Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 20th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
Antarctic Minerals
Mr. Cash : To ask the Prime Minister which Departments are involved in the review of policy towards Antarctic minerals, in addition to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Prime Minister : The Departments of the Environment, of Trade and Industry and of Energy.
Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 19th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Q1. Mr. John Carlisle : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 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 be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
Mr. Carlisle : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the one event in these troubled times that has given much pleasure to people, and especially to our troops in the Gulf, has been the comprehensive English rugby victory at Twickenham? In that context does he further agree that we should begin to think about providing them with some real opposition which can now come only from South Africa? Is my right hon. Friend encouraged by the meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers at the weekend which virtually saw the beginning of the end of the infamous Gleneagles agreement? Will he take further initiatives to restore British-South African sporting relations?
The Prime Minister : In answer to my hon. Friend’s first point, I am not sure that many Scots troops in the Gulf would necessarily agree with him. I recall occasions when both the Scots and the Welsh had rather too satisfactory results at Twickenham and elsewhere. I agree with my hon. Friend’s substantive point that the time has come to resume sporting links with South Africa in areas where there is now proper integration of sport within the Republic of South Africa. I have discussed that matter with other Commonwealth leaders and I hope to take it forward.
Mr. Kinnock : The Secretary of State for Education and Science today said :
“I’m not interested in proposals that transfer expenditure on education from the local taxpayer to central Government taxation”. Does the Prime Minister agree with his Secretary of State?
The Prime Minister : As the right hon. Gentleman knows, we are examining a whole series of options in the community charge review. If the right hon. Gentleman will be patient we shall announce the result of that as soon as possible.
Mr. Kinnock : But the Secretary of State could not have been clearer in ruling out the idea of transferring expenditure from local taxation to central taxation. Will the Prime Minister make his position clear on this aspect of concern? Does he support his Secretary of State for Education and Science?
The Prime Minister : I shall make the position entirely clear on the matter under review when we have finished the review.
Mr. Kinnock : Why does not the Prime Minister save a great deal of time and the country a huge amount of money by abolishing the poll tax and accepting the Labour party proposal for a modern system of fair rates? That is the best way to deal with the poll tax.
The Prime Minister : I am sure that the whole country will have listened with interest to the right hon. Gentleman. What a shame that when he announced his proposals in Scotland they did not meet with the acclaim that he expected.
Mr. Malins : My right hon. Friend will be aware that the man who was so cruelly murdered by the bomb at Victoria station yesterday came from Thornton Heath, which is in my constituency, and leaves a wife and baby son. Will my right hon. Friend send the sympathy of the whole House to that family, and can he assure us that no expense or effort will be spared, to bring the callous killers to justice?
The Prime Minister : The whole House will share the views that have been expressed by my hon. Friend. I certainly offer to the family of the gentleman who was killed, and to all those who were injured, our very warmest sympathy. One is bound to ask what sort of people it is that can carry out attacks of this kind. They are certainly consumed with hate, and they are certainly sick of mind. And they can be certain of one thing–that they will be hunted and hunted until they are found.
Q2. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Marshall : With unemployment soaring past 2 million, with record numbers of homeless people and home repossessions, with pensioners freezing to death because of his penny-pinching policies, is not the Prime Minister reminded of the tale of the king’s new clothes? Can he tell the House just what is different about his premiership, when it is apparent to all that, if he is not altogether naked, he is simply wearing the threadbare clothes of the previous Prime Minister?
The Prime Minister : I am not entirely sure that they would wholly suit me. With regard to the hon. Gentleman’s substantive point, I have to say that he left something out of his catalogue. For example, he omitted the work on the £55 million programme to transform a rundown area of Glasgow’s east end. I should have thought that he would know about that. He also forgot that that programme will create 1,000 jobs in that part of Glasgow.
Mr. Gale : My right hon. Friend is aware of the level of public concern that has been expressed about media coverage of Gulf events– particularly reports from Baghdad. Does he agree that it is not incumbent upon either the BBC or ITN to sink to the levels of some foreign news organisations? Is not it particularly important at this time, when the wives and families of service men are watching television, that every effort should be made to ensure that the public are made well aware that any report coming out of Iraq is subject to very severe censorship?
The Prime Minister : I think it is clear to people that reports coming out of Baghdad are subject to censorship, and I hope that the BBC and the other transmission channels will make that clear on every occasion.
Q4. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Livingstone : In the light of the news from Moscow that President Gorbachev has given Saddam Hussein 48 hours to reply to his peace proposals, can the Prime Minister assure the House that no ground war will be launched by the coalition while those negotiations continue?
The Prime Minister : I do not think that the hon. Gentleman can seriously expect me, on this occasion or on any other occasion, to give information of a military sort. Certainly I can confirm that President Gorbachev sent to me late last night the proposals that he had put to Tariq Aziz.
Q5. Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman : Has my right hon. Friend seen this excellent report of the North Western regional health authority, a copy of which I sent him? If so, he will have noted that the health authorities of Lancaster and Blackpool top the league in the immunisation against diphtheria of children under two. Those districts also have the lowest rates of death from cancer at all ages.
Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating all those concerned– the administrators, the doctors, the nurses, the ancillary staff and all others involved–on their splendid team effort?
The Prime Minister : Yes, I have seen the brochure that my hon. Friend sent me. I congratulate all those concerned in the Blackpool and Lancaster districts on their achievement in respect of immunisation rates and the low rates of death from cancer. The national target for immunisation is 90 per cent., and that has been achieved. It is worth mentioning that the accelerated immunisation schedule for younger children and the introduction of the new GPs’ contract should further improve the immunisation uptake figures nationwide. It is becoming clear that the health reforms are improving preventive medicine in a remarkable way.
Mr. Kirkwood : Has the Prime Minister had a chance to study reports in today’s press on the progress made to date on the internal Government review of the poll tax? Is he aware that those reports imply that no one involved in those review negotiations is in favour of the Government retaining the poll tax? If that is true, does not the right hon. Gentleman have a duty to make an early statement to the House and the country that, whatever options are still being considered, the poll tax is now well and truly ruled out?
The Prime Minister : We will make a statement at the end of our review and not before.
Q6. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Greenway : Is my right hon. Friend aware that his commitment to an excellent education for all our children is widely supported and welcomed throughout the House and the nation? To that end, is he pleased that Her Majesty’s inspectors’ report shows that the first year of national curriculum maths is going extremely well for five and 11-year-olds and throughout the age range, and that children and teachers are working well to achieve that? Will my right hon. Friend congratulate them?
The Prime Minister : Yes, I am happy to do as my hon. Friend suggests. The report demonstrates that the national curriculum has stimulated a range of improvements in schools and that teachers have worked hard to take advantage of the opportunities. That can be only to the benefit of the children and I look to see it continue.
Q7. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Ms. Primarolo : Given the expected statement this afternoon by the Secretary of State for the Environment giving poll tax exemption to forces serving in the Gulf, will the Prime Minister this afternoon agree to extend exemption from this vicious tax to all deserving groups, such as the nurses?
The Prime Minister : The hon. Lady and her colleagues will carry more weight on the community charge matter when all of them pay their community charge and their fair share of local government taxation. I have no doubt that the hon. Lady has already done so. [ Hon. Members :– “She has not.”] I note that the hon. Lady has not and I hope that others will have noted that, too.
Ms. Primarolo : The right hon. Gentleman is wrong. I have paid my poll tax.
The Prime Minister : The community charge reduction scheme will help 18 million people who face community charge bills.
Q8. Mr. Knowles : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Knowles : Despite the scaremongering from some local authorities, I welcome the community charge relief scheme, but will my right hon. Friend comment on the effects of that scheme throughout the country? If he had available the figures for Nottingham in particular, I and my constituents would welcome them.
The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend knows, the community charge reduction scheme will make a significant difference to a large number of people this year with more than 18 million people being eligible for rebates under it. If Nottingham city council sets the same level next year as it did this year, a couple living in an averagely-rated property would receive a reduction of £238 between them.
Mr. Turner : Will the Prime Minister comment on the recent statement by the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) that unless substantial funds are made available to the NHS before the end of the financial year, elderly people and people from other groups might die? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree with that statement? [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker : Order. I did not hear that.
The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) sitting behind me says that he said no such thing.
Q9. Dame Jill Knight : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Dame Jill Knight : Has the Prime Minister any up-to-date knowledge of the British airmen who were shot down or who ejected over enemy territory? Will he assure the House that any peace terms that are accepted will include as a priority the return of those airmen unharmed?
The Prime Minister : I wish that I could say to my hon. Friend that I had the information that she seeks. We have tried repeatedly but thus far have had no success in getting it. I share my hon. Friend’s great concern about Iraq’s failure to fulfil its commitments under the Geneva convention and to grant the Red Cross access to prisoners of war. We remain in constant touch with the International Committee of the Red Cross and are urging it to do everything possible to get Iraq to live up to its obligations. I agree very much with my hon. Friend that the immediate release of prisoners of war, including our airmen, must be part of any ceasefire.
Q10. Mr. Strang : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Strang : If President Saddam Hussein responds to the Soviet peace initiative with an undertaking to withdraw all his forces from Kuwait unconditionally, does the Prime Minister agree that the allies should respond by stopping the bombing and halting moves towards a ground war in Kuwait?
The Prime Minister : We are all aware that proposals have been put by President Gorbachev to Iraq. I confirmed that to the House earlier. In his message President Gorbachev specifically asked me to keep the proposals confidential. Therefore, upon those I can offer no substantial comment. In any case, as the hon. Gentleman intimated, we have to bear it in mind that it is the Iraqis who have been asked to respond, not us. We await a response from them. Nothing has yet happened which would incline us to agree to a ceasefire or a pause in the conflict. If Saddam Hussein wants to avoid a land battle, he knows what he must do : he has to withdraw unconditionally and immediately from Kuwait and implement the Security Council resolutions in full. Unless and until he does that, the conflict will continue.
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 18th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
The Gulf
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration Her Majesty’s Government gives to public opinion on the Gulf war; and how Her Majesty’s Government-imposed reporting restrictions relate to this.
The Prime Minister : Support from the British public remains very strong for the actions being taken by the allies to liberate Kuwait in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Government’s policy is to allow all reasonable freedom and access for reporting, subject only to constraints essential to protect the safety of coalition forces and the security of allied operations.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Prime Minister what is his intention with regard to the award of a Gulf campaign medal.
The Prime Minister : The question of an appropriate medal for those serving in the Gulf is under consideration.
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 15th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
Coastal Zone
Ms. Walley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all Government Departments and non-departmental public bodies with an interest in the coastal zone.
The Prime Minister : All Government Departments may have an interest in the coast or coastal waters in the exercise of their normal duties. The same will apply to many non-departmental public bodies.
Secure Accommodation
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Prime Minister which Department will be responsible for funding the new Social Services Department secure units required under the proposals to abolish prison remand of juveniles.
The Prime Minister : The Department of Health already has powers to make grants to local authorities to meet the capital cost of new secure units, and intends to meet the local authority associations to discuss the nature and extent of any further secure provision required for remanded juveniles.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments on Saddam Hussein, made in Merseyside on Friday 15th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
As further details have become apparent throughout the day, it has become crystal clear that there seems to be a very large number of conditions attached to the apparent offer that had come out of Baghdad early this morning. That is very disappointing but it does look as though it is not a serious attempt to reach a conclusion but something of a bogus sham. That seems to be apparent and the more we learn about what has been said, the more that seems to be the case. I regret that very much but I fear that is the only conclusion that we are able to draw from what we have heard thus far.
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 14th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
The Gulf
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister what communications he has had with King Hussein of Jordan since 6 February concerning the situation in the Gulf.
The Prime Minister : We are in continuing contact with the Jordanian Government. We have made clear our regret at King Hussein’s misleading description of coalition objectives and activities in his 6 February speech to his people. I last communicated directly with King Hussein on 3 January, when I met him in London.
Saddam Hussein
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister who was the last Minister to meet President Saddam Hussein; and what matters were discussed.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor), the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, met President Saddam Hussein on 24 February 1988. A number of regional and bilateral issues were discussed.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
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 the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 14th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Q1. Sir Hal Miller : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 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.
Sir Hal Miller : Does my right hon. Friend agree that reductions in interest rates following a fall in inflation will sharpen the already competitive position of our motor industry which increased exports last year by 18 per cent? Are not rising exports, rising investment and increased skill levels proof positive that we are achieving what Labour claims to want, and that we should stick with our policies, rather than cut and run?
The Prime Minister : I can scarcely disagree with my hon. Friend. The motor industry has a very impressive export record, which is a tribute to good design, increasing competitiveness and the increasing work rate of employees in the industry.
Mr. Kinnock : Will the Prime Minister take this opportunity to explain to the 110,000 people who lost their jobs in the course of the last month that they did so as a direct result of his incompetent economic policy?
The Prime Minister : It is interesting that during the 40 months in which unemployment fell, month after month after month, the right hon. Gentleman made no mention of this matter. I regret the rise in unemployment, but the right hon. Gentleman will have to concede that the level of unemployment in this country, at 6.6 per cent., is not only well below the European Community average but very well below the average levels of most of our European partners.
Mr. Kinnock : Today’s figures show the biggest January rise in unemployment since 1981–the time of the last Tory slump. When the Conservatives have done this twice in a decade–regardless of who has been the leader, or who the Chancellor–is it any wonder that they will always be known as the party of unemployment?
The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman may find it difficult to explain the following unemployment rates : 9 per cent. in France, 9.9 per cent. in Italy, 9.3 per cent. in Canada, and 6.6 per cent. here. He may also have overlooked the fact that there has been a considerable rise in the number of job vacancies.
Mr. Kinnock : Perhaps the Prime Minister–who is the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not of France–will explain why, if Tory policies are to work, hundreds of thousands of people have to stop working.
The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman’s track record on such predictions is simply not good. He will recall predicting that mass unemployment of 6 million was inevitable. It was not, and his predictions now are wrong.
Sir Anthony Grant : When my right hon. Friend reflects today on the position in the Gulf, will he consider that a dictator like Saddam Hussein, who has been unscrupulous enough to murder his own people over several years, will probably have no scruples about allowing innocent people to suffer in a bombing raid for propaganda purposes? Does my right hon. Friend agree that the tragic event in Baghdad and the sad loss of life should not mean that a single allied soldier should be put at risk by a premature land assault?
The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend knows, we shall consider very carefully when it is right to launch a land assault. The position in that regard remains as I have described to the House in the past. Everyone regrets the death of civilians, particularly in the tragic circumstances of the past few hours. But the United States has explained why it attacked that particular site : it did so on the basis of an assessment that showed that it was a legitimate military target, which played a part in the Iraqi war effort.
Mr. Ashdown : Does the Prime Minister agree that, in considering the lessons of the terrible tragedy that took place in Baghdad last night, we should not forget that Saddam Hussein has, not through inadvertence, but through acts of deliberate policy, killed more Muslims than any other living person? Does he also agree that, as the terrible toll of the war rises, so should our determination to build a just and durable peace to follow it?
Will the Prime Minister answer the question that I fear he dodged last week and say whether he is prepared to give the United Nations, in whose name we are fighting the war, the lead role in building the peace that follows?
The Prime Minister : I agree with the observations that the right hon. Gentleman made at the outset of his question. To avoid doubt, I shall repeat the point that the allies are not targeting civilians, unlike Saddam Hussein, who continues to fire missiles wholly indiscriminately at built-up population centres. On the subject of the United Nations, clearly we must consider with all our colleagues in the allied forces, particularly the Arab states upon and around whose lands the conflict is taking place, how to proceed at the end of the conflict.
Mr. Dykes : Will my right hon. Friend accept the congratulations of the House on his successful visit to Germany on Monday? If he will forgive the pun, far from being a “brugeing” experience, it was a successful visit, both bilaterally and in terms of the resuscitation of European solidarity?
The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. It is important to ensure that we play a leading part in the centre of the Community, which means that we have the closest possible bilateral contact with all our European partners.
Q2. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Prime Minister if the will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Nellist : Was yesterday’s massacre of women and children in Amiriya a good example, under the 1977 Geneva protocol, of precision targeting of the right or wrong target? Was not the burning and lasceration of those children’s bodies, to correctly use a military euphemism, the degrading of nobody in Baghdad but of those in whose name that slaughter took place?
The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman puts the matter with his customary bad taste and inaccuracy. As I explained a moment ago, there has been precision bombing, and that site was bombed because there was legitimate reason to believe that it was a military target.
Q3. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. David Nicholson : My right hon. Friend will be aware of the concern at the advertising and the unsolicited temptations to borrow pursued by banks and other lenders in recent years, for which many businesses and many individuals are now paying a painful price. As interest rates come down, will my right hon. Friend use his influence as Prime Minister, as former Chancellor and as a former banker to impress on the banking industry the need for responsible lending–and will he consider what role the Government might play in that?
The Prime Minister : I have done as my hon. Friend suggests. My views on this subject are well known. I am very glad to see that the banks and building societies are addressing the issue of the marketing and provision of credit. As the banks have freely acknowledged, the code that they have covers only banks and building societies. That is why, in December, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry issued a consultative document proposing a number of specific changes to tighten the law on consumer credit. These measures will have a wider field of application than just banks and building societies.
Q4. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Ms. Armstrong : Did the Prime Minister notice the figures published yesterday that show that the top 20 local education authorities providing nursery education are Labour, and the bottom 20 are Tory? Given the abysmal performance of Tory authorities, when the Secretary of State for Education and Science two weeks ago abandoned any commitment to the expansion of nursery education, did he have the Prime Minister’s approval?
The Prime Minister : The hon. Lady should look at the whole provision of education services throughout the country, and if she is looking at lists of the top and the bottom authorities she should also look at the authorities with the highest community charges.
Q5. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Hughes : Will my right hon. Friend take time today to send a message of congratulations to the voluntary bodies and statutory agencies that have worked so hard during the past few days to provide shelter for the homeless in London? Will he note the comments of the deputy director of Shelter, who said the other day that the arrangements made were magnificent and excellent?
The Prime Minister : I am happy to join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those involved–particularly the voluntary organisations that have co-operated so willingly with my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning. As a result of that swift response there should be no need for anyone to sleep rough on the streets of London during this period of extreme bad weather.
Q6. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Foulkes : What is the Prime Minister going to do now that John Yates, the highly respected NHS management consultant appointed by the Government to advise on reducing waiting lists, has resigned, describing the Government’s policy, of spending £100 million to find out that waiting lists have increased, as a total waste of money? Would not it be better to sack the Secretary of State for Health and keep Mr. Yates?
The Prime Minister : As it happens, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health invited Mr. Yates to see him to discuss the reduction in waiting lists. Mr. Yates refused.
Q7. Mr. Hague : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Hague : Will my right hon. Friend take time today to reflect on the successful expansion of higher education under this Administration? Are not the one in five school leavers going into further and higher education, compared with the miserable one in eight when Labour was in power, a crucial part of building a better trained and educated workforce? Are not this Government providing the resources for that?
The Prime Minister : Indeed they are. My hon. Friend is right and I entirely agree with his remarks about the importance of higher education– both universities and polytechnics–and the role that they are playing in trying to equip our young people for a better start in life.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : Is the Prime Minister truly aware of the crisis facing agriculture, with farm incomes at their lowest in real terms since the second world war and record numbers leaving the industry? Why then is the Ministry of Defence supplying Argentine and Uruguayan beef to British forces in the Gulf when British cold stores are jam packed with intervention beef, subsidised and paid for by British taxpayers? Will the right hon. Gentleman assist taxpayers, the armed forces and agriculture by sorting that out?
The Prime Minister : It is because of such absurdities that we are keen to see a proper reform of the common agricultural policy. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has made it clear that that is a top priority for us and we shall seek to negotiate it with our colleagues in Europe.
Q8. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Riddick : Does my right hon. Friend agree that today’s problems of homelessness have been caused, first, by the way in which the private rented sector has been regulated almost out of existence and, secondly, by the incompetence of many local authorities, mainly Labour controlled, which have more than 100,000 vacant council houses up and down the country? [Interruption.] Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity to confirm that the Government will take the necessary radical action to free and deregulate the private rented sector in order to bring many hundreds of thousands of empty flats and rooms back on to the market?
The Prime Minister : Nothing could better have illustrated the Opposition’s hostility to the private rented sector than their activities while my hon. Friend asked his question. It was absurd that the private rented sector was declining and properties were left empty because of rent control. We have introduced to the subsidy arrangements all sorts of incentives to encourage local authorities to bring properties into use. We continue to examine further ways to stimulate the private sector.
Q9. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Marshall : What does the Prime Minister have to say to the record number of 40,000 home owners who had their homes repossessed during the past 12 months as a result of his high interest rates policy? What advice does he give those people?
The Prime Minister : All repossessions are a tragedy for those who are involved. The hon. Gentleman should bear it in mind that repossessions account for less than one fifth of 1 per cent. of home owners and that the overwhelming majority of those are as a result of marriage breakdown.
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 12th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
United Kingdom 2000
Mr. Beith : To ask the Prime Minister what has been the total funding to date of the United Kingdom 2000 initiative set up by his predecessor under the chairmanship of Mr. Richard Branson; which voluntary organisations have been involved; what have been the achievements of the initiative ; whether he has any further proposals to develop this initiative; and whether he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Total Government funding to March 1991 will be £9.434 million. The partner voluntary organisations in England are the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, the Civic Trust, Community Service Volunteers, Groundwork, Friends of the Earth and the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. In Wales the organisations involved are the same apart from the Civic Trust, and in addition the Keep Wales Tidy Campaign. In Scotland, the organisations are the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Conservation Projects, Community Service Volunteers and Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The main achievements have been high-quality, practical environmental improvement projects, training and work experience together with the creation of new environmental enterprises. This work has been carried out in partnership with the public and private sectors. In 1989-90 there were 717 projects which generated 7,819 training places and 54,218 volunteers and which attracted £2,423 million support from the private sector.
In England United Kingdom 2000 phase 2 began on 31 March 1991 and, subject to performance, the voluntary organisations will continue to receive grant until March 1993. United Kingdom 2000 (Scotland) will be launched as a company limited by guarantee in April 1991. The initiative in Wales has recently been fully reviewed ; the next steps are now under consideration.
United Nations
Mr. Wray : To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide for periodic elections of all members of the United Nations Security Council; (2) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide that United Nations Security Council members should have veto powers; (3) if he will make it his policy to put forward proposals to amend the United Nations charter to provide that in the event of war waged in the name of the United Nations basic decisions are taken by all member countries of the United Nations with an ad hoc executive committee to supervise the conduct of hostilities by the armed forces acting for the United Nations.
The Prime Minister : No. The Government do not believe that reform of the United Nations charter is either necessary or desirable.
Mr. Wray : To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the United Nations Security Council to meet to discuss the conduct of the war in the Persian Gulf.
The Prime Minister : The United Nations Security Council has met frequently since the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf on 2 August, most recently in informal consultations on 8 February.
Lanarkshire
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Prime Minister what specific plans he has to improve investment in Lanarkshire.
The Prime Minister : The Lanarkshire working group, which met last month, will identify the main constraints to revitalising the Lanarkshire economy and recommend measures to resolve those problems. Investment in Lanarkshire from the private and public sector, is among the working group’s concerns. The working group expects to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland around the end of April.
Pensioners
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Prime Minister what is the estimated additional cost incurred weekly by pensioners in Northern Ireland for heating, lighting and travel when expenditure is compared with that of pensioners in a comparable region in Great Britain.
The Prime Minister : Information on the expenditure of pensioner households on heating, lighting and travel is available at household level from the family expenditure survey. Northern Ireland compares with Wales in terms of average normal weekly disposable income for all households, including pensioner households. The table provides information from the amalgamated results of the 1988-89 family expenditure survey for pensioner households.
1851 Exhibition
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister when the holder of his office last attended a meeting of the royal commissioners for the exhibition of 1851.
The Prime Minister : I am not aware of such a meeting.
Probation Officers, Liverpool
Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the probation officer based at Liverpool about salaries ; and what reply he has sent.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has received representations from seven probation officers from Merseyside about probation officers’ salaries. They either have received or will receive official replies.
Correspondence
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Prime Minister whether the policy of the Government with regard to correspondence between hon. Members and officials remains as set out in the letter from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill, of 18 May 1989.
The Prime Minister : It is for Ministers in each Department to decide how correspondence will be handled. Following the recent scrutiny of ministerial correspondence, Departments are considering how to assist Members of Parliament to direct their inquiries to the point which is best able to give them a fast, informed and helpful reply.
The Government reply to the eighth report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee–Cmnd 1263–states that Ministers will normally ask the chief executive of an agency to reply to letters that concern day-to-day operational matters delegated to the agency.
East Timor
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty’s Government’s policy towards the Timor Gap agreement between Indonesia and Australia; and whether this agreement was discussed during his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Hawke of Australia on 5 February.
The Prime Minister : The Timor Gap agreement is a matter between Indonesia and Australia, who recognised East Timor’s incorporation into Indonesia in 1979. The agreement in no way affects our own stance on recognition. I have not discussed the agreement with Prime Minister Hawke.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also called on Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and presented her with a gift from the Cabinet to mark her 90th year. 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.
The Gulf
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken by allied bombing sorties over Iraq to avoid disruption of the ecological balance of the marshes in the River Euphrates delta and to the habitat of the striped hyenas, jackals and wolves of the western desert of Iraq and northern Saudi Arabia.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 8 February 1991] : Allied aircrews have instructions to attack only military targets which could pose a threat to allied forces or facilities supporting Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait. The missions are carefully planned to minimise the risk of damage to other areas.
Nuclear Test Veterans
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing on 4 December 1990, Official Report, column 17, by what process British nuclear test veterans may seek to establish the Crown’s legal liability for compensation for the effects of radiation while serving in Her Majesty’s forces.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 February 1991] : The process to establish the Crown’s legal liability in this matter is the need, in common law, to show that participants in the test programme had been exposed to radiation due to Ministry of Defence negligence and that such exposure caused them harm. The Government commissioned a study by the National Radiological Protection Board into this and the report published in 1988 did not establish a causal link between participation and an increased incidence of cancer. A further study by the NRPB to validate the findings of the previous study has been commissioned and the report is due to be published in 1992.
Elderly People
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Prime Minister if he will convene a working group comprised of representatives of the Departments of Health, Social Security and the Environment and of the public, private and voluntary sector providers, funders and user representatives to undertake an investigation into problems and issues involved in funding care for the elderly.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 February 1991] : There are regular opportunities for interdepartmental consultation on the care needs of elderly people. Provider and user interests are fully reflected in this process. We believe that the creation of a formal working group of the kind suggested would add little to the existing effective collaboration machinery, and might in fact diminish its effectiveness.
Toxteth Riots
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Prime Minister if he will now place in the Library (a) the report of the Secretary of State for the Environment about the Toxteth riots, entitled “It Took a Riot”, (b) the letter of the right hon. and learned Member for Surrey, East (Sir G. Howe) in response to that report and (c) the report of the former Central Policy Review Staff on problems of the inner cities ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 11 February 1991] : No.
Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 12th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Q1. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February 1991.
The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also called on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and presented her with a gift from the Cabinet to mark her 90th year. In addition to my duties in the House, I will be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
Mr. Skinner : It was a cold weather payment.
Mr. Speaker : Order.
Mr. Maclennan : While welcoming the Cabinet’s recognition of my constituent, the Queen Mother, in that way [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker : Order.
Mr. Maclennan : Would the Prime Minister say why, when he came to the House last week to announce the waiver of the exceptionally severe weather payment seven-day condition, he gave no inkling that it was to last 24 hours and that within four days, his Minister for Social Security and Disabled People would announce that things were to go back to where they are now. The “now you see it, now you don’t” approach cannot be the way to look after those who are so heavily dependent upon that payment.
The Prime Minister : If there is doubt about that point, let me seek to remove it beyond peradventure at the moment. As I said last week, given the exceptionally severe weather, we wanted to ensure that vulnerable groups would take appropriate steps to keep warm so we waived the seven-day qualifying period. Given the continuation of severe weather since then, we shall once again be waiving the seven-day period. Of course, we shall continue to monitor the situation carefully and if the cold weather continues we shall take similar measures.
Q2. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Evennett : While my right hon. Friend was enjoying his much publicised breakfast at the weekend, the people of Lithuania were voting in a referendum. Does he agree that the desire for independence by the Lithuanians, as expressed in the result of that referendum, should be heeded by the Soviet Union?
The Prime Minister : I sympathise very much with my hon. Friend’s point. I would like to see the Soviet authorities negotiate with the elected representatives of the Baltic authorities about their aspirations. That is a point I hope to be able to put to President Gorbachev when I meet him next month.
Mr. Kinnock : Does the Prime Minister share our deep concern that unemployment, business bankruptcies and factory gate prices are all up while investment and output are down? Whose policies does he blame for that–the current Chancellor’s or the previous Chancellor’s?
The Prime Minister : I think that everyone shares the concern about bankruptcies and unemployment. We also share the considerable degree of pleasure at the growth that there has been in recent years, at the growth in the number of businesses–which, even last year, was running at more than 1,000 a week–and at the prospects that will continue to exist for this country as we increasingly drive inflation downwards.
Mr. Kinnock : Does the Prime Minister understand that he has taken many of those new businesses–and longer-established businesses–straight into slump with his policies? Why will he not now cut interest rates, use a more sensible system of managing demand and try to stop the slump now, before the damage gets even worse and goes on for even longer?
The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman should know that the generalised slogans that he uses simply will not do. Let me quote to him what even The Guardian said of the alternatives :
“As for the Opposition parties, their call for interest rate cuts with no accompanying recognition of the economic realities is politically opportunistic and economically naive.”
I agree with The Guardian.
Mr. Kinnock : May I put it to the Prime Minister that, this very week, factory gate prices are up, unemployment will be up and bankruptcies are up? Is that what he intends to continue to do? If so, I put it to him that his policies are hurting just about everyone and working for just about no one.
The Prime Minister : I think that the right hon. Gentleman will find that our policies are working. I believe that that will become increasingly apparent. The right hon. Gentleman referred to the rise in output prices. I must say that I think that that is a suspect figure. In any event, the January figure may well reflect the delayed and continued impact of the autumn increase in oil prices. Throughout this year, the right hon. Gentleman will see a continuing fall in the rise of inflation.
Mr. Rowe : Although at this moment it may seem bizarre to imagine that there could be advantages in transferring from road to rail, will my right hon. Friend confirm that, in better times, when the Department of Transport appraises capital projects it allows for both freight and passenger savings on roads?
The Prime Minister : In so far as I could hear the first part of my hon. Friend’s question, I believe that I agree with him. British Rail has a substantial investment level at present ; indeed, it is the highest level for 30 years. As the former chairman said not long ago :
“the investment programme is about the maximum rate we can physically manage.”
Q3. Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Fisher : Is not the Prime Minister ashamed that an estimated 50 young homeless people are sleeping rough on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent? They are not eligible for his severe weather payments or his emergency aid. What place is there for them in his classless society?
The Prime Minister : As the hon. Gentleman knows, on a number of occasions I have expressed my concern and outlined the action that we are taking to deal with the position of young people who are sleeping rough. My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning set out some policies some time ago and explained that a considerable amount of resources would be devoted to implementing them. One of the problems that is recognised and acknowledged by the voluntary groups – if not, perhaps, by every hon. Member – is that some of those who sleep rough have every option to go into shelters but frequently do not exercise it.
Mr. Janman : Is my right hon. Friend aware of press reports which speculate that the public sector borrowing requirement for 1991-92 will be £9 billion? Does he agree that during the forthcoming 12 months it is important that the Government apply the same discipline to themselves as companies in the private sector are having to apply, and that Government spending should take into account prevailing economic conditions, not pretend that they do not exist?
The Prime Minister : We must certainly always take into account the prevailing economic conditions in terms of public expenditure control. That is certainly what we shall do.
Q4. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Bennett : Does the Prime Minister recall one of his early votes in the House of Commons on 20 December 1979, when he voted to break the link between pensions and earnings? Does he realise that as a result of that, pensioners have not enjoyed increases in their standard of living through general improvements and that they are now worse off by £22 a week for a married couple and £13 a week for a single pensioner? Does he realise that if those links had not been broken, people would have had sufficient money to pay for fuel, make sure that they had enough to eat and put on warm clothing and so combat the cold weather? Does not the Prime Minister realise that against that background, the announcement that he has made today of the extra £1 heating allowance is extremely miserly?
The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman is being very selective in the figures that he quotes. If he cares to examine the degree of net disposable income among all sectors of the community, including the elderly, he will find that it has risen substantially throughout the past decade.
Mr. Lee : Given that our nation likes a modest flutter as much as it likes a traditional Happy Eater breakfast, does my right hon. Friend care to give some encouragement today to those of us who favour the concept of a national lottery designed to provide additional resources for sports, the arts and museums?
The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend raises an intriguing question.
Community Care
Q5. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty’s Government’s present policy towards Sir Roy Griffiths’s recommendation that local authorities should perform the lead role in the provision of community care.
The Prime Minister : The Government’s policy on community care remains as set out in the White Paper “Caring For People” and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Local authorities begin implementation of those policies in April this year.
Mr. Clarke : What steps does the Prime Minister intend to take to deal with the increasing problems of many elderly people in residential care who have witnessed a growing number of closures of private and voluntary sector homes as a result of the care gap and inadequate income support? Will he absolutely insist that elderly people do not suffer, in spite of the need for social service and social work departments to reduce their expenditure in order to avoid poll tax capping, even though the real anxiety is to respond to elderly people’s needs, which they recognise in their own communities?
The Prime Minister : The concerns for elderly people that the hon. Gentleman sets out and which local authorities have are well understood and appreciated. He weakens his case by his remarks about community charge capping, not least because a large number of those authorities that face capping do so because of a flagrant and wilful abuse of their expenditure in many aspects.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : Does my right hon. Friend accept that there is considerable anxiety in local government, not least among the staff of part III residential homes and also, of course, the residents of those homes, that many local authorities feel obliged to put such homes into the private or charitable sector, thus creating considerable instability? Will my right hon. Friend take account of the anxiety, particularly among elderly people and their families, who are deeply upset by the instability that is being created?
The Prime Minister : What we are seeking to do is to ensure the maximum availability of the appropriate sort of accommodation and to ensure that it is provided in the most cost-effective manner. That accommodation may, on occasion, be in the public or the private sector, but it is the quantum of assistance with which I know my hon. Friend is most concerned.
Engagements
Q6. Mr. Fraser : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Fraser : Does the Prime Minister recall that shortly before he became Prime Minister he said that the subject that he cares most about is education? He repeated those sentiments at the Young Conservatives’ conference at the weekend. I have in my hand the sum total of all those speeches made by the right hon. Gentleman on education since 1979 – it averages one line a year. Can the Prime Minister put in the Library any other speeches on this subject, which is so close to his heart?
The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman is being uncharacteristically fatuous.
Hon. Members : Withdraw.
Mr. Speaker : Order.
The Prime Minister : If colleagues insist, I shall withdraw “uncharacteristically”. For the bulk of the period in the House since 1979 I have either been in the Whips’ Office, and thus unable to speak, or a Minister with other departmental responsibilities. If the hon. Gentleman had had what undoubtedly would have been an education to him from listening to the speeches that I have made outside the House he would not have asked that question.
Q7. Mr. Squire : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 February.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Squire : Despite my right hon. Friend and I both having left state schools at 16 and therefore, perhaps being poor educational advertisements [Interruption.] I said perhaps. Would my right hon. Friend underline his determination that standards and diversity in our state schools are enhanced and improved, and above all, that the staying-on rate of students beyond 16 and 18 is increased?
The Prime Minister : I am happy to endorse my hon. Friend’s point. Education is undoubtedly the key in the future to opening new paths for people, not just people with high abilities, but, of course, people with much lesser abilities as well. We want an education system that rewards dedicated teachers and provides education in the state sector of which we can be proud. That is what we shall be increasingly reaching towards throughout the Conservative Governments of the 1990s.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s speech at RAF Bruggen in Germany, made on Monday 11th February 1991.
PRIME MINISTER:
I have got one piece of extremely good news for you and that is that I am going to be extremely brief and the reason I am going to be extremely brief is it is beginning to snow very heavily out there and I am told if I do not take off pretty soon, I will not take off at all! The thought of missing Questions in the House of Commons tomorrow is more than I could bear so I really think I had better be fairly brief because I suspect it would not only be embarrassing to me, it might be rather embarrassing to you if I was not able to take off at the end of this particular visit!
Can I just say collectively what I have been able to say privately over the last few minutes and that is to express my thanks to all of you for everything you have done in the period since the beginning of August. I know that you have been involved in your different ways with your different skills right from the beginning of August; I know it has meant twelve-hour shifts; I know it meant that Christmas was a bit truncated this year with just Christmas Day; and I know the very deep personal commitment that many of you have had to ensuring the success of what goes on in the Gulf and the fact that many of you have been out there for a while and have now returned.
I just want to say to you really two or three things very briefly:
Firstly, it is not possible to express in words that will convey it accurately quite how much what has happened here is appreciated both by the air crews and the army who are actually out in the Gulf and also by the broad mass of people back at home in the United Kingdom who watch with the most immense pride the sheer scale of the logistical operation to ensure that we have all the servicemen properly equipped and properly able to do their job out in the Gulf. It has been a fantastic operation and I think many people back at home who perhaps do not always in other days have a full appreciation of the role of the armed forces, whether it be the RAF, the Navy or the Army, are beginning to see in a new light precisely the professionalism and the skill that is actually available to ensure that the work that is necessary to be done in the Gulf can be done.
I need not, I think, elaborate at any length to you about why your colleagues are there but I believe quite passionately that it is right that they are there; that they are for an entirely just cause and that if we had not taken this problem head-on now at this time, that we would have had on our hands a far greater problem to solve within the next two or three years. One only has to see at close quarters the sheer scale and size of the Iraqi military machine to realise that that machine could not have been there for defensive purposes and that at some stage in the future we would have had to ask you and your colleagues to do a far bigger job even than the big job that you are in the process of dealing with so successfully at the present time.
I cannot tell you how long this conflict will continue – I cannot tell you because I do not know – but I do know that it has gone supremely well so far; it has been handled with the most immense professionalism both by the servicemen who are out there engaged in the conflict and all the logistical back-up that you and many others have provided to enable them to carry on with that fighting.
The other thing of which I am absolutely certain is this. Although there may be some doubt about when this conflict will end – and I cannot tell you that – there is not a shred of doubt about how it will end. There is no way that the Iraqis can win this conflict. Whatever particular circumstances there may be that will bring it to an end are uncertain – that, too, is not something we can be sure about at present – but the Iraqis and Saddam Hussein will have lost this conflict at the end of it and they will have lost it not just because of the enormous bravery that we have seen, particularly in those early days with the immensely brave sorties by the Tornados on airfields often against very heavy fire, but they will have lost it comprehensively because in every aspect of the profession of warfare they will have been beaten by the Allied Forces.
I can only say in conclusion that I hope that happy day comes sooner rather than later and once it has been done, I assure you that we will be bringing your colleagues from the Gulf home just as speedily as we possibly can and I know you and their families will give them a very warm welcome; and I can assure you than when they and you come back to the United Kingdom as well, there will be a very warm welcome for you too.
So thank you very much indeed for all you have done; thank you for making me so welcome today; and thank you for the work that I know you will continue to do between today and that happy day when the conflict is finally concluded. Thank you all very much indeed! [Applause].
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTION:
You spoke to Christine Ankerson. Can I ask you what that was like and what you said?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was a private discussion with Mrs. Ankerson and I do not wish to comment.
QUESTION:
Right! Can we return then to your meeting with Herr Kohl earlier? You come away clearly delighted – can you explain to us why?
PRIME MINISTER:
It was an extremely good meeting. There are a vast range of things to discuss with Herr Kohl, a vast series of areas where there is a common British and German interest; a great deal is happening in Europe and a great deal is happening elsewhere. We had the opportunity of running down a whole range of matters and we found a very satisfactory community of thought on a large number of them.
QUESTION:
Included in that, of course, was monetary union in Europe.
PRIME MINISTER:
That was one of a large number of things we discussed; we found great unity on a number of others. There is not complete unity over monetary union in Europe but there are certainly some common objectives: we both want low inflation in Europe – there are matters of that sort. we are just beginning to discuss monetary union in the IGCs and there is a great deal further to go and as we both said in the press conference we had afterwards, of course there are some differences but the IGCs, I hope, will be areas where we can sort them out.
QUESTION:
Prime Minister, how did you find the morale of the families when you spoke to the wives and children here?
PRIME MINISTER:
I thought it was both remarkable and admirable. It is difficult for someone who is not a member of the family of one of our servicemen in the Gulf to quite understand the concerns that they must have at the present time. We can imagine what it is like but we cannot actually know what it is like for we do not have that particular burden to bear at present but I must say they were absolutely remarkable, very impressive indeed.
QUESTION:
When you were at Munster, I am sure that were many people who were very concerned about when the land war would start in the Gulf. Were you able to give them any indication, the wives of those army personnel who are out in the Gulf?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I was not able to give them an indication of when the land war will start – that is not something that I can do and it is not something that is fully known yet.
I think it is now becoming probable rather than possible that there will be a land conflict but precisely when that will be is as yet uncertain.
QUESTION:
Did you feel that they needed reassurance, the wives that you met today?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think everyone in those circumstances would like to know that other people are concerned about them and care about them and to hear the immense admiration that is being expressed everywhere in the United Kingdom for the way our servicemen are performing in the Gulf but I must say I found the wives very resolute indeed.
QUESTION:
One other question on the talks with Chancellor Kohl. I understand that Chancellor Kohl said that there was a new era in Anglo-German relations that was opening. Do you also share that view?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think there is a very good relationship between the United Kingdom and Germany. I am delighted that that is the case and Herr Kohl and I will remain in close contact. We hope to build on that and we are sure it will continue.