The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1993

  • PMQT – 14 December 1993

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 14th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Etherington : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 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. Etherington : Will the Prime Minister explain to the House how, at a time of national financial restraint, he can justify the expenditure of £15 million of taxpayers’ money by him and his Cabinet colleagues on entertainment? I understand that that fund is appropriately known as the drinks cabinet. Does the right hon. Gentleman think that that expenditure is little less than a scandal, when public service workers are being told that they face an indefinite wage freeze and does not it provide yet again that under his Administration there is one law for the powerful and another for the powerless?

    The Prime Minister : At least the hon. Gentleman may be remembered for having made the worst pre-Christmas joke of the year. I happen to have the figures for No. 10 in front of me and I can tell him that expenditure on official hospitality at No. 10 was 27 per cent. lower than in previous years.

    Mr. Pickles : Is my right hon. Friend aware that all the upper schools in my constituency have opted out of local authority control– [Interruption.]

    Madam Speaker : Order. I cannot hear the hon. Gentleman.

    Mr. Pickles : Is my right hon. Friend aware that all the upper schools in my constituency have opted out of local authority control and that one of them–the Anglo-European school, which has an international reputation–is under threat from Essex county council because of a decision by the Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition to withdraw discretionary fares? That school has been the jewel in the crown of Essex. It has a high reputation for language training, and represents– [Interruption.] Will my right hon. Friend join me in saying– [Interruption.] Will my right hon. Friend join me in condemning this.

    Madam Speaker : Order. I have heard the hon. Gentleman now. Thank you.

    The Prime Minister : I share my hon. Friend’s pleasure in the number of schools that have become grant maintained, which now exceeds 1,000. I have not heard about the specific problem concerning a particular school in Essex, under the control of the Liberal Democrats, and I am sorry if there appears to be discrimination against the school.

    Mr. John Smith : Does the Prime Minister agree that it is disgraceful that the sums of money being spent in the health service on increased bureaucracy, huge salaries and perks for managers and glossy public relations seem totally out of control?

    The Prime Minister : I do not share the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s suggestion that the expenditure is out of control. I do not believe that it is. The amount of expenditure on administration in the health service is very tightly examined and very tightly controlled. What I can tell the right hon. and learned Gentleman is that when I examined the control over health expenditure some years ago, as Chief Secretary, there was virtually no reasonable control over expenditure. It is necessary to have such control and I believe that it is right that we should have it.

    Mr. John Smith : Has the Prime Minister looked at the affairs of the National Health Service Supplies Authority? If there is control, why did it waste hundreds of thousands of pounds on changing a single word in its name –£5,500 for a new logo, £61,000 for artwork, £67,000 on publications, £40,000 to replace signs and £20,000 to repaint the vans? That is £200,000 of which not a penny was spent on patient care. What kind of control is that?

    The Prime Minister : Administrative costs in the health service are about 2 per cent. of total costs. There are very few companies that could match that. There has been no time in our history when so many resources were devoted to patient care within the health service.

    Mr. John Smith : Is the Prime Minister reluctant to condemn the example that I gave him because the chairman of the National Health Service Supplies Authority is Sir Robin Buchanan, a former Tory councillor and, until recently, the chairman of Wessex regional health authority, in which the grotesque mismanagement of public funds was exposed by the Public Accounts Committee?

    The Prime Minister : What the right hon. and learned Gentleman utterly neglects to mention is the fact that there is more money in the health service and more patients are being treated in the health service than ever before. He may seek to throw sand in the eyes on other matters, but that is the reality of the health reforms and no sensible person would wish to reverse them.

    Sir Peter Emery : Does my right hon. Friend accept the view of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and of parliamentary delegations in Moscow monitoring the elections that the elections were full, free and fair? Will he make it clear that a Parliament or a Government, whether democratically elected or not, which show antagonism to Britain or the west, cannot expect to have economic aid poured in? Will he also make it clear that any move to annex nations that are now free and border on Commonwealth of Independent States countries must obtain the condemnation of the whole world?

    The Prime Minister : We have not yet received the formal report from the observers of the elections, but the preliminary indications are that the elections were conducted freely and fairly. I look forward to the official reports in due course. It is, of course, too soon to say what the Russian Parliament will look like. There are a lot of results on a first-past-the-post basis that still have to come in. We shall have to examine that and examine the implications for British policy thereafter. It is undoubted that both the United Kingdom and the international community have recognised the independence of countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. We have recognised that and we expect their sovereignty to be respected.

     

    Q2. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

    Mr. Banks : As we have been talking about wasting public money, will the Prime Minister tell us why he spent £292,000 on decorating No. 10 Downing Street and improving the catering facilities? We thought that he had an outside caterer. Does he think that it is obscene that he should be spending that amount of taxpayer’s money when, within yards of Downing street, thousands of people are living in cardboard boxes and in shop doorways? Is not it rather strange that a simple Brixton boy has become the Imelda Marcos of Downing street?

    The Prime Minister : I seem to recall that the hon. Gentleman, as chairman of the Greater London council, used to arrive in the House of Commons in a chauffeur-driven car, paid for by the ratepayers. I also seem to remember that that same south London boy blew ratepayers’ money on a giant binge to celebrate the end of the GLC as well as on parties, fireworks and river trips. He even spent it on silver medallions for his GLC colleagues.

    The money that the hon. Gentleman referred to being spent on Downing Street –a public building–was used largely to repair the kitchens and other parts of the public aspect of the building.

     

    Q3. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

    Mr. Riddick : With recent events in mind, does my right hon. Friend share my confidence that the Government will get their parliamentary business through this Session, bearing in mind the figures recently made public showing that out of the 200 Members with the best voting records, 191 were Conservatives and only six were Labour Members? Surely those figures show that the campaign of so-called non-co-operation is the hypocritical sham that we know it to be.

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend understates the problem, as is his wont. Sham is precisely the right word. We know that the Labour party has broken off relations because it made a total mess of tabling an amendment on value added tax. It is now trying to hide the shambles that it made.

    The idea that the Government are not allowing enough time to discuss budgetary measures is total and absolute nonsense. The Budget debate was extended by a day this year, and what happened? Hardly any Opposition Members turned up for that debate. I am not remotely surprised that only six Members out of the 200 with good voting records are Labour Members.

    As for guillotines, I recall that five were introduced in a day by Mr, Michael Foot and the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) voted for them.

     

    Q4. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

    Mr. Griffiths : Has the Prime Minister had time to read the excellent research conducted in America and Britain, which shows that the best and most cost-effective investment in education is that in nursery education? Will he prove the Daily Express right, for once, and commit his Government to providing nursery places for all three and four-year-olds? That would be a much better way of spending money than wasting it on Downing Street, fripperies in the health service and paying off retired Cabinet Ministers.

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman may look, for example, at a Conservative education authority such as Wandsworth, which provides nursery education. He should also bear it in mind that, on other occasions, he and his colleagues have asked for diversity of choice to be given to education authorities about how they spend their money.

    Mr. Viggers : Will my right hon. Friend join me in applauding the progress towards fair and democratic government in much of central and eastern Europe? Does he agree that NATO must continue to develop the links and resources to ensure that that progress is safeguarded?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend about that. The future of NATO and its role from here onwards is an important subject to be discussed at the NATO summit in mid-January.

     

    Q5. Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

    Mr. Cunningham : Is the Prime Minister aware that widespread concern will be felt throughout the country and particularly in Coventry about the £1 billion error which the Chief Secretary to the Treasury admitted yesterday? Does that mean more cuts in benefit for low-income groups? Is the Prime Minister also aware of the concern felt by many about the breathtaking incompetence of the Government, as demonstrated by their admittance of that £1 billion error?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman would do better to go back and read the evidence that was taken and then frame his question in a more accurate way.

    The reality of what the Chief Secretary said yesterday makes no difference in practice. All social security– [Interruption.] Hon. Gentlemen would be wise to listen. The point about the £1 billion was not that it was in error, but simply that it was scored in the wrong place.

     

    Q6. Sir John Hannam : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 14 December.

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

    Sir John Hannam : When my right hon. Friend was in Brussels at the weekend, did he have the opportunity of exchanging views with the other European leaders about the state of their economies, particularly the levels of inflation, interest rates and economic growth–all areas in which my right hon. Friend is leading the way?

    The Prime Minister : We had the opportunity of discussing the position across Europe. The fact is that, across Europe, the European Commission is forecasting a fall in GDP of around 0.5 per cent. In Germany, it is expected to fall by 2.25 per cent. in the current year and in France by 1 per cent. Industrial production is down in a number of countries. It is, of course, now rather different here : we have the lowest rates of interest in the Community; our inflation has been below the Community average for two years; unemployment is falling consistently in this country while it is rising elsewhere; and we have the fastest growth rate among European Community countries this year and by far the highest forecast for growth next year.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 13 December 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 13th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    European Union

    Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the admission of states in the Visegrad group into the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : The Copenhagen European Council agreed in June that the Central European associate countries – including the four states in the Visegrad group – should be admitted to the European Union, if they so wished, as soon as they are ready to take on the obligations of membership. The Government had worked hard to achieve this outcome, and warmly welcomed it.

    The associate countries are now beginning to prepare themselves, economically and politically. The United Kingdom is helping this process both bilaterally and through the European Union.

     

    Honours System

    Mr. Redmond : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress of his proposals for the honours system announced on 4 March.

    The Prime Minister : The changes to the honours system outlined in my statement to the House on 4 March have been put into effect. I plan to report to the House shortly on the review of the numbers and distribution of honours.

     

    Northern Ireland (Investment)

    Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the companies from other EC countries which have brought inward investment into Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the last 10 years.

    The Prime Minister : According to records maintained by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Invest in Britain Bureau, 879 EC-owned companies have set up in the United Kingdom in the last 10 years. These figures are based on information provided by the companies at the time of the announcement to invest. There is no requirement to notify the Department, and so the figures include only those projects where the Invest in Britain Bureau and its regional partners were involved, or which have come to their notice. They take no account of subsequent developments. At the request of the companies concerned, some names are commercially confidential, and cannot be quoted. However, a list of quotable companies has been placed in the Library of the House.

     

    Cash Limits

    Mr. Redmond : To ask the Prime Minister what will be the cash limit on the cost of running his office in 1994-95.

    The Prime Minister : Financial provision for the running of my Office in 1994-95 is subject to the budgetary planning arrangements operated jointly by the Cabinet Office and Office of Public Service and Science. Internal allocation of the 1993 survey settlement is not yet complete. Provision is expected to be similar to that for the current financial year.

     

    Special Advisers

    Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister what information ministerial special advisers who resign or retire are required to provide concerning their subsequent employment; and to whom.

    The Prime Minister : None.

     

    NATO

    Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Prime Minister if it is the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to support the admission of states in the Visegrad group into membership of NATO; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : We and our NATO allies have repeatedly stated that NATO is not a closed shop. We do not therefore rule out the possibility of new members at some time in the future. But the question of NATO enlargement is a complex one. Our overriding objective in considering it must be to enhance security and stability across the whole of Europe, while at the same time ensuring that we do not create new divisions or erect new barriers.

     

    Morality

    Mr. Worthington : To ask the Prime Minister which of Her Majesty’s Government’s policies since 1979 have attempted to influence moral behaviour; and what assessment he has made of each of those policies.

    The Prime Minister : Policies are designed to influence moral behaviour where it is in the national interest that they should do so. Our policies on law and order are perhaps the most obvious example.

     

    No. 10 Downing Street

    Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister how much has been spent on decorating and furnishing No. 10 Downing Street since November 1990.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 30 November 1993] : Figures are available only on a financial year basis. The expenditure on new works, furniture and fittings in the state rooms, on the catering facilities, and in the offices and other rooms in 10 Downing Street from April 1991 to March 1993 was £292,000.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 10 December 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 10th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Council of Europe Delegation

    Mr. Dunn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will announce the composition of the United Kingdom delegation for the 1994 ordinary session of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.

    The Prime Minister : The 1994 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be opened in Strasbourg on 24 January 1994. The delegation from the United Kingdom for the session will consist of 19 members of the Conservative party, 15 members of the Labour party and two members from the minority parties.

    The appointments of representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the parties concerned, in accordance with the resolution of this House on 22 May 1992 at column 682 and of the House of Lords on 18 June 1992 at columns 290-92.

    The same delegation will be representing the United Kingdom Parliament at the Assembly of the Western European Union, which next meets in Paris in June 1994.

    Representatives from the Government benches will be :

    My noble Friend, the Lord Finsberg – who will continue to act as leader of both delegations.

    My hon. Friends the Members for :

    Warwick and Leamington (Sir D. Smith)

    Calder Valley (Sir D. Thompson)

    Poole (Mr. J. Ward)

    Ashford (Sir K. Speed)

    Medway (Dame P. Fenner)

    Lewis (Mr. Rathbone)

    Bournemouth, East (Mr. D. Atkinson)

    Ravensbourne (Sir J. Hunt)

    Lord Newell

    Representatives from the Labour party will be :

    The hon. Members for :

    Wentworth (Mr. Hardy)

    Tooting (Mr. Cox)

    Wansbeck (Mr. Thompson)

    Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks)

    Don Valley (Mr. Redmond)

    Manchester, Central (Mr. Litherland)

    Lord Kirkhill

    The representative from the minority parties will be :

    The hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (Sir R. Johnston).

    The following substitutes have been appointed to act as necessary on behalf of the delegates.

    From the Government Benches :

    The hon. Members for :

    Reading, West (Sir T. Durant)

    Norfolk, North (Sir R. Howell)

    Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden)

    Wellingborough (Mr. Fry)

    Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Dicks)

    Bridlington (Mr. Townend)

    Newark (Mr. Alexander)

    Baroness Hooper

    Earl of Dundee

    From the Labour party :

    The hon. Members for :

    Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie)

    Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman)

    Newport, East (Mr. Hughes)

    Easington (Mr. Cummings)

    Leigh (Mr. Cunliffe)

    Leicester, South (Mr. Marshall)

    Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis)

    Baroness Lockwood

    From the minority parties :

    The Lord Mackie of Benshie

  • Mr Major’s Comments on Borrowing – 10 December 1993

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments on the proposal by Jacques Delors to borrow money to fund new jobs. The comments were made in Brussels, Belgium, on 10th December 1993.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked whether he wanted to create employment].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    The point of issue is not whether we want jobs or not – of course we want jobs – the point of issue is whether it is a successful way to do that by taking a large, fresh loan at precisely the moment that every other country in the European Community is cutting down on its borrowing, and patently it isn’t.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 9 December 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 9th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    European Community Expenditure

    Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Prime Minister what was the level of EC expenditure in the United Kingdom disaggregated by parliamentary constituency and EC programme, in each year since 1988-89.

    The Prime Minister : The information requested is not available. Details of public sector receipts by Government Department were published in table 11.4 of the 1993 Chancellor’s departmental report. This table covers the outturn for the years 1987-88 to 1991-92, estimated outturn for 1992-93 and plans for 1993-94 to 1995-96. Departments’ latest forecast of EC receipts will be published in the 1994 Chancellor’s departmental report, early next year.

     

    Political Donations

    Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister if he will introduce legislation to require all political parties to compile and publish annually comprehensive accounts showing the source of all donations and the extent of all expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : I have no plans to do so.

     

    No. 10 Downing Street

    Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has used No. 10 Downing Street premises for functions of the Conservative party; what is the cost to public funds; and what was the purpose of each occasion.

    The Prime Minister : When charitable or other non-official events are held at No. 10 Downing Street, the organisers are responsible for all catering and staff costs as well as other miscellaneous direct costs.

    Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister in what circumstances the premises of No. 10 Downing Street are available for hire by outside organisations; and at what cost.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 30 November 1993, Official Report, column 420.

     

    War Anniversaries

    Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what plans the Government have with its wartime allies to mark (a) the 50th anniversary of the D-Day operation and (b) the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe.

    The Prime Minister : Plans for a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, both in the United Kingdom and in France, are now well advanced. These plans have been made in close co-operation with other Governments. An announcement will be made shortly.

    Plans for events to mark the end of the second world war are being considered at present. An announcement will be made next year.

  • PMQT – 9 December 1993

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 9th December 1993. Tony Newton responded on behalf of John Major.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Tony Newton) : I have been asked to reply.

    My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is travelling to Brussels for the European Council meting and other meetings. I understand that the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) is also attending a meeting of socialist leaders in Brussels–the Brussels fringe. I am informed that he will sign a communique, but I have no information about whether he has read it.

    Mr. Brazier : Is my right hon. Friend aware of the growing concern among some Conservative Members that our defence cuts may have gone too far, considering the situation in Russia and the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology? Further cuts must mean a loss of capability. Surely, the lesson of the Gulf war was that it took almost all our Army and Royal Air Force logistic capability, ammunition and spare parts to keep only two brigades and a few RAF squadrons in being for a few days’ fighting. Should not we review capabilities and commitments as well as costs?

    Mr. Newton : I believe that the Government have struck the right balance between our commitments, our resources and our capabilities. Our aim is to maintain the effectiveness of our front-line forces, while improving the efficiency of support services in Whitehall and elsewhere, and I think that that is what we shall achieve. We shall certainly not adopt the policy of the Labour party conference, which only three months ago voted to scrap our nuclear shield and to cut our defence spending by about £7.5 billion.

    Mrs. Beckett : Why, having run away from a debate on VAT on fuel this Tuesday– [Interruption.] The Lord President may not have heard me so I shall ask again : why, having run away from the debate on VAT on fuel this Tuesday, have the Government decided to run away next Tuesday from debates on statutory sick pay and on the increase in national insurance contributions?

    Mr. Newton : The Government are in no way running away from debate. We provided an extra day for the debate on the Budget, but even that extra time did not enable either the Opposition Front-Bench spokesmen or their Whips to table the right motion at the right time. That was sheer parliamentary incompetence. Perhaps they were running away because they thought that the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) might not be able to vote for what they tabled.

    Mrs. Beckett : The Lord President has run away yet again from the question that I asked him. Is not the Government’s problem that those two measures expose their hypocrisy and deceit? They claim that they are lifting the burdens on business when really they are piling them on. They claim to be the party of low taxes, although they have imposed the biggest tax hike in British industry. Is that why they are running away from proper scrutiny of the Bills?

    Mr. Newton : It is quite clear that another reason why Labour Members did not get their amendment right is that they simply had not done their homework on the proposals. The combination of the SSP proposals and our proposals for employer contributions brings about a net reduction in the costs to British industry.

    Mrs. Beckett : Does not the Lord President realise that these are important Bills which the British people will expect to hear debated? Does he not know that in the eyes of the British people the Government already stand convicted of deceit and incompetence, and now they are adding cowardice to the charge?

    Mr. Newton : These are important Bills and we will ensure that they get appropriate time for debate in a way that is consistent with carrying through the responsible and effective policies in my right hon. and learned Friend’s Budget.

     

    Q2. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Oppenheim : Is my right hon. Friend aware that one country in Europe above all in recent years has faithfully followed the Delors prescription of ever-mounting labour market regulation, ever greater public spending, growing public sector debt and ever more intervention and meddling in industry? Spain suffers from 22 per cent. unemployment as a result of those policies. Is it any surprise that both the socialist manifesto in Europe and the shadow Chancellor espouse exactly those policies?

    Mr. Newton : My hon. Friend might have added that that self-same Spain is one of the countries that have a national minimum wage, and it has 22 per cent. unemployment. My hon. Friend is right that what Europe needs above all is to cut its costs and develop more flexible labour markets. That is what we have been seeking successfully to do.

    The way to increase unemployment is to espouse the policies of Labour Members, who have signed up to a 35-hour working week, a minimum wage and raising business taxes to the levels in other European countries. Heaven knows what else the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) is signing up to in Brussels this afternoon.

     

    Q3. Mr. Janner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Janner : Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that since his Government were elected in 1979 with a law and order platform, recorded crimes in Leicestershire have increased by 237 per cent. but the Government have permitted the number of police officers to increase by only 7 per cent? Is not it a scandal that in those circumstances the Government have announced a second year in which the number of police officers is to be frozen? Is not it a scandal that all that the Home Secretary can call for is individual citizens to fight crime in the street? The Government have become one not of law and order but of crime and disorder.

    Mr. Newton : My right hon. and learned Friend has set out a range of policies to support the police, to release from paperwork into practical action against crime a large number of police and to take effective action in the criminal justice field along lines which I hope Labour Members will support but which their record is one of consistently opposing.

     

    Q4. Dr. Twinn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave some moments ago.

    Dr. Twinn : Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Japanese ambassador said that Great Britain is a trail blazer for free trade in Europe? Will he ensure that the Prime Minister and all the Government continue to put Britain, together with free trade, at the heart of Europe?

    Mr. Newton : My hon. Friend points out accurately and encouragingly what the Japanese ambassador said. The ambassador went on to say : “I see no reason why Britain should not remain the most favoured location for Japanese investment in Europe as long as the factors which have attracted this investment remain in place.”

    Those factors will remain as long as this Government have anything to do with them. They would be destroyed only if we were unlucky enough to be inflicted with a Labour Government.

    Mr. Barnes : Why am I having to put down question after question after question– [Interruption.]

    Madam Speaker : Order.

    Mr. Barnes : When will I get answers to the questions that I have tabled about what is going on in the meetings of the Council of Ministers in Europe? There have been two Heads of State meetings, one in Edinburgh and one in Brussels. At those meetings, it was said that there would be transparency and openness, and that reports would be made to the House as to what the voting arrangements are in the Council of Ministers where the decisions are made.

    The Prime Minister has promised that all Departments will give that information in answers, but that has not been done. The matter has been raised with the Leader of the House during business questions, but it has not been answered. The right hon. Gentleman will not even answer the letters that I wrote to him in June and in November. Can the House have an answer now?

    Mr. Newton : The Edinburgh decision meant that the Council’s rules of procedure had to be changed and that has taken longer in some respects than we would have wished. Our purpose remains precisely as was stated. I anticipate that my right hon. Friend will report to the House in the wake of the Council that is about to take place.

     

    Q5. Mr. Duncan : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Duncan : Given that the virtue of capitalism is that it harnesses private energy for the public good, will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the decision of Leyland-DAF to give £200 worth of shares to each of its employees for Christmas? Does not the success of that company in turning itself around prove that private enterprise and not socialist subsidy is the best recipe?

    Mr. Newton : All right hon. and hon. Friends will be as pleased by that news as is my hon. Friend, who might have added that Leyland-DAF vans has also announced an £8 million development programme. I am not surprised, but I thought that we might have heard from the Opposition given their concern about Leyland-DAF a few months ago. The Opposition like to broadcast only bad news. My hon. Friend will recall that the Labour party wanted the Government to pump millions of pounds of subsidy into Leyland-DAF, as had the Dutch and Belgian Governments. As it is, the Dutch Government spent £100 million of taxpayers’ money in subsidies and it has saved fewer jobs proportionately than we have.

     

    Q6. Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Llwyd : Yesterday at Station road in Llanrwst in my constituency, a serious flooding incident devastated eight or 10 businesses as a direct result of negligence by contractors which were employed by the Welsh office. Will the Leader of the House impress on his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales the need for full and urgent compensation for those businesses?

    Mr. Newton : First, on behalf of the whole House and through the hon. Gentleman I express sympathy to his constituents for their unhappy experience. I think that all hon. Members would want to join in that.

    Beyond that, I do not wish to comment in detail on something that I have not had a chance to look into. As the hon. Gentleman will have noticed, my right hon. Friend is in the Chamber and I am sure that he will examine what he has said.

     

    Q7. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Thurnham : Is my right hon. Friend aware of the latest local government ombudsman’s report, which shows that maladministration by council housing departments is the biggest single cause of complaint? Does he agree that this Government have done more than any other to promote private ownership? Is he aware that the Opposition now agree that the private rented sector badly needs a boost?

    Mr. Newton : I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s long and welcome interest in housing. Of course, I am well aware of his new pamphlet and, by some happy chance, I have a copy with me. It is yet another example of fresh thinking in housing, and I welcome my hon. Friend’s contribution to the debate. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, who wrote a foreword to the report, will want to discuss the ideas in my hon. Friend’s pamphlet with him.

     

    Q8. Mr. Olner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 December.

    Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.

    Mr. Olner : Is the Lord President aware that due to the inclement weather yesterday in the midlands and the north there have been no trains through my constituency of Nuneaton from Liverpool and Manchester? Does not that show the frailty of the infrastructure on the west coast main line, which is being stretched to breaking point? Would the right hon. Gentleman care to comment on the fact that what was said in the Budget was only a promise that might be fulfilled in two years? Will the Government now pump prime the infrastructure of that line by putting money into it?

    Mr. Newton : Given what my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said at the time of the public expenditure announcements in respect of the west coast main line, that is one of the most ungenerous questions that I have heard for some time. It also bears out the old joke that the Government even get blamed for the weather.

  • Mr Major’s Comments at Jubilee Line Extension Inaugural Ceremony – 8 December 1993

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments at the Jubilee Line Extension Inaugural Ceremony on 8th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Sir Wilfred, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    It was only a few months ago that I was in Docklands to open the Limehouse Link Tunnel. That marked the completion of an important road system running almost the whole length of Docklands.

    And I’m here now for the start of work on another vital transport link for Docklands and for London. After many years East London is starting to get the infrastructure development it needs.

    The Jubilee Line Extension is a truly impressive project:

    – it will cost nearly £2 billion;

    – it will create 22,000 jobs;

    – its intricate tunnelling system will be built with the best of British engineering expertise;

    – it will link London’s East End to the West End;

    – and transform travel from South London to Docklands.

    It is a remarkable project.

    London’s docks are very old. They were built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by private companies with private capital. And now, today, the private sector has made its contribution to the Jubilee Line Extension.

    In the future, I believe that will often be the way forward for large transport projects. To ensure we provide the modern transport system this country needs we will need to enlist the resources of the private sector to support the contribution of the taxpayer. Private sector finance built our infrastructure in the first place and will increasingly contribute towards it in the next Century.

    Today, I congratulate everyone who has brought this project to the starting line – especially the London Docklands Development

    Corporation; the Consortium of Banks who have stood behind Canary Wharf; the European Investment Bank; and London Underground. A genuine partnership between the private and public sectors. A prototype of the pattern of the future.

    There’s a lot of work, a lot of mess, and a lot of disruption ahead. But the end product – the Jubilee Line – is worthwhile. We will all reap the benefits for many years ahead.

    Wilfred, I’m told the sooner I stop talking, the sooner work can start. I’m reliably informed that if I press the button in front of me, this huge crane will drive the first pile into the ground.

    Let us hope so – and as the crane begins to work – let us look forward to the rapid completion of this most remarkable project – the Jubilee Line.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 8 December 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 8th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Bomb-proofing

    Mr. Redmond : To ask the Prime Minister what has been the cost of bomb-proofing (a) No. 10 and (b) No. 11 Downing Street.

    The Prime Minister : On security grounds, I do not propose to give this information.

     

    Government Car Service

    Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Prime Minister what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers; and how many vehicles are involved.

    The Prime Minister : The charge to my office for ministerial use of the Government car service during 1992-93 was £107,395. Two vehicles are involved.

     

    EU Summit

    Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what matters in regard to environmental protection he intends to raise at the European Union Heads of Government summit in Brussels on 10 to 11 December.

    The Prime Minister : The Council will focus on the European economy and the Commission White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment. It will also consider the Commission’s report on subsidiarity. I shall continue to emphasise the importance of properly sustainable development, in accordance with the treaty provisions.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 7 December 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 7th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Visits

    Mr. Mullin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the official visits by himself and his predecessor to (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Malaysia and (c) Singapore since June 1987; and which such visits included party political activities in addition to official duties.

    The Prime Minister : Official visits were made to Saudi Arabia in January 1991, March 1991 and January 1993; to Malaysia in August 1988, October 1989 (for CHOGM) and September 1993; and to Singapore in August 1988. The official visits made by my right hon. and noble Friend were a matter for her. Since November 1990 each of my visits to the countries concerned have been entirely for official purposes.

     

    No. 10 Downing Street

    Mr. Beith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 419, which charitable or other non- official organisations or groups have been notified that they may organise events at No. 10 Downing Street under the financial arrangements described in his answer.

    The Prime Minister : I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 30 November 1993 at columns 418-19.

     

    Ministers (Severance Pay)

    Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister, if he will list those who have resigned, retired or been dismissed from ministerial office in the past 10 years and the severance pay in (i) cash and (ii) current prices paid to each one.

    The Prime Minister : As the Financial Secretary explained on 28 October in his reply to a question from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), the Parliamentary Pensions Act 1984 introduced severance payments for Ministers and other paid office holders in the House of Lords, subject to the conditions set out in the Act. The Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 extended the provision to Commons Ministers and other paid office holders in neither House.

    Although no composite list is kept, we have identified from our records the following occasions on which severance payments have been authorised since 31 July 1984. In each case the severance payment would have been equal to three months of the relevant ministerial salary, as provided for by the Act.

    Severance Payments

    Date and ministerial post

    11 September 1984

    Minister of State for the Environment

    26 March 1985

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Environment

    3 September 1985

    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

    11 September 1986

    Minister of State, Environment

    Minister of State, Scottish Office

    15 June 1987

    Minister of State, Foreign Office

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry

    23 July 1989

    Secretary of State, Trade and Industry

    Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    24 July 1989

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Energy

    25 July 1989

    Lord in Waiting

    26 July 1989

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office

    22 July 1990

    Minister of State, Industry

    6 September 1990

    Minister of State, Scottish Office

    3 December 1990

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office

    22 May 1991

    Chief Whip, House of Lords

    31 December 1991

    Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords

    11 April 1992

    Secretary of State, Defence

    Secretary of State, Home Office

    Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords

    14 April 1992

    Minister of State, Defence

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education and Science Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, Energy

    Minister of State, Environment

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Health

    Minister of State, Home Office

    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office

    Minister for the Arts

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry

    14 April 1992

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Transport

    Minister of State, Transport

    Financial Secretary to the Treasury

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Welsh Office

    27 April 1992

    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office

    5 May 1992

    Chairman of Committees, House of Lords

    Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, House of Lords Deputy Speaker, House of Commons

    25 September 1992

    Secretary of State, National Heritage

    11 December 1992

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Education

    26 May 1993

    Chancellor of the Exchequer

    27 May 1993

    Minister of State, Defence

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Trade and Industry Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of Public Service and Science

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Transport

    6 June 1993

    Minister of State, FCO

    24 June 1993

    Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office

    16 September 1993

    Chief Whip, House of Lords

  • PMQT – 7 December 1993

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 7th December 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 7 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. Madden : May I ask the Prime Minister a question of which I have given him notice? Will he explain why only a quarter of the 4, 000 refugees from the former Yugoslavia whom Britain agreed to take 12 months ago have arrived? As the British Government have always opposed military intervention to stop aggression and the means of self-defence for the people of Bosnia, does the Prime Minister agree that he and his Government have an overwhelming moral obligation to persuade the United Nations to take appropriate action to ensure that protected areas are protected, that humanitarian relief gets to the people who so desperately need it and, finally, that vulnerable people, including those who need medical aid, receive refuge and the urgent medical attention that they need?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice of the first part of his question.

    I understand the genuine concern that the hon. Gentleman expresses, and I know that he has expressed it on occasions in the past. He will be aware that, just over a year ago, we agreed to take up to 1,000 humanitarian cases from the former Yugoslavia. We agreed to do that when the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross judged it to be necessary. It is not necessary at the moment to give a further undertaking because, to date, only 438 cases have been recommended to us for receipt in this country. As the hon. Gentleman will know, in addition to that commitment, we have given more than £150 million worth of assistance to the former Yugoslavia, and our service men, as at the end of last week, have now escorted more than 1,500 aid convoys delivering more than 70,000 tonnes of aid.

    Mr. John Townend : Is my right hon. Friend aware that, since the Budget, the forward interest rate has dropped? Is that not an indication that the markets have confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver their promises on lower inflation and large reductions in the Budget deficit?

    The Prime Minister : It is certainly the case that the markets are indicating greater confidence about the future levels of inflation than we have seen for many years. Certainly, the forward market illustrates that. Inflationary pressures are very subdued at present. We intend to keep them subdued in the future.

    Mr. John Smith : Can the Prime Minister explain why the first Budget resolution to be voted on tonight is designed to prevent any debate or vote on VAT on fuel? Why is the Prime Minister so desperate to avoid allowing the House of Commons to vote on that issue?

    The Prime Minister : The House of Commons has voted on that issue on more than one occasion in the past. Since we seem to have provided the compensation that the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) thought was necessary, I am surprised that the right hon. and learned Gentleman raises the matter.

    Mr. John Smith : If the Prime Minister is confident about his so-called compensation package, why can we not debate it and vote on it in this House? Surely the reason why the motion has been tabled is to let Tory Back Benchers off the hook after they promised their constituents that they would vote against it.

    The Prime Minister : We shall be interested to see whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman seeks to bring that back in the future, in view of the fact that, from the beginning, his policy has been to have some sort of energy tax and he signed up to that as recently as a few days ago. I reiterate the fact that we have provided compensation which his colleague suggested was necessary.

    Mr. John Smith : The Prime Minister is not dealing with the question. Why, in the motion, is the House of Commons to be deprived of an opportunity to debate and vote on VAT? Why does not the Prime Minister have the honesty to admit that he wants to avoid an embarrassing debate and an embarrassing vote on a tax that will remain deeply unpopular with the British people and those Tory Members who vote for it?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. and learned Gentleman has a faulty memory. We voted on the matter and approved it after the Budget in April. All that has changed since then is the generous compensation package, amounting, in the third year, to £1.2 billion to help 15 million people.

    Mr. Luff : Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the decision of the American company, Southco, to locate a major manufacturing plant in my constituency of Worcester, creating some 200 new jobs in the next few years? Is that not further proof–if proof were needed–that the Government have the right policies to attract inward investment to this country and that the Opposition have the wrong ones?

    The Prime Minister : In recent years, this country has certainly received a disproportionate amount of inward investment coming into Europe and from one European country to another. That reflects this country’s disinflationary tendency, the many supply-side reforms that we made to free up the market, and the fact that we are not prepared to add to employers’ social costs, which would create unemployment. This is the place to invest, to be competitive and to grow, and investors around the world recognise that and are acting on it.

     

    Q2. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

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

    Mr. Eastham : A few months ago, the Select Committee on Trade and Industry undertook an inquiry into the aerospace engineering industry. That industry is one of our biggest exporters, contributing £2.7 billion to our balance of payments. The all-party Committee recommended to the House–

    Madam Speaker : Order. I really must have a question from the hon. Gentleman now.

    Mr. Eastham : Will the Prime Minister look at that report, in which the Committee recommended that special aid be given to the industry over the next 10 years? That would reinforce the industrial base which the Prime Minister is always talking about.

    The Prime Minister : I know the hon. Gentleman’s long-standing interest in the aerospace industry. Equally, he will know that the Government have done more to assist the aerospace industry in recent years than either any party in the history of this House or other countries across Europe.

    Mr. Ward : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the collapse of the GATT round would be a disaster for world trade and that it would affect in particular the EC and third-world countries? Will he do all that he can to get it back on track?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of the GATT round. There have been substantial discussions between the European Community negotiator and Mr. Kantor from the United States in the past 24 hours. They have not yet reached agreement on all the issues. Substantial progress has been made and I hope that they will soon be able to go to Geneva where any outstanding matters can then be solved. I must repeat a point that I have made to the House before : the advantages of a satisfactory agreement in the Uruguay round are profound, not just for the industrialised countries in the north but for countries in the south that need our markets open to them for their future. The consequences of a failure in the GATT round could be damaging, not just for the industrial countries but for everyone. I hope that each country that finds itself unable to agree to any minor part of that agreement will consider the implications for the whole world if the agreement is not signed.

     

    Q3. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

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

    Mr. Kirkwood : Will the Prime Minister accept that thousands and thousands of second marriages in this country may simply be blown apart by the additional financial pressure caused by Christmas unless the Government act immediately on the recommendations of the Social Security Select Committee on the operation of the Child Support Agency? Will the Prime Minister take personal charge of framing the Government’s response to that report– [Interruption.] –so that the recommendations can be taken as a whole and acted upon before the House rises for the Christmas recess? [Interruption.] The Prime Minister must understand that the bipartisan Opposition support that the Child Support Agency has enjoyed to date will be put at risk, or may even be withdrawn, unless he does that before Christmas.

    The Prime Minister : I caught the gist of the hon. Gentleman’s question, but I am afraid that, with the disruption immediately in front of him, I did not catch all of it. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security and I welcome the Committee’s unequivocal support for the basic principles that underpin the Child Support Act 1991. My right hon. Friend is examining the recommendations that were made by the Select Committee, together with comments and observations made by other people recently. He will reply as soon as he has completed that examination. We will ensure that there is no unnecessary delay.

     

    Q4. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

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

    Mr. Greenway : Has my right hon. Friend had a chance to see today’s report of the new schools inspectorate which speaks of real improvements in many schools, but says that some primary schools should achieve higher standards and that joined-up writing should be taught to children before the age of eight? Is it not time for some joined-up thinking on education from the Labour party?

    The Prime Minister : On the last point, my hon. Friend must not ask for too much. He certainly must not ask Opposition Members to run before they can walk. As Her Majesty’s chief inspector said, the report published this morning shows that what he calls “significant dividends” are now flowing from the national curriculum and testing. The report also puts the spotlight on some continuing problems that we are determined to tackle. For example, it is unacceptable for some pupils, particularly those in inner- city schools, to be short changed by an inadequate education. I can assure the House that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education will make full use of his powers to ensure that those children receive an adequate education.

    Ms Corston : Is the Prime Minister aware that the miserly 50p a week announced by the Chancellor to assist pensioners with their fuel bills means that a pensioner with gas and electricity will spend 10 weeks’ money in one year just paying the VAT on the standing charge? Is not that a further fraud on the British pensioner?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Lady has neglected to mention that £1.2 billion extra will be available to help 15 million people meet the costs of their fuel. She also neglected to acknowledge that that extra help is built into the base of the pension and is a permanent addition upon which future increases are paid. At the end of the three-year period, a number of pensioners will find full compensation and others will be very nearly to it. That is not a miserly contribution.

     

    Q5. Mr. Gallie : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 7 December.

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

    Mr. Gallie : Is my right hon. Friend aware of the technical and cost -effective successes of Jetstream Prestwick in the production of turbo-prop aircraft? Is my right hon. Friend further aware of the problems it faces from a highly subsidised and competitive marketplace which is currently restricted?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is a formidable fighter for Prestwick and for Jetstream. I am aware, of course, of the tradition of success of the Jetstream turbo-prop aircraft. As my hon. Friend knows from his meeting with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry, both the Department of Trade and Industry and the Scottish Office remain in close touch with Jetstream about the future. [Interruption.]

    Madam Speaker : Order. The Prime Minister.

    The Prime Minister : You must let the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) shout for a minute Madam Speaker–it clears all that is in his brain.

    DTI officials are today meeting Jetstream to consider how to pursue its representations on unfair support to manufacturers overseas. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry will be meeting Jetstream later this month to discuss the up-to-date position.