe that my hon. Friend is right. We are concerned primarily about the quality of education and for that reason I very much welcome the tests. Testing is a crucial part of ensuring that we know what quality of education our young people are achieving, so that if a satisfactory level is not reached, appropriate action can be taken.

    Mr. James Lamond : Is the Prime Minister fully aware of the importance for many industries in this country, including the textile industry, of a successful outcome of the GATT negotiations? Is he aware that the negotiations have been going on for five years, that we must have a replacement for the multi-fibre arrangement that will enable our textiles to penetrate the markets of countries which do not allow any textiles in and those with tariffs of 200 per cent., and that even the United States has a tariff of 36 per cent. on British wool cloth? Unless those tariffs are diminished our textile industry will have a tough time, and more jobs will be lost.

    The Prime Minister : I share the hon. Gentleman’s view of the importance of GATT and of all aspects of the negotiations. In recent weeks, I have had the opportunity of discussing the matter not only in the United States but with a number of colleagues in the European Community. It is clear that both sides will have to make concessions to reach a satisfactory GATT conclusion. It is to be hoped that that will happen before the end of the year.

     

    Q7. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Greenway : Bearing in mind Britain’s good marine conservation record, will my right hon. Friend join some of us in the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, with a view to saving thousands of whales and dolphins from drift nets, from so-called scientific whaling and from industrial pollution? I have a form here, it will cost my right hon. Friend £5 or £10 to join, and I invite him to do so.

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend makes me an irresistible offer. I have much sympathy with the aims that he set out. The Government have taken a strong lead in international forums to restrict the use of drift nets and to increase the safeguards for whales.

    Mrs. Margaret Ewing : In the context of the Prime Minister’s duties in the House, will he advise us whether he will stay to listen to the statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland? Is the Prime Minister aware that the allocation of trust status to hospitals in Scotland is against the general and political will of the people there? Will he therefore spell out what he decides is democracy in Scotland? It seems that the Secretary of State for Scotland is to ride roughshod over the views of elected members at district, regional and parliamentary level.

    The Prime Minister : I shall not be present for the statement because I have a series of meetings with hon. Members immediately after Question Time.

     

    Q8. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 December.

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

    Mr. Bruce : Does my right hon. Friend agree that many people who choose to work more than 48 hours per week, and who thereby earn overtime and give greater security to their families, would be most upset if an edict from Brussels took the right to work such overtime away from them, especially as hon. Members would be excluded from the rules, as would the bureaucrats in Europe and all managers and executives?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend on that point. It goes wider than just the position of individuals, important though that is. It also covers the competitiveness of British industry and commerce, a point to which I referred some moments ago. If we were to have to suffer all the rigours of the directive to which my hon. Friend refers, it would cost employers substantial sums–billions of pounds–in the next year.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 2 December 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 2nd December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Irish Republic (Legislation)

    Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Prime Minister of the 32 applications by the United Kingdom under the Irish Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976, referred to in his written answer of Monday 11 November, Official Report, column 352, how many cases have been prosecuted in the Irish Republic for offences committed in the United Kingdom; and with what results.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General gave to him on 19 December 1988 at column 94, and to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North, (Mr. McNamara) on 14 May 1990 at column 280. These answers give information about the outcome of cases prosecuted in the Irish Republic following the 31 applications (and not 32 as stated on Monday 11 November at column 352 ) made by the United Kingdom authorities.

     

    Child Care

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will arrange to circulate to other departmental parliamentary clerks a summary of the papers and index on child care made available to European Standing Committee B as a good example of content and presentation.

    The Prime Minister : I am glad that my hon. Friend regarded those papers as a good example of content and presentation. I do not propose to circulate the documents to other Departments, but I am sure that they will have noted my hon. Friend’s comment.

     

    National Lottery

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister what study has been made of a national lottery; and what consideration has been given to the objectives of a scheme and objections to it.

    The Prime Minister : The Rothschild Royal Commission on Gambling, which reported in 1978, studied the matter in detail and recommended that there should be a single national lottery for good causes. A number of organisations have since undertaken studies of the merits of a national lottery, and the Government have kept the matter under review.

    The objective most frequently suggested for a national lottery is to raise money for good causes.

    Among the many other factors which have to be considered are the implications for gambling and the revenue raised, the impact on existing local charitable lotteries and charitable giving generally, and the use of the proceeds.

     

    Disability

    Mr. Meacher : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his answer, 19 November, Official Report, column 95 what is the total number of whole-time employees employed by the six departments and agencies which exceeded a 3 per cent. level of staff registered as disabled; and what percentage this is of total employees of all departments and agencies.

    The Prime Minister : The total number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the six departments and agencies is 57,400. This is 10.4 per cent. of all full-time equivalent staff in the home civil service.

     

    Sterling (German Support)

    Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister what understandings he reached with the German Chancellor about German support of the £ sterling.

    The Prime Minister : It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose details of intervention in the foreign exchange markets.

     

    British Youth Council

    Mrs. Currie : To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to meet representatives of the British Youth Council to discuss a range of issues of concern to young people in the United Kingdom.

    The Prime Minister : I am well aware of the valuable work of the British Youth Council (BYC) in representing our young people, but I have no immediate plans for a meeting. I understand, however, that a meeting is shortly to be arranged between my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and representatives of the BYC to discuss youth issues which fall within the responsibilities of the Department of Education and Science.

     

    Welsh Research Organisations

    Mr. Morgan : To ask the Prime Minister when the mid-Wales meeting of research organisations in Wales, to be convened by the Cabinet Office, in the autumn of 1991 to encourage greater participation in collaborative projects under the aegis of European Community framework funds for research and development, that was referred to in his letter to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West in August 1991, will take place; how many organisations have been invited to attend; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : The event that I referred to in my letter of 1 August took place in Rossett, Clwyd on 15 November. This seminar was organised by the Mid Wales Export Association Ltd., with sponsorship from the Welsh Office. It included speakers from the Cabinet Office, various directorates of the European Commission, and Welsh businesses. The seminar provided up-to-date information on current and future developments in ECR and D funding for representatives of businesses and research organisations. Thirty-two companies and research organisations took part in the seminar.

     

    Special Financial Allowance

    Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the public duties undertaken by former Prime Ministers for which the special financial allowance is provided.

    The Prime Minister : The allowance that I announced on 27 March is available to former Prime Ministers to assist them with the heavy office and secretarial expenses they incur in handling correspondence and engagements as a result of their special position in public life.

     

    Sunday Trading

    Mr. Michael : To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons he decided not to introduce legislation in the current session to provide a new legal framework for the regulation of Sunday trading.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Preston (Mrs. Wise) on 28 November at column 1066 and the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office, on 27 November at column 919.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 29 November 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 29th November 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Classless Society

    Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those measures brought in since December 1990 which are aimed at bringing about a classless society.

    The Prime Minister : Government policies are designed to improve society by the removal of barriers to choice and by the provision of opportunity.

    A key element in our approach is the citizen’s charter, which is intended to ensure that everyone, whoever and wherever they are, will have access to the same high-quality public services. This approach is reflected in our legislative programme and other measures that we are taking.

    Our education policies will raise standards and improve parental choice. We have introduced legislation to provide parents with more information about the performance of schools; to improve school inspection; to widen access to an expanded higher education system; to abolish the distinction between universities and polytechnics; and to raise the status of vocational education and of further education colleges.

    Our health policies are designed to achieve a more efficient health service with higher quality of health care for all, underpinned by a new approach of setting targets for the improvement of health in key areas, as proposed in the recent consultative document “The Health of the Nation” and its Scottish and Welsh equivalents. Legislation has been introduced this Session aimed at improving the standards of local government services with increased powers for local authority auditors and provision to extend competition to a wider range of services.

    In the housing field we have introduced pilot rent-to-mortgage schemes to extend tenants’ present opportunities to buy their own homes. We are preparing a revised tenants charter for local authority tenants and a new right to repair. We have brought in new arrangements to ensure that tenants are actively consulted in local authorities’ housing plans.

    We are providing more effective training opportunities and better help for the unemployed in obtaining new jobs. Our policies continue to provide strong support for people in the inner cities, and the new initiative of city challenge announced earlier this year gives the whole community an opportunity to bring imaginative and innovative approaches to regenerating their cities.

    We attach particular significance to support for families through the provision of increased child benefit, and the establishment of the Child Support Agency, for which legislation was introduced and enacted earlier this year, to improve the enforcement and collection of child maintenance. We are continuing to improve the opportunities for disabled people to play an independent part in society. This year we enacted legislation to introduce two new social security benefits for disabled people.

    We have taken steps, through support of Opportunity 2000 and in other ways, to increase opportunities for women and people from the ethnic minorities to play their full part in public and national life.

    These policies, and many others, will contribute to the development of a society with fewer divisions, in which talent and initiatives are rewarded.

     

    Members’ Letters

    Mr. Onslow : To ask the Prime Minister what is his normal practice for dealing with mail addressed to him by right hon. and hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : I receive an enormous number of letters every week–currently some 5,000–from Members of Parliament and others. It is not possible for me to deal with all these letters personally and I must accordingly refer most of them to the Minister and the Department with the responsibility for the policy in question.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 28 November 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 28th November 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Referendums

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions since 1979 on which Government policy on the desirability of a referendum has been expressed by the Prime Minister in an official capacity ; and on which subjects in each case.

    The Prime Minister : In Parliament I have expressed Government policy on a referendum on the subject of European integration. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) has commented in Parliament on a referendum in relation to : closed shop; rate increases; capital punishment; restoring a Parliament and Government at Stormont; all national disputes affecting 1,000-plus workers; the future and land reform for the Falkland islanders; devolution in Scotland; and the community charge.

     

    Data Information Systems

    Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister what data information systems Her Majesty’s Government have (a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to the police national computer; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : The development and installation of data information systems is the responsibility of Ministers in charge of individual Departments. Any linkage of data between information systems is subject to legislation or specific agreement between the Ministers concerned and to the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

    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 this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

     

    Non-ministerial Public Bodies

    Mr. Morgan : To ask the Prime Minister what guidelines govern the holding of office as chairman or vice-chairman of a non-ministerial public body and at the same time holding a similar role or office in any political party.

    The Prime Minister : Members of public boards, including chairmen and vice-chairmen, should not serve as officers carrying out executive duties in any political party.

     

    Animal Welfare

    Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received in favour of an animal protection commission to co-ordinate Government policy in respect of animal welfare and enforcement of laws against cruelty to animals; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : Ministers have received a number of letters proposing the setting up of a small Government Department or commission with responsibility for all aspects of animal welfare. I am satisfied that the Government’s responsibilities for matters affecting animals, which involves a number of different Government Departments, is effectively carried out and that the laws relating to the welfare and protection of animals are enforced satisfactorily.

  • PMQT – 28 November 1991

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

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

    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. Field : I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the anniversary of his Prime Ministership. May I remind him that inflation has come down from 10.9 to 3.7 per cent., that interest rates have been cut by 4.5 percentage points and that we have the lowest level of inflation for 25 years–below that of west Germany. Is not that in marked contrast to the events of 25 years ago this very day, as reported by The Times, when the then Economic Affairs Minister warned the Confederation of British Industry that if it breached the inflation-wage restraint, there would be a prices and incomes policy? It brought the worst economic turmoil that this country had seen since the industrial revolution. Will my right hon. Friend set out his policy for 1992– [Interruption.] –so that I can congratulate him on his anniversary again next year, when he will still be Prime Minister?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. He is right about the success of the anti-inflationary policy. It is absolutely imperative that we get inflation down to the lowest level and keep it there, for most of our future prospects depend on that being the case. Happily, we are making excellent progress on inflation. It has come down and we shall ensure that it stays down.

    Mr. Kinnock : Is the Prime Minister aware that in the past 12 months, because of his policies, 768,000 people have lost their jobs, 100,000 people have lost their homes and 45,000 companies have gone bankrupt? How does he square that record with his promise a year ago today to build a country at ease with itself?

    The Prime Minister : If the right hon. Gentleman examines completely what has happened during the past year with that objective in mind, he will find that not only have we cut inflation, as I have just said, but we have cut interest rates. We have given Britain the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe. We have successfully come through a war. We have successfully produced a new initiative for the Kurds which has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. We have introduced the largest debt relief package anywhere at any stage and we have made changes in both domestic and overseas policies which command the wide respect of people throughout the country.

    Mr. Kinnock : Is not it clear that everyone knows that the Prime Minister has reduced inflation only by creating a deep and lasting recession? The right hon. Gentleman has lost more jobs, more businesses and more homes than any Prime Minister in modern history. He truly will be known as the Prime Minister of evictions, unemployment and bankruptcies and that is why, as soon as the people get the chance at the next general election, they will stop him.

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman cannot seriously expect that the people of this country will buy the pig-in-a-poke policies that he produces. Now that inflation and interest rates are coming down, the economy is moving into an upturn and prospects are getting better, as even the Labour party’s former adviser has agreed and written repeatedly in the newspapers.

    Mr. Kinnock : If there are any pig-in-a-poke policies, the recession policies of the Government are the pig and 768,000 people have got the poke.

    The Prime Minister : I can only assume that the right hon. Gentleman’s last question was a knee-jerk reaction.

     

    Derbyshire

    Q2. Mrs. Currie : To ask the Prime Minister if he has any plans to visit Derbyshire.

    The Prime Minister : I am making a series of visits to all parts of the country and very much hope to include Derbyshire.

    Mrs. Currie : Is the Prime Minister aware that in south Derbyshire, having seen off Arthur Scargill, we have a vigorous, successful engineering industry, a high level of exports and a young and growing work force with a low level of unemployment? We know that we are far better off in Europe– indeed, we are well off in Europe–and far better off in Europe than out. May I therefore pass on to the Prime Minister the good wishes of all my constituents for his efforts at Maastricht and hope that when he has finished there he will come up to Derbyshire and tell us all about it?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I share her view that industry, commerce and individuals in this country are better off in the European Community than outside it. Many companies are increasing their sales and increasing their relationship with Europe week after week. One of our objectives at Maastricht will be to achieve stricter implementation of Community measures to ensure that there is genuinely a level playing field for British industry and commerce in Europe.

    Mr. Skinner : If the Prime Minister comes to Derbyshire, whatever else he does, he wants to avoid canvassing with the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie). When she went to Bolsover a few years ago at the time of the salmonella in eggs crisis, she went into South Normanton marketplace and met a woman there who said, “Hey you, are you Currie, the one about the salmonella?” The hon. Lady said, “Oh, yes. Are you going to vote Tory?” The woman said, “Look, I’ve got six of these eggs in my basket and if you don’t sling your hook back to south Derbyshire, you’ll have these on top of your head.”

    Mr. Speaker : I did not detect a question in all that, but carry on.

    The Prime Minister : I suspect that many people in Bolsover will carry eggs in their basket in the hope of meeting the hon. Gentleman.

     

    Engagements

    Q3. Sir David Steel : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

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

    Sir David Steel : Does the Prime Minister accept that any reform of the government of Scotland implies some useful reform of the procedures of this place? As it is now three weeks since the Kincardine and Deeside by-election, when will he respond to our invitation to meet him to discuss these serious matters?

    The Prime Minister : I have made it clear to the right hon. Gentleman and to the House that we believe that the Union between the United Kingdom and Scotland is important. We have no plans to change it.

     

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

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

    Mr. Adley : Does my right hon. Friend recall the answer that he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. Haselhurst) on Tuesday about monetary union? He said that he was surprised at the contradictory answers which the House had received from the shadow Chancellor and the Leader of the Opposition on this complex issue. Why was my right hon. Friend surprised?

    The Prime Minister : I am always hoping for something better from the right hon. Gentlemen although, alas, I rarely get it. The Leader of the Opposition claims that he has been a consistent supporter of the Common Market for years, but everyone knows that he was a consistent and bitter opponent of it for many years. Many of us doubt that he has really changed his mind.

     

    Liverpool

    Q5. Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to make his first visit to Liverpool.

    The Prime Minister : I am making a series of visits to all parts of the country and hope to include Liverpool in them.

    Mr. Parry : When the Prime Minister visits Liverpool will he meet some of the local trade union leaders and some of the long-term unemployed, especially the construction workers who lobbied Parliament last week? Unemployment is very high in Liverpool. My constituency has the highest level in England, Scotland and Wales with an average of 30 per cent. When the Prime Minister arrives, will he let people know that he is coming? His predecessor, the right hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher), crept into Liverpool and crept out again without letting people know that she was coming. That was an insult to the people of Liverpool and I hope that it will never be repeated.

    The Prime Minister : I will certainly bear that in mind. I share the hon. Gentleman’s concern about unemployment in Liverpool and elsewhere. I know that he will join me in welcoming the announcement yesterday by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury at the start of the project to construct a new building for Customs and Excise at Queen’s dock. When completed, it will provide more than 800 new jobs locally.

    Mr. Michael Spicer : Will my right hon. Friend give his assurance that, neither explicitly nor implicitly will any deal be done at Maastricht?– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. It will have to be done in Liverpool, I am afraid.

     

    Engagements

    Q6. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

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

    Mr. Martin : Is my right hon. Friend aware that in Portsmouth, which is connected to the continent by the finest ferry services in the country, there is a growing realisation that success at Maastricht is crucial to trade and investment, on which jobs depend, and that the main prize to be achieved is an agreement which recognises the importance of closer co- operation between European nations rather than moves towards inevitable integration?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend. It is crucial to our trade and investment that we continue to play a leading role in the Community. All the Governments of the Community, without exception, are working for an agreement at Maastricht, but there are important national interests at stake. I am negotiating for an agreement that reflects our national interests and is also in the interests of a wider Europe.

    Mrs. Wise : Does the Prime Minister understand that his description of the Sunday trading laws as “bizarre” has encouraged law breaking? Will he withdraw that word and condemn the retail giant law breakers?

    The Prime Minister : I should have thought that the hon. Lady would now recognise that the description that I gave was entirely apposite. The present situation is unsatisfactory. There are acute difficulties in changing that in the short term. The House of Lords has concluded that our Sunday trading laws are unclear and has therefore referred them to the European Court of Justice to clarify whether they are compatible with European law. We hope that the European Court will make its ruling at the earliest possible moment so that the House of Lords can give a judgment. In the light of that, the next step will be for the Government to identify proposals that will command the support of the House.

     

    Q7. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

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

    Mr. Evans : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that on 15 May 1983 he said :

    “We want out of the Common Market?”

    Could he also tell me whether he said on 16 December 1983 :

    “We are committed to a non-nuclear defence policy?”

    Also will he confirm that in August 1991 he said :

    “I think the people trust me. They trust me for my word and my attitude.”

    Would he also tell me–

    Mr. Speaker : Order. I think that is enough.

    The Prime Minister : I can confirm that, of course, I made none of those statements, but I believe that each of them can be attributed to the Leader of the Opposition. It was also the Leader of the Opposition who said that if he were to abandon socialism he would not be worth voting for.

     

    Q8. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

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

    Mr. Michie : Will the Prime Minister tell the House where my constituent Joanne, who is on a vocational course, receives £35 a week, lives on her own through no choice of her own, occasionally goes without food and sits in the dark because she has no coins for the meter, fits into his citizen’s charter and the classless society?

    The Prime Minister : I cannot comment on individual cases without all the information available in front of me. If the hon. Gentleman will provide me with all the information, I shall examine the case.

     

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

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

    Dr. Twinn : I thank my right hon. Friend for his clear and positive support for finding a solution in Cyprus. Will he now seek the urgent help of the President of the United States in making it clear to the new Government in Turkey that the west expects a positive and constructive contribution to the United Nations peace process from now on?

    The Prime Minister : I have discussed Cyprus with President Bush on more than one occasion and we both actively supported the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General. A settlement will require good will on both sides and I hope that the new Turkish Government will play a full, constructive and early part in the Secretary-General’s renewed efforts to find a settlement. A settlement in Cyprus is long overdue.

     

    Q10. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 November.

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

    Mr. Canavan : Have the Government finally abandoned the erstwhile Tory doctrine that the rule of law must be upheld in all circumstances, now that the Attorney-General is turning a blind eye to big supermarkets breaking the Sunday trading law and as the poll tax non-payment campaign has apparently recruited the architect’s daughter?

    The Prime Minister : The law must be obeyed. In the case of Sunday trading, it is not at the moment clear, because of the House of Lords’ ruling, what the law may be. In the case of the community charge, the law is clear. People should pay their community charge. It might have helped if the hon. Gentleman had given people a better example in that respect.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 27 November 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 27th November 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    European Summit

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations in annex 7 of the Presidency report of the current year’s European summit.

    The Prime Minister : Following the Government’s initiative at the Luxembourg European Council in April, the Twelve have tabled a resolution at the UN General Assembly aimed at the early establishment of a register of conventional arms transfers under UN auspices. The resolution was approved by a large majority in the first committee of the General Assembly on 15 November. We expect that the General Assembly as a whole will soon agree the establishment of such a register.

    The Twelve continue to discuss the application of the common criteria identified by the European Council as guidelines for their national policies on conventional arms exports. Similar guidelines were agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, at a meeting in London on 17-18 October. United Kingdom arms exports are wholly consistent with these guidelines.

     

    Debt Relief

    Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Prime Minister how much will be written off the outstanding debts owed by the poorest and most indebted countries under the plan announced by him at the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit.

    The Prime Minister : Debt relief of around two thirds will be granted to the poorest and most heavily indebted countries, subject to satisfactory performance under an IMF programme.

    Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Prime Minister what progress he has made in persuading other creditor nations to offer debt relief under the plans announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

    The Prime Minister : Discussions continue in the Paris Club on the implementation of the Trinidad terms proposals for providing greater debt relief to the poorest and most heavily indebted countries. Our objective remains to secure maximum participation in a multilateral agreement to provide greater debt relief. However, as I made clear at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, the United Kingdom, acting in concert with as many creditors as possible, will implement Trinidad terms in the very near future if the Paris Club is unable to reach agreement.

     

    Environmental Assessments

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister when Her Majesty’s Government first received notification from the EC Environment Commissioner of the dissatisfaction of the European Commission with the implementation by the United Kingdom, following transposition into United Kingdom law, of the 1985 EEC directive on environmental assessment of major projects; what responses have been made to the Commission by Her Majesty’s Government to date; and if he will place copies of correspondence on the matter in the Library.

    The Prime Minister : The Commission’s article 169 letter of 22 March 1990 alleged infraction of directive 85/337/EEC in connection with a proposed waste disposal installation at Outlands Head quarry, Derbyshire. Following the United Kingdom’s reply of 21 May 1990, the Commission sent a reasoned opinion about that case on 28 February 1991, to which the United Kingdom replied on 30 April 1991. The only other formal complaint by the Commission about our application of this directive has been Commissioner Ripa di Meana’s well-publicised article 169 letter of 17 October 1991. The Commission has asked for a reply by 17 December.

    Correspondence between the Commission and member states about alleged infractions of European law is generally conducted in confidence.

     

    Civil Service

    Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Prime Minister what are the conventions whereby civil service departments take steps to consult the opposition about their policies towards the end of a Parliament; and when such steps are planned to be taken before the end of the current Parliament.

    The Prime Minister : The convention is that, by authority of the Prime Minister, in the last six months of a Parliament of when a general election has been called, Opposition parties may arrange, with the authority of their party leaders and through the head of the civil service, contacts with senior civil servants. These arrangements are designed to allow briefing on factual questions on departmental organisational changes which Opposition parties have in mind or which may result from Opposition party policies. Any exchanges would be confidential. I will be prepared to authorise such arrangements from the end of this year.