The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1993

  • PMQT Written Answers – 15 February 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 15th February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Smoking

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister what provisions govern the imposition of no-smoking policies by operators of (a) trains, (b) aeroplanes, (c) buses and (d) taxis.

    The Prime Minister : The Government believe that decisions on whether or not smoking should be permitted on public transport are a matter for the operators concerned.

    On the railways, British Rail has the power to ban smoking by virtue of British Rail byelaw 20. On the London Underground, smoking is banned under a London Transport byelaw made under section 67 of the Transport Act 1962, as amended by paragraph 5(1) of schedule 3 to the Transport (London) Act 1969 and section 37 of the Transport Act 1981.

    Under article 53 of the Air Navigation Order 1989, the commander of an aircraft is empowered to decide on whether passengers should or should not be allowed to smoke.

    Bus operators are entitled to ban smoking on their vehicles under section 6 of the Passenger Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors and Passengers) Regulations 1990.

    There are no statutory provisions for taxi drivers to ban smoking in their vehicles. In line with their commitment in the “Health of the Nation” White Paper, the Government have undertaken to seek an opportunity to amend the relevant legislation to allow them to do so.

     

    Mercenaries

    Mr. Conway : To ask the Prime Minister what action the Government take to ensure that individuals known to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to have been mercenary soldiers to whom consular advice or assistance has been given are notified to the Ministry of Defence.

    The Prime Minister : The Ministry of Defence would not expect the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to notify them routinely of individuals who had sought consular advice or assistance, unless there were reason to believe that the individual concerned might be a serving or former member of the armed forces.

     

    Nuclear Materials

    Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to raise the matters of nuclear weapons testing, nuclear reprocessing and the international trade in nuclear explosive materials during his meeting with President Clinton on 24 February.

    The Prime Minister : I expect to have wide ranging discussions with President Clinton and members of his Administration.

     

    Scott Inquiry

    Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister how members of the public can contribute to the Scott inquiry.

    The Prime Minister : Members of the public who have information to contribute to the inquiry may write direct to Lord Justice Scott at 1 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5HE.

    Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what resources Her Majesty’s Government have made available to the Scott inquiry to pay for travel costs, overnight accommodation and subsistence of witnesses invited from (a) the United Kingdom and (b) abroad.

    The Prime Minister : Lord Justice Scott will be provided with the resources that he considers necessary to conduct his inquiry.

     

    World Summit for Children

    Mr. Battle : To ask the Prime Minister what specific targets his Government are setting for itself in terms of allocating resources for clean water, sanitation and basic education, in light of agreements made at the world summit for children.

    The Prime Minister : In the financial year 1991-92, one quarter of our bilateral aid to developing countries allocatable by sector was spent on clean water, sanitation and education.

     

    Rural Areas

    Mr. Ancram : To ask the Prime Minister what responsibilities the Department of Trade and Industry has for trade and industry in rural areas.

    The Prime Minister : The Department of Trade and Industry and its regional offices liaise closely in the delivery of services with other Government Departments and agencies where necessary. This includes the Department of the Environment which has responsibility for rural development policy and the Rural Development Commission.

     

    Coastal and Marine Issues

    Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Prime Minister if he will unify departmental responsibility for coastal and marine matters including incidents of oil pollution.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 12 February 1993] : No. The present division of responsibilities within Government for coastal and marine matters provides a comprehensive system of management. Coastal issues cannot be artificially isolated from the mainstream of policy-making across Government. Responsibility for preventing and responding to marine pollution lies clearly with the Department of Transport, which liaises with other Departments as appropriate.

     

    EC Regulations

    Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with his EC partners concerning transfer of undertakings and protection of employment regulations.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 12 February 1993] : The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 implement the EC acquired rights directive 1977. The European Commission is expected to make proposals to revise the directive shortly.

     

    Departmental Library

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 9 February, Official Report, column 551, what use has been made of the book by his Office; and what account the Government have taken of the substance of the final chapter of the book in considering possible prosecutions arising out of the case.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 12 February 1993] : The matters discussed in the book are the subject of Lord Justice Scott’s inquiry. It is necessary to await the judge’s report and recommendations.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 12 February 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 12th February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Pay Review Bodies

    Mr. Ward : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the latest reports of the pay review bodies.

    The Prime Minister : The 1993 reports of the review bodies on the pay of nursing staff, midwives and health visitors, the professions allied to medicine, the armed forces, and school teachers have now been published. Copies are available in the Vote Office. The Government are grateful to the members of the review bodies for the time and care which they have put into the preparation of the reports.

    In November the Government announced that public sector pay settlements in the coming year would be restricted to a range of 0 to 1.5 per cent. In line with the approach to public sector pay restraint, the groups covered by the Doctors and Dentists Review Body, the Nurses Pay Review Body and the Armed Forces Pay Review Body would receive an increase in pay of 1.5 per cent. from 1 April 1993. These review bodies were, however, invited by the Government to continue work on other specific issues and consider their position on performance pay, as appropriate to their remit groups.

    In accordance with this earlier statement, the Government will pay increases of 1.5 per cent. to doctors and dentists, nursing staff, midwives and health visitors, professions allied to medicine and the armed forces with effect from 1 April 1993.

    The School Teachers Review Body had previously been directed to report on school teachers’ pay and conditions in 1993-94. The Secretary of State for Education directed it to have regard to the Government’s general approach to public sector pay restraint. The School Teachers Review Body has recommended an across the board increase of 1 per cent. from 1 April 1993 together with restructuring of classroom teachers’ pay effective from 1 September 1993. The recommendations would cost a total of 1.5 per cent. in the financial year 1993-94 and an additional 0.35 per cent. in the following year. The Government therefore propose to reduce the across-the-board increase for qualified classroom teachers at 1 April to 0.55 per cent., but to make a one-off payment of £90 to those teachers on 1 May 1993. This, together with the implementation of restructuring designed to develop the relationship between pay and performance in schools, will give teachers, like most other review body groups, an increase in pay of 1.5 per cent. whilst containing the total cost within the settlement limit. Head and deputy head teachers will, as recommended by the review body, receive an increase of 1 per cent. on 1 April.

    The Top Salaries Review Body did not report this year. In common with Ministers and Members of Parliament, Top Salaries Review Body groups will receive no pay increase in respect of 1993. The Government will honour their commitment to pay the deferred second stage of the 1992 award, under which these groups will receive an increase of 2.9 per cent. from 1 April 1993.

    The Doctors and Dentists Review Body also decided not to report this year, but recommended an increase in the number of distinction awards for consultant medical and dental staff. The Nurses Pay Review Body and Armed Forces Pay Review Body also produced a number of recommendations. The Government have accepted all of these recommendations.

    The Government are also committed under the citizens charter to establishing a regular and direct link between a person’s contribution to the quality of services and his or her reward. The review bodies have therefore been asked to consider the longer-term development of performance pay which will make this a reality. The table shows the increases for each group, and their cost.

    Review body |Pay bill increase |Public expenditure

    |1993-94<1> |expenditure cost

    |Per cent. |£ million

    ——————————————————————————————

    Doctors and dentists (DDRB) <2> |1.5 |<3><4>61

    Nurses and allied professions (NAPRB) <2>

    nurses and midwives |1.5 |<3>114

    professions allied to medicine

    (PAMs) |1.5 |<3>12

    Armed forces (AFPRB)<5> |1.5 |85

    School teachers (STRB)<6> |1.5 |<7>157

    <1> Percentages by which the awards would increase the estimated 1993-94 pay bill.

    <2> Great Britain. Northern Ireland health service pay normally follows Great Britain but is decided separately.

    <3> Includes cost of staff in NHS Trusts.

    <4> Figures exclude general medical practitioners’ expenses which are subject to negotiation.

    <5> United Kingdom.

    <6> England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate pay regimes for school teachers.

    <7> Does not include any consequential increases in the paybill of sixth form colleges becoming Further Education Corporations on 1 April.

    The cost of implementing these increases will be met from within the public expenditure planning totals published in the autumn statement.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on Inflation – 12 February 1993

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments on inflation, made on Friday 12th February 1993.

    QUESTION

    [The Prime Minister was asked about falling inflation]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think most people are surprised by the progress we’ve made on inflation. I feel very strongly about inflation. It’s very fashionable to say hasn’t there been a heavy price paid to get inflation down. I think that’s the wrong question. The question that should be asked would have been, how bad would it have been and for how long if we hadn’t taken action to get inflation down. But it is only two and a bit years ago that we had inflation pushing eleven per cent and a very real fear that it would rise and both in the short term and the long term it’s necessary for the United Kingdom to kill the inflationary psychology that has damaged our economy over the last forty years.

    Time and time again we’ve sprung out of growth into inflation and then into a sharp downturn and I am determined that we will get inflation down to a low bracket and keep it down. It won’t get down to nil and stay to nil, it won’t stay absolutely stable and calm, the economy’s a mobile, living thing but I think you can keep it within very narrow confines and I believe it is important to do so. Important socially, but I think it is also important in terms of international competitiveness as well. We need to have an inflation rate at least as good as our principal competitors if we are to maximise our growth prospects. So they were satisfactory figures today.

  • Mr Major’s Commons Statement on Royal Taxation – 11 February 1993

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s statement made in the House of Commons on 11th February 1993 on the subject of Royal taxation.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    The Prime Minister (Mr John Major): With permission, Madam Speaker, I should like to make a statement about my further discussions with Her Majesty the Queen about taxation and Civil List payments.

    On 26 November, I told the House that the Queen had asked me to consider the basis on which she might voluntarily pay tax on her personal income and also take responsibility for certain payments under the current Civil List arrangements. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales had made a similar request in respect of his income from the Duchy of Cornwall.

    I am now able to tell the House that the further discussions between the Treasury, the Inland Revenue and the royal household have been completed, and that Her Majesty and His Royal Highness have accepted the arrangements proposed.

    The royal trustees are today publishing a report setting out the future tax arrangements for both the Queen and the Prince of Wales. The report includes a memorandum of understanding recording the detailed rules which will apply for income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. The agreement takes effect from 6 April 1993. It provides for the Queen to pay income tax on all her personal income, whether from investments or from other sources. In addition, tax will be paid on that part of the privy purse income which is used for private purposes. There will be no tax payable on income from the Civil List, since that is used to meet official expenses and is not a source of personal income for the Queen; the same will apply in respect of other payments and facilities provided by the state for official purposes.

    Her Majesty will also pay tax on any realised capital gains on her private investments and on the private proportion of assets in the privy purse.

    In the unique circumstances of an hereditary monarchy, special arrangements are needed for inheritance tax. There could, for example, be no question of taxing assets such as the royal palaces which the Queen owns as sovereign and not in a private capacity. The agreement reached with Her Majesty therefore provides that inheritance tax should apply to all bequests or gifts by the sovereign other than to transfers of assets from one sovereign to his or her successor. As the House will know, the Prince of Wales is already fully liable to tax, except on the income that he receives from the Duchy of Cornwall. From 6 April 1993 he will pay income tax on his Duchy of Cornwall income to the extent that it is used for private purposes; this arrangement will replace the voluntary payment of 25 per cent. of Duchy income that he currently makes to the Consolidated Fund. The Inland Revenue will administer these arrangements, and the tax received from the Queen and the Prince of Wales will be included in the Inland Revenue’s accounts. The Queen and the Prince of Wales will both have the same confidentiality on tax matters as any other taxpayer. Although these arrangements are voluntary, both the Queen and the Prince of Wales intend that they should continue indefinitely. Any changes in taxes or tax rates will automatically be applied.

    The report of the royal trustees also sets out the new arrangements that are being made for the management of the royal collection of paintings and other works of art. The royal collection is held by the Queen as sovereign and passes from one sovereign to the next. The collection cannot be sold to generate private income or capital for the use of the Queen, and the Queen does not benefit personally from the income generated by the collection.

    So as to make the status of the royal collection clear, Her Majesty intends that the maintenance, conservation and presentation to the public of the royal collection should in future become the responsibility of a new charitable trust. The trust will fund itself from the income generated from admission charges and other sources. The new arrangements should improve access to the royal collection for the whole country.

    The report also confirms that the Government have accepted the Queen’s generous offer to refund the cost of a further five of the parliamentary annuities payable to members of the royal family under the Civil List legislation, in addition to the three annuities that she already refunds. That will apply from 1 April 1993. The result will be that only the annuities paid to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will continue as a direct charge on the Consolidated Fund.

    I am confident that the House will welcome these initiatives by the Queen and the Prince of Wales. The new arrangements will ensure that, so far as possible, the Queen will pay tax on her personal income according to the normal tax rules and will herself take responsibility for the Civil List payments to almost all other members of the royal family.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 11 February 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 11th February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Definition of Regions

    Mr. Radice : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to co- ordinate the definitions of regions used by Government Departments.

    Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Prime Minister what steps are being taken by his Government to ensure that Government Departments use a standard definition of the English regions.

    The Prime Minister : There is a standard definition of the regions which many Departments use, particularly for statistical purposes. The structures they use for administrative purposes are often based on that definition, while also taking account of the regional pattern which is best suited to managing the services for which each is responsible.

     

    Pensions and Benefits

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up arrangements for (a) the targeted non means-tested retirement pensions and the child cash allowances and (b) the income support measures to be considered in a new department subordinate to the Chancellor of the Exchequer equivalent to the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise systems.

    The Prime Minister : No.

     

    Trident

    Mr. Streeter : To ask the Prime Minister what conclusions he has reached on the decision for the Trident refitting contract.

    The Prime Minister : I have nothing to add to the replies given on 9 February, Official Report, columns 571-72, by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Members for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) and for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Mr. McKelvey) respectively.

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

    Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 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.

  • PMQT – 11 February 1993

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 11th February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Heppell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

    The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

    Mr. Heppell : Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the impartiality of Independent Television News is threatened by the appointment as its next chairman of Mr. Michael Green, a known Conservative supporter and Conservative donor? Or does the Prime Minister share the views of his predecessor and ask himself, as she did, “Is he one of us?”

    The Prime Minister : No, I do not think that the impartiality of ITN is at all threatened by the appointment of Mr. Green, any more than I would question the impartiality of many programmes whose presenters may have one or other political opinion.

     

    Q2. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

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

    Mr. Pawsey : Will my right hon. Friend join me in condemning the actions of one single militant teacher trade union which proposes to ballot its membership to boycott all tests [Interruption.] –Yes, all tests associated with the national curriculum? Will he also join me in saying just how damaging that would be to the education of the nation’s children?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend about that point, and I thoroughly condemn the union concerned. I believe that it will be seen by parents as a concerted attack on the rights of pupils and their parents to know what progress the pupils are making in their education at their individual schools. I very much hope that the teachers of that union will reject the proposition put before them.

    Mr. John Smith : Is it not a deplorable indictment of Conservative government that during the Conservative years crime has more than doubled? What action does the Prime Minister propose to take to protect our citizens from the crime wave that is sweeping the nation?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. and learned Gentleman seems to want to put the blame for everything on the shoulders of the Government– quite apart from the view expressed by his shadow home affairs spokesman this morning. Let me illustrate for the right hon. and learned Gentleman some of the things that we have done. There has been the passage of the Public Order Act, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, both Criminal Justice Acts, the Prison Security Act and the Act to ban joy riding, every one of which was opposed by the right hon. and learned Gentleman and his party.

    Mr. Smith : Has the Prime Minister noticed that, whatever he claims to do or to have done, the crime rate rises consistently year after year? Does he think it remotely tolerable that, according to the Government’s crime survey, there are about 25,000 break-ins in this country every week? When will he do something about protecting our citizens from that?

    The Prime Minister : I note that there was no pledge from the right hon. and learned Gentleman to support legislation that we brought forward in previous years or to support us in the future in dealing with crime. Crime has increased ever since the second world war, under all Governments. Our record in combating crime is comparable with that of other countries in western Europe. This trend has been seen year after year, but it is not a matter which can be dealt with just by legislation. I doubt whether any other Government would have provided for the police the resources that the present Government have provided. Certainly, no other Government would have sided with the victim against the villain in the way that the present Government have.

    Mr. Marland : Is my right hon. Friend aware that last night Gloucestershire county council set a budget £10 million over its standard spending assessment? Does he know that Gloucestershire county council has debts of £25 million but has no plans substantially to reduce that figure? Does my right hon. Friend agree that plans should be made immediately to see that Gloucestershire county council seeks to reduce its debts so that money can be spent on education rather than on debt servicing?

    The Prime Minister : I think that it is regrettable that any authority should set an excessive budget. We have made it clear that we shall not hesitate in any way to cap such budgets. It is open to local authorities to set new, lower budgets, and I very much hope that Gloucestershire county council will do so.

     

    Q3. Mr. Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

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

    Mr. Barnes : I was interested in the Prime Minister’s initial reply about his engagements for today, but what about his engagements for tomorrow? My Representation of the People (Amendment ) Bill seeks to put the missing millions back on the electoral register and to secure access to polling stations for disabled people. Will the Prime Minister be around tomorrow to vote in support of that measure, and will he bring his friends with him? I know that he needs all the friends that he can get nowadays?

    The Prime Minister : I shall, in fact, be in my constituency meeting those friends.

    Mr. Elletson : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the conviction of the IRA terrorist Jimmy Canning represents a real success for the security services? Will he join me in congratulating those services in putting that murderous thug behind bars?

    The Prime Minister : I believe that that will be the wish of the overwhelming majority of people in this country. I am happy to congratulate both the Crown prosecution service and the Metropolitan police.

    Mr. Ashdown : While the Vance-Owen plan extracts the very best out of the terrible opportunities left open to us in Bosnia, does the Prime Minister realise that this is not a peace of which either he or other western leaders can be proud? It is their failure which has resulted in a price being paid in the dismemberment of the Muslim community, the disintegration of a state which was recognised by the United Nations, and reward for the aggressors. Does the Prime Minister understand that while we must all hope for peace in Bosnia, our hopes for peace in Europe will depend on our learning the lessons of this miserable affair?

    The Prime Minister : I regret that the right hon. Gentleman continues to take a wholly negative view of the enormous amount that has been done to seek a satisfactory peace in Yugoslavia. What is significant is the remarkable co-operation between the United States, the European Community and the United Nations in seeking to bring that conflict to an end. The best way forward, and the only credible way forward that has yet been found, is the Vance-Owen plan, which we strongly support. I very much welcome the policy statement from the United States Government earlier this week.

    Mr. Moss : Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating the three councils in Cambridgeshire–East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire–which recently announced a zero component for the district council portion of the new council tax? How is it that some councils can deliver a highly effective service to their taxpayers while others, such as Harlow, are gross overspenders? Could it be because the Cambridgeshire councils are not controlled by Labour?

    The Prime Minister : I think that there are two answers. First, the councils are efficient ; secondly, they are not run by the Socialist party.

     

    Q4. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

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

    Mr. Illsley : Does the Prime Minister not think it scandalous that at a time when the Health Department budget has been put into the public sector spending review and when prescription charges are about to be increased by 10 per cent., the West Midlands and Wessex health authorities have been allowed to squander £67 million on renting luxury homes in London, on air travel, on entertainment and on corrupt computer deals involving former Cabinet Ministers?

    The Prime Minister : I have no intention of commenting on the detailed points made by the hon. Gentleman. There are adequate ways of making sure that they are examined. As to the health budget and all other budgets, one reason for undertaking a fundamental review is to make sure that taxpayers’ money is well spent and that it is spent first on those areas that most require the expenditure.

    Mr. Allason : When my right hon. Friend undertakes his review of European regulations that are handicapping British industry, will he turn his attention to the tourist industry and consult the Torbay environmental health officer who requires every hotelier in Torbay to check, monitor and register the temperature of every deep freeze in every premises three times a day on penalty of prosecution? Is that not exactly the kind of daft regulation that we should get rid of?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing that regulation to my attention. I will ensure that it is examined. There are many regulations that we could usefully manage without. The intention of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is to identify them so that we can remove them.

     

    Q5. Mr. Hutton : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

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

    Mr. Hutton : Is the Prime Minister aware that many health authorities and national health service trusts are currently being forced to cancel operations and close wards because of the inadequacies, and in some cases the mismanagement, of NHS resources? Is he aware, in particular, that in my constituency Roose hospital, which provides excellent geriatric care for elderly people, is being forced to close? Will he tell the House what measures will be taken to ensure that such hospitals stay open? How does he believe it helps health care for hospitals such as Roose to close?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman should bear in mind the increased resources for health authorities–spending of £36 billion this year and planned spending of more than £37 billion next year ; an increase in national health service expenditure by up to 57 per cent. ; and an increase in the number of people treated. The hon. Gentleman should be congratulating the health authorities and the health service on that remarkable record.

     

    Q6. Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 February.

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

    Mr. Robertson : Does my right hon. Friend agreed that it is the job of Government to attack cartels, cliques and vested interests–cartels in trade unions, cliques in Labour-controlled local authorities and vested interests that support the vast majority of Labour Members?

    The Prime Minister : I strongly suspect that my hon. Friend has struck a sore spot. Every member of the shadow Cabinet is sponsored by a trade union, two thirds of the votes at the Labour conference are still wielded by trade unions; they will not support our tests in the schools because that is what the National Union of Teachers wants, they oppose our reforms on health because that is what the Council of Health Services Employees wants, and they fight competitive tendering because that is what the National Union of Public Employees wants. There is no doubt whose pockets they are in.

    Mr. Faulds : Has no one– [Interruption.] Cheeky little pup.

    Madam Speaker : Order. I recollect that “Erskine May” does not allow that sort of language.

    Mr. Faulds : “Cheeky little pup” is a term of endearment, Madam Speaker. Has no one in government the simple intelligence to understand that the Cyprus– [Interruption.] –rather, the Vance-Owen plan– [Interruption.]

    Madam Speaker : Order. The House must settle down.

    Mr. Faulds : Bosnia is not a laughing matter– [Interruption.] Those idiots on the Government Benches. Has no one in government the simple intelligence to understand that the Vance-Owen plan as now drawn up is unacceptable because it rewards Serbian ethnic cleansing and is in danger of creating a Palestinian-type situation within a quarter of a century? Will the Prime Minister for once listen to reasonable advice from America, and will he understand that that plan can become acceptable only if the Serbian aggression is held, if the danger to the Bosnian Muslims and their territory is removed, and if war criminals in Yugoslavia are brought to proper trial?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman has set out many of the matters which have been our policy for some time and were reiterated earlier this week by the American Administration–in particular, the point about war crimes. We have also supported–and others are now joining us in doing so–increased and hardened sanctions, particularly along the Danube, to put further pressure on the Serbs. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that the map is not yet a settled matter. Nevertheless, there have been very dramatic improvements towards peace as a result of the Owen-Vance proposals. We need to continue to pursue those, and to continue to put pressure on each of the combatants until they reach a conclusion which will be satisfactory, which can be policed properly and which can bring the dreadful conflict to an end.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 10 February 1993

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

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Fisheries Decommissioning Scheme

    Mr. Salmond : To ask the Prime Minister if the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will administer the fishing decommissioning scheme for the entire United Kingdom fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : Yes. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will administer the decommissioning scheme on behalf of all four fisheries departments. The scheme is part of a package, including effort control measures, designed to conserve fish stocks and help to meet targets the United Kingdom as a whole under the European Community’s multi-annual guidance programme.

     

    Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant

    Ms. Walley : To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to co-ordinate the activities of Departments on the transportation of radioactive materials from and to Thorp; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : Transport arrangements are the responsibility of the consignor, subject to meeting the requirements of the Department of Transport on safety issues and the Department of Trade and Industry on export control and security issues. The two Departments co-ordinate as necessary.

     

    Youth Policy

    Mr. Hendry : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he has given to the establishment of a ministerial group to co-ordinate youth policy across Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : The interests of young people can best be served through action which addresses specific issues. Where action involves more than one Department, co-ordination between Ministers takes place. These arrangements work satisfactorily and there is currently no need to establish a formal ministerial group.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 9 February 1993

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

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Eastbourne

    Q10. Mr. Waterson : To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to make another official visit to Eastbourne.

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

     

    Railways (Capital Investment)

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an analysis of the economic and employment effects of £500 million extra capital investment in railways compared with the same sum spent on supporting deep coal mining.

    The Prime Minister : The economic and employment effects of £500 million extra capital expenditure on the railways would depend on the nature of the investment and on its economic return. The effect of spending the same amount on supporting deep coal mining would depend on the industry’s ability to exploit the opportunity for subsidised sales in the market circumstances it faced. In either case, account would of course need to be taken where the money would be found as well as how it would be spent.

     

    Public Inquiries

    Ms. Walley : To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to ensure co-operation between the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Transport in respect of public inquiries into harbour revision orders and on energy policy; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : It is normal practice for the Department of Transport to consult other Departments, where appropriate, in respect of proposals for the making of harbour revision orders.

     

    Republic of Ireland

    Mr. Trimble : To ask the Prime Minister what current discussions are taking place with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about the events of February 1970 involving the Government of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    The Prime Minister : None.

    Mr. Trimble : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions are taking place with the Government of the Republic of Ireland on state-sponsored terrorism.

    The Prime Minister : The Government are fully committed to close co-operation with the Government of the Republic of Ireland against all forms of terrorism which threaten our two countries. Both countries are in regular contact on matters of mutual concern.

     

    Departmental Library

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will obtain for his Office’s library a book, the title of which has been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Linlithgow.

    The Prime Minister : My office has a copy.

     

    Engagements

    Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

  • PMQT – 9 February 1993

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 9th February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Amess : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 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.

    Mr. Amess : May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on launching a fundamental review of all Government spending, just as Conservative-controlled Basildon is currently doing? Does he agree that it is the responsibility of Government to ensure the best possible value for every pound of taxpayers’ money that is spent?

    The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend so often reminds the House, where Basildon leads others tend to follow.

    I welcome yesterday’s statement by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The Government spend over £250 billion a year of taxpayers’ money. I believe that it is necessary to look very closely at the way in which that money is spent and at where it is spent and to ensure that we obtain the best possible value for every pound that is spent. It is for that reason that we are conducting the review.

    Mrs. Beckett : Does the Prime Minister recall the promise that he made during the election campaign only 10 months ago? He said that the Government had no plans and no need to extend the scope of value added tax. Does he stand by those words?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Lady knows that we are near to the Budget. She must wait.

    Mrs. Beckett : The Prime Minister made just that promise to the British people when he needed their votes. Why will not he make it now?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Lady knows that we are close to the Budget. She must wait.

    Mrs. Beckett : At the time of the election, the Prime Minister and all his colleagues promised no change in VAT, no other new taxes or charges and no cuts in the public spending plans that they had put before the British people. Is not it clear from the Prime Minister’s refusal to answer a simple question that all his promises had a sell-by date of 9 April?

    The Prime Minister : It is not remotely clear from that. What is clear is that we are close to the Budget and the hon. Lady will have to wait for the Budget to find out what it contains.

    Mr. William Powell : Has my right hon. Friend had an opportunity to read the article by Robert Fisk in yesterday’s edition of The Independent which describes systematic rape in Bosnia? Has not the time come for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal, so that those responsible for the perpetration of such foul crimes can be brought to justice? Will my right hon. Friend do all that he can to ensure that, under the authority of the United Nations and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, such a tribunal is established as quickly as possible?

    The Prime Minister : I have not seen the article to which my hon. Friend refers, but, as he will know, we have been considering that matter in concert with the United Nations for some time.

     

    Q2. Mr. Heppell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Heppell : Is the Prime Minister aware that unemployment in my constituency, in the once-prosperous city of Nottingham, is now higher than in any Scottish or Welsh constituency, having risen by 44 per cent. between 1990 and 1992? With three out of 10 males now unemployed, when does the right hon. Gentleman expect unemployment to start to fall?

    The Prime Minister : I do not doubt the hon. Gentleman’s concern about unemployment, but I would respect it more if he did not support policies that would deliberately put people out of work– [Interruption.] –rather than back into work. He and his party have consistently argued for a national minimum wage and even the Fabian Society has recognised that

    “an inescapable part of a”

    national minimum wage

    “policy is increased unemployment.”

    Perhaps that is another policy which the Labour Front Bench could ditch.

     

    Q3. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Arnold : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the British Government support the Owen-Vance peace plan and that they will continue to keep up their pressure on the warring parties to comply with that plan? In the meantime, will he confirm British support for the humanitarian aid now going to Bosnia?

    The Prime Minister : Yes. I confirm both points. The Government’s policy is fully to support the Owen-Vance peace plan, which was developed out of the conference that I chaired in London last August. We also wish to maintain the conditions in which our forces can support the United Nations humanitarian effort, without which many thousands of people alive today would otherwise have been dead. But we believe it to be necessary to increase the pressure on the parties to help seek a solution. The United Kingdom has put forward proposals for tightening the operation of sanctions across the Danube and for increasing the isolation of Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs if their aggression persists. I hope that that policy will be supported throughout the European Community and the United Nations.

     

    Q4. Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Austin-Walker : Will the Prime Minister find time today to examine the effects of land contamination on job creation? In particular, will he examine the position of the Woolwich Arsenal site, which once employed 80,000 people in a single factory, but which now lies derelict in an area where male unemployment tops 62 per cent? Will he give a categorical assurance that, as the contamination was caused by the Ministry of Defence, the Government will meet the full cost of decontamination on that site and the neighbouring Thamesmead area?

    The Prime Minister : The Secretary of State for Defence will have heard what the hon. Gentleman said, will examine the matter and will respond to him.

     

    Q5. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Greenway : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the great teaching profession clearly welcomes higher standards through the national curriculum, but appears to be flinching from achieving them through standard assessment tests? Does he further agree that it is vital, above all in the interests of our nation and our children, that the tests go ahead without delay?

    The Prime Minister : I believe that we need national tests to raise standards and it is our intention that they shall go ahead. They are and remain a vital part of the national curriculum. Children need them, parents want them and I expect teachers to supervise them.

    Mr. Llwyd : Will the Prime Minister confirm that he will meet the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food shortly to discuss his disgraceful betrayal of British farmers with the proposed cuts in hill livestock compensatory allowances–despite the promise, fewer than 18 months ago, that they were safe in his hands?

    The Prime Minister : I meet my right hon. Friend many times a week, but, regardless of the cut in HLCAs to which the hon. Gentleman refers, hill farmers’ incomes will be between £60 million and £70 million higher as a result of increased sheep premiums, the green pound devaluation and other market factors.

     

    Q6. Mr. Nicholls : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Nicholls : Does my right hon. Friend agree that, while any convert to conservatism is always welcome, if that conversion is coupled with a continuing opposition to British Rail privatisation, grant- maintained schools, GP fund-holding practices and compulsory competitive tendering, it shows that the conversion is insubstantial and entirely unreal? Is not that now the position of the Leader of the Opposition?

    The Prime Minister : I welcome all conversions to conservatism, especially death-bed conversions–but they must be genuine conversions, not conversions that use the language of conservatism but remain wedded to the instincts and policies of socialism. Until the right hon. and learned Gentleman formally drops his commitment to clause 4, his opposition to privatisation and his idiotic proposal for a windfall tax, no one will take his conversion seriously.

    Mr. Terry Davis : Will the Prime Minister find time today to tell the President of the Board of Trade to get round the table with the Leyland DAF receiver, the management and the unions, in an attempt to save the van factory in Birmingham, which has a highly skilled and motivated work force of 2,000 people?

    The Prime Minister : As the hon. Gentleman knows, that is a matter for the receivers. Several Hon. Members rose —

    Madam Speaker : Order. Hon. Members must resume their seats.

    Mr. Forman : When my right hon. Friend is considering new measures to help the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed, will he give careful consideration to the idea of relaxing the social security rules that affect availability for work, so that it is possible for people to do more than 24 hours a week of voluntary work and more than 21 hours a week of educational study–to their benefit and that of the country?

    The Prime Minister : We have looked and are looking at a range of measures that might encourage people back into work. I cannot give my hon. Friend a particular undertaking on the point that he makes, but we are looking at a range of ways to assist.

     

    Q7. Mr. Turner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 February.

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

    Mr. Turner : The Prime Minister’s record is not a good one. Since he came to office in 1990, more than 1 million people have joined the unemployed queues and more than 100,000 training places have been lost. Is this the vision of Opportunity Britain, or is it a sign of the growing army of jobless whose lives have been wasted by the Government?

    The Prime Minister : What we have sought to do and are doing is to put in place the economic circumstances that will create genuine and lasting jobs. That is why we have cut inflation to its lowest level for six years, brought interest rates down to their lowest for 15 years and put in place the most comprehensive training programme ever seen in this country. That is the only way to secure long-term, permanent jobs–not the quick fixes so beloved of the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues.

     

    Cleethorpes

    Q8. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make an official visit to Cleethorpes by train.

    The Prime Minister : I am making plans for a series of visits to all parts of the country and hope to include my hon. Friend’s constituency among them.

    Mr. Brown : I am delighted to hear that reply. Does my right hon. Friend recall the days when he and I used to travel on the train to Cleethorpes, which used to stop at Huntingdon? Is he aware that if he makes his official visit to Cleethorpes by train, after May this year he will have to change at Newark and hang around on the platform catching flu for hours on end because British Rail is taking away the direct train service to Cleethorpes? Does he agree that it is vital that British Rail should continue that service at least until the Railways Bill is on the statute book, when we can take advantage of the franchising opportunities of privatisation?

    The Prime Minister : I recall those journeys with my hon. Friend with great pleasure, but British Rail’s monopoly service means that it decides what services to run in the light of its view of passenger demand. I stress to my hon. Friend that British Rail’s reluctance to change its service now is no bar to subsequent changes. The privatisation proposals will break British Rail’s monopoly and will bring in private sector operators and I believe that part of those franchises will provide a better, cheaper and more effective service for the commuter.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 8 February 1993

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

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Relate

    Sir David Steel : To ask the Prime Minister what steps are taken to co-ordinate the work of the United Kingdom Departments and Scottish and Welsh Offices concerned with Relate; and if he will make a statement on the grants for Relate for future years.

    The Prime Minister : Consultations take place within government on this matter as necessary. The Home Office grant to Relate supports marriage guidance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The grant for 1993-94 of £1,530,000 is 38 per cent. higher than that for 1991-92. It is planned to increase the grant for Relate in 1994-95 by 4 per cent. over the 1993-94 level, subject to public expenditure constraints. The Scottish Office provides a grant to Marriage Counselling Scotland. In 1993-94 this will amount to £87,288, an increase of one and half times compared with 1992-93.

     

    Coal Industry

    Mr. David Porter : To ask the Prime Minister if he will undertake a comparative study of the employment effects of any tax or consumer subsidy for coal mining on the existing job in nuclear energy supply and in the offshore gas and oil industry.

    The Prime Minister : The coal review being undertaken by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is considering, among other options, methods and costs of reducing the price of British Coal by providing support to the coal industry, for example by subsidy or levy arrangements, and the implications for other energy providers and customers. The effect of any measures on employment in other energy sectors is one of the factors being considered. Evidence on this has been submitted to the review from organisations and individuals within the nuclear, oil and gas industries, and is being given full consideration.