Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 4th December 1990.
PRIME MINISTER:
Ministerial Accountability
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to improve ministerial accountability to Parliament.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 3 December 1990] : Ministers are already fully accountable to Parliament.
The text of Mr Major’s speech given by the Prime Minister at the presentation meeting of the new leader. The speech was given at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre at Westminster, Tuesday 4th December 1990.
THE PRIME MINISTER
Mr Chairman, when I joined the Conservative Party 30 years ago, I scarcely imagined this moment. That it has happened is a tribute above all to our Party and to the changes we have seen in the last decade.
We owe so much of that to the will and determination of one woman. And I am glad beyond measure that she is here today so that we can tell her so.
Margaret Thatcher has been a remarkable Prime Minister. There can be no doubt that history will record her as one of the great figures of our century – in Britain, and far beyond. The principles she fought for are right. They are shared by millions of people in this country. And we will build on them in the future.
There was one simple precondition for those triumphant years.
It is that we won three successive elections. Of course we did so partly because we were led by Margaret Thatcher. Partly because we touched the public instinct. And partly because you have made the Conservative Party the most formidable electoral fighting force in modern politics.
But there was one other ingredient. We won those elections because we were united – in our principles, in our actions, and in a common cause.
Margaret Thatcher knows that success for our Party depends on unity. That is why in her last speech in the Commons as Prime Minister – an unforgettable occasion for those of us who were there – she urged us all to work for a fourth election victory. So the message for the whole Party from the Branches to the Constituencies, from the backbenches to the Cabinet Room is this: there must be no backbiting, no recriminations, no post-mortems. There is too much at stake. We have an election to win.
If there are any who doubt that judgement, let them ask themselves this question – what do the Labour Party want – and need? They want – and need – us to fight one another. So we must never forget that we have only one fight – and that fight is with them.
Mr Chairman, people ask what I stand for.
Let me tell you.
First and foremost, I loathe inflation. To me inflation is not an abstract concept. It means the destruction of competitiveness for industry and commerce. It brings the destruction of peace of mind for people who see prices rising beyond their capacity to pay. It is economically destructive and socially divisive.
So the centre piece of our policy must be an intolerance of inflation and a determination to beat it.
Mr Chairman, what are our hopes?
Again, let me tell you mine.
It is to build a truly open society.
Open because we believe that every man and woman should be able to go as far as their talent, ambition and effort take them. There should be no artificial barrier of background, religion or race. A society of opportunity where people can better themselves and their families by their own efforts. A Britain that puts people in control of their own lives, to exercise their own choices in their own time, in their own way.
And yes, amidst the inevitable competitive thrust of life, it should be a compassionate society. Genuinely compassionate – because some people do need a special helping hand to help them enjoy a full life of choice and independence. And we should never forget that small changes in the lives of private people are every bit as important to them as dramatic changes in the lives of public people. And a classless society: not in the grey sense of drab uniformity – but in the sense that we remove the artificial barriers to choice and achievement.
We should not underestimate what has already been achieved.
But there is still more to be done.
For there are still too many corners of Britain in which the effects of our Conservative reforms are yet to be felt.
It is for this reason that I want the 1990s to become a Decade of Opportunity.
Let there be no doubt that in spreading opportunity we must continue to encourage wealth creation.
Continue to keep taxes low on families and on business.
And continue to reduce regulation and promote enterprise.
And, of course, we must continue to enlarge the private sector wherever we can. But where services do remain in public hands we will not hesitate to apply private sector skills to ensure that they are more efficient and deliver the high quality that people deserve and demand.
When I came into the Party we had set ourselves the goal of a property-owning democracy.
We wanted people to own their own homes.
Now two thirds of families do.
In the 1980s we worked for the capital owning democracy – more building society accounts, more shares, more personal pensions.
And millions of families have gained from the actions we took.
Now in the 1990s we must work to extend savings further.
For two reasons: one economic and one social.
The economic reason is that as a nation we will need those savings in the 1990s to finance the investment necessary to keep our companies competitive.
And I don’t want those savings to be imported; I want those savings to be British.
The social reason is that we want more people to have savings behind them. Because money set aside gives them and their families a greater sense of security and a wider freedom of choice.
Those who talk of the selfish society misjudge a country in which more time is volunteered and more money is given in help to others than anywhere in Europe.
For what do you see if you go to a local charity, the Citizens Advice Bureau, or the Red Cross?
Half your constituency executive: that’s what you see!
The challenge to us now is to remain the radical Party.
Spreading the privileges once available to the few so they can be enjoyed by the many.
We are committed to schools where all children have a quality education. We have brought in open enrolment, given financial control to the schools, encouraged more involvement by parents, and introduced a national curriculum. Now we want to ensure that the best people are attracted into the teaching profession and that teachers command respect for the job they do.
We offer no sudden solutions or miracle cures.
But where we find that things are not quite right, we will listen, and we will make the changes that are necessary.
And that is precisely why we have put in hand a further review of the Community Charge.
The Government that never reviewed policies, never made any.
Mr Chairman, in this country 32 million people are under the age of 40.
If we are to build for them we must look to the kind of world we would like to see in 25 years time and begin building it.
The European Community remains central to our place in Europe and the wider world.
The Channel Tunnel, connected this last week re-emphasises yet again that we are part of Europe.
I believe it is in our national self-interest to help build and shape the European Community as it evolves.
We must be in there, arguing, persuading and, yes, fighting for our interests and our vision of Europe.
Just like our partners.
But being a good European does not mean accepting every proposal from the Community.
The more committed we are to our role in Europe, the more we must ensure that the Community is constructed on the principles we care about: liberalism in economics, democracy in politics, evolution in constitutional questions, and cooperation in foreign policy.
So we will set out to work with our Community partners in building such a Europe. And do so with enthusiasm.
But we will not be deterred either from saying what we believe to be wrong – or pressing what we believe to be right – by the cry that we are insufficiently European.
Politely but firmly we shall say what we think.
And our partners will respect us for it.
Mr Chairman, there is one dark cloud that hangs over us.
In recent months we have seen the invasion and systematic destruction of Kuwait.
And now the United Nations Security Council has taken a momentous decision. It authorises use of all necessary means – and that includes force – if Iraq does not withdraw by the middle of January.
No-one should doubt our objective.
We want to see a peaceful solution in the Gulf.
That is our preferred outcome.
So we fully support President Bush when he says that he is prepared to travel the extra mile to achieve such a solution.
So are we.
But there can be no question of negotiations, concessions, partial solutions or linkage to other issues.
The whole international community has made it clear that Iraq has to withdraw from Kuwait totally and unconditionally.
The legitimate government has to be restored.
And of course, all the hostages have to be released and sent home to their families – where they belong.
If Saddam Hussein does that, he need have no fear of attack. It is in his hands.
But for the international community, a vital principle is at stake. It is not only the restoration of the rightful government of Kuwait, important though that is. It is that if we want a safe world in future, Iraq’s aggression must be reversed.
Mr Chairman, everyone’s political belief stems from his personal experience.
My Conservatism comes from what I saw, what I felt and what I did, as well as what I read.
It shaped what I want to do.
To me, Conservatism is not a creed. It is essentially the common sense view of life from a tolerant perspective. And let me give you two cast-iron pledges today. As long as I am privileged to lead our Party it will never become an exclusive club.
Conservatism will remain a word for economic progress, social mobility and for the individual dignity that is the natural right of every citizen. Ours must be a Conservatism which touches every instinct and enters every home.
It will never be a word for “nothing left to do”.
Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 4th December 1990.
PRIME MINISTER:
Engagements
Q1. Mr. Archer : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 December.
The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including one with the Prime Minister of New Zealand. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Mr. Archer : Has the right hon. Gentleman found time to consider which of the policies in which he participated over the past 11 years he now regrets and proposes to change? If the answer is that the Major revolution amounts to no more than requiring back-seat drivers to belt up, what benefits have the public received in exchange for the expensive telephone bills incurred by Government Departments in the course of the past month’s plotting?
The Prime Minister : I can tell the right hon. and learned Gentleman one thing. There is one back-seat injunction that I shall not follow–I shall not turn left.
Q2. Mr. Paice : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 December.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Paice : Has my right hon. Friend seen this morning’s press tribute to his and my county of Cambridgeshire for the way it has given as much management control to schools as if those schools had adopted grant- maintained status? Will he compare that with the proposal to introduce new, politically appointed bureaucracies, which may aim high but will inevitably lower standards to that of the lowest standard achievable, as one would expect of Labour party policies?
The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that information. I saw this morning’s papers and I know that Cambridgeshire county council has been innovative in education for a long time. I am delighted to see what it is now doing. I agree that expensive bureaucratic control of education will only withdraw resources from the classroom, whereas our policy is to ensure that resources remain in the classroom.
Mr. Kinnock : The right hon. Gentleman has been good enough to refer to the personal debt of gratitude that he owes to the national health service. Does he think that it would be right to discharge that debt by getting rid of hospital opt-out?
The Prime Minister : Self-government within the NHS will improve management. That is why so many hospitals are seeking to opt out. In the past 10 years, more resources have been added to the NHS than anyone could have imagined. There is no doubt that in future the NHS will be at the centre of our concerns.
Mr. Kinnock : It is clear that the Prime Minister intends to make no change for the better in the NHS. Is he not aware that whenever a ballot has been held, consultants, hospital doctors, nurses, general practitioners and the general public have all voted by huge majorities against opting out? Does he realise that opt-out will intensify the crisis in the NHS? As the NHS has never done anything but good by him, why is he doing it so much harm?
The Prime Minister : Unlike some Opposition Members, I unfailingly use the NHS. Its future is entirely secure, with increased funding, as it has been for the past 10 years.
Mr. Kinnock : If the right hon. Gentleman believes that to be the case, should not he make a start by trying to convince his constituents about the Hinchingbrooke hospital in his constituency, where waiting lists have doubled in the past two years? The local press has referred to a wall of opposition against opting out. Will the right hon. Gentleman support his constituents?
The Prime Minister : Self-government is being proposed by the consultants and the staff at the Hinchingbrooke hospital, which holds the enormous affection of people in the area. I can tell the right hon. Gentleman something else about that hospital : it was not available under the Labour Government–it was this Government who provided it.
Mr. Higgins : I congratulate my right hon. Friend on becoming Prime Minister and also on the speech that he made earlier today, which I thought embodied the spirit of the late Iain Macleod. In that context, and in that spirit, may I ask him to give urgent consideration to two particular injustices–first, the position of those haemophiliacs suffering from AIDS as a result of blood products provided by the national health service and, secondly, the position of those who suffered as a result of being exposed to radiation from the atomic tests carried out immediately after world war 2? I do not expect him to give an answer off the top of his head–that would be unfashionable–but would he give those matters urgent consideration?
The Prime Minister : As my right hon. Friend knows, I like to consider matters before reaching a conclusion. However, I shall certainly accept his injunction and do so.
Mr. Ashdown : When the Prime Minister gave his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment what we now understand to be carte blanche for a fundamental review of the poll tax, did he rule out the option of abolishing it?
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend and I will be discussing later today the precise remit for consideration.
Mr. Nicholls : Has my right hon. Friend had the opportunity to consider the latest computer analysis from the Institute of Directors on the top-performing companies in Europe? Has he noted that there are more United Kingdom companies than German or French companies in the top 100 and does not that say far more about the underlying strength of the British economy than the economic illiteracy that we hear from the Leader of the Opposition?
The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right. There is absolutely no doubt about the revolution in the prospects for this country over the past decade.
Henley-on-Thames
Q3. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Henley-on-Thames.
The Prime Minister : I have no present plans to do so.
Mr. Skinner : When the Prime Minister finally gets round to going to Henley and perhaps having a rubber chicken dinner with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, will he tell the voters of Henley why he has managed to offend the Welsh, the blacks and others– [Interruption] including women, in his first seven days in office? Is that how he intends to start building his classless society?
The Prime Minister : I think that the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) was writing down the question that he intended his hon. Friend to ask and not the one that his hon. Friend did ask. In so far as the question presumably relates to Mr. Taylor, the prospective Conservative candidate in Cheltenham, the reported remarks–which I understand have been denied–are not sentiments that have any place in our party.
Mr. Adley : Is my right hon. Friend aware that the branch line to Henley-on-Thames remains intact? Does he recognise that if more decisions of that nature had been taken by British Rail in the past few years, and fewer decisions of the kind taken following the disastrous Beeching report, many more of our fellow citizens would today have the opportunity to travel by train which has been denied them by the closures of recent years?
The Prime Minister : I was aware of the excellent service from Henley. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment reports to me regularly on it.
Engagements
Q4. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 December.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Illsley : Is the Prime Minister aware that in some areas, particularly Sheffield, general practitioners have been prevented from prescribing certain drugs to patients, in particular young children? Without rattling out the old figures about how many patients are being treated under the NHS, will the Prime Minister tell the House whether under his Government patients and, in particular, young children will be denied the medication and treatment that they need?
The Prime Minister : I will tell the hon. Gentleman that the district health authority in his area has substantially more cash than in previous years, that the treatment of in-patients and out-patients has risen and that the quantum and quality of health treatment rises yearly.
Mr. John Browne : Does my right hon. Friend accept that one group of our citizens who should not be subjected to the community charge are British hostages in the Gulf?
Will he agree to issue an advice to that effect, or even a directive under primary legislation, so that uncertainty, anxiety and anger can be removed?
The Prime Minister : I think that my hon. Friend will find that we have already sent such advice to local authorities.
Q6. Mr. Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 December.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Vaz : Will the Prime Minister reflect on the case of my constituent, John Hall, who is dying of leukaemia, which he contracted while working on Christmas Island? Will the right hon. Gentleman, as one of the first acts of his new Administration, reverse the Government’s policy and in compassion, humanity and justice, provide John Hall and the other nuclear test veterans with the compensation that the House and the country believe that they so richly deserve?
The Prime Minister : I will examine the particular case to which the hon. Gentleman refers. I am not familiar with the details of his constituent. I will discuss it and examine it.
Mrs. Currie : Does my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister agree that today’s performance has demonstrated that the two main parties have both the leaders and the policies for the next general election–for us to win, and for them to lose?
The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend It is not for me to reply for the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock), but if he ever needs a campaign team, I will lend him mine.
Mr. Rees : The Prime Minister will recall that the Queen’s Speech promised that a Bill would be introduced to give our courts jurisdiction to try alleged war criminals. Does that promise still stand?
The Prime Minister : That Bill is in the Government’s programme and it will be presented to the House. There will be suggested amendments that the House will want to examine.
Mr. Rhodes James : Those of us of a particular generation well remember when the Russian and British people were together, when Mrs. Churchill led the campaign to support the Russian people. In the present circumstances, will not only the British Government but the British people respond as they did during the last war?
The Prime Minister : There is considerable concern in this country about the difficulties faced by the Russian people and by President Gorbachev. There is also great warmth in this country for the changes brought about in the Soviet Union under Mr. Gorbachev’s presidency. That feeling exists not only in the House but throughout the European Community and I have no doubt that the situation in Russia will be one of many matters discussed at forthcoming Community meetings.
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 30th November 1990.
PRIME MINISTER:
Security Service Commissioner
Mr. Allason : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to publish in full the annual report of the Security Service Commissioner under the terms of the Security Service Act 1989.
The Prime Minister : Subsections 4(6) and 4(7) of the Security Service Act 1989 require me to lay the Security Service Commissioner’s annual report before Parliament subject to the proviso that any matter which it appears to me, after consultation with the Commissioner, would be prejudicial to the continued discharge of the functions of the service may be excluded.
Cabinet Collective Responsibility
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to strengthen collective Cabinet responsibility.
The Prime Minister : None is needed.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list each category of parliamentary questions which it is his policy not to answer.
The Prime Minister : Of those not transferred, none.
Management Consultants
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the studies commissioned inside the Cabinet Office and Prime Minister’s offices by management consultants and others during the last week naming the consultancy, cost and subject in each instance.
The Prime Minister : No studies were commissioned inside the Cabinet Office and my office by management consultants and others during the last week.
Government Policy
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what changes he has made to the discussion and implementation of Government policy since assuming office.
The Prime Minister : Government decisions have been and will continue to be reached and implemented on the basis of collective responsibility.
GCHQ
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to allow trade unions to organise at GCHQ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The ban on national trade unions at GCHQ remains in force. All GCHQ staff are free to join the GCHQ Staff Federation, which is listed as a trade union under the terms of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974.
Rented Accommodation
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if the Government intend to take any measures financially to encourage local authorities to build rented accommodation; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Implementation of the Government’s housing policies is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland. The Government’s view is that greater diversity of supply of rented housing is desirable, and that generally housing associations should be the main providers of new subsidised housing for rent. Substantial increases are planned in public expenditure provision for capital investment by housing associations financed through the Housing Corporation in England; announcements about the distribution of public expenditure provision in Scotland and Wales will be made by the Secretaries of State concerned in the near future. In Northern Ireland district councils have no housing responsibilities; the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is the sole public housing authority.
Concessionary TV Licences
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will reconsider their policy of opposition to the concessionary television licence being applied to a larger group of pensioners.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
Single European Language
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty’s Government’s policy towards the promotion by the European Community of an officially approved single language throughout Europe.
The Prime Minister : The Government are not aware of any such proposal in the Community. The official languages of the Community (Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish) have equal status under the treaty.
Policy Advisers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the official policy advisers employed in his office.
The Prime Minister : Those currently employed in my policy unit are Miss C. Sinclair and Mr. J. Mills, both serving civil servants.
Strategic Nuclear Deterrent
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it the policy of Her Majesty’s Government to publish an indicative list of circumstances in which Her Majesty’s Government would authorise the use of the strategic nuclear deterrent.
The Prime Minister : No.
Correspondence
Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a copy of the letter sent by the right hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) to the Roman Catholic archbishop of Baghdad in September.
The Prime Minister : It is not my normal practice to do so.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his practice to place in the Library copies of any official correspondence sent to him by any religious leaders.
The Prime Minister : No.
Question Time
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to extend the period of Prime Minister’s Question Time to that of the other major Departments of state.
The Prime Minister : The present arrangements were agreed by the House on 18 July 1971. I have no plans to change the period of Prime Minister’s Question Time, and any such proposals would best be examined in the first instance by the Procedure Committee.
10 Downing Street
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make arrangements for hon. Members to visit No. 10 Downing Street.
The Prime Minister : No.
Community Charge
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what changes the Government are proposing to table over the poll tax.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to start the review of the community charge.
The Prime Minister : Some of the changes announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment on 31 October have still to come through. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will shortly start a careful review of the community charge.
Taxes
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to introduce no new taxes before the next election.
The Prime Minister : I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend’s Budget statement, but since 1979 five major taxes have been abolished, and in my 1990 Budget statement I announced that two more–composite rate tax and stamp duty on securities–will be abolished.
Clockwork Orange
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will institute a full review of project Clockwork Orange.
The Prime Minister : No.
Mr. Charles Powell
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if he intends to retain Mr. Charles Powell in the same position that he has hitherto occupied in the Prime Minister’s office; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Mr. Powell is a civil servant and decisions about his future will be taken in due course in the normal way.
Child Abuse
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on current progress of the inter departmental group on child sexual abuse.
The Prime Minister : Since May 1989 the inter-departmental group on child abuse has met five times. It has made good progress in addressing a wide range of issues in relation to child care, including research and the co-ordination of Government guidance.
Below is Mr Major’s first cabinet, announced on 29th November 1990.
PRIME MINISTER – John Major
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER – Norman Lamont
FOREIGN SECRETARY – Douglas Hurd
HOME SECRETARY – Kenneth Baker
LORD CHANCELLOR – Lord Mackay of Clashfern
SCOTLAND – Ian Lang
WALES – David Hunt
NORTHERN IRELAND – Peter Brooke
LEADER OF THE COMMONS – John MacGregor
LEADER OF THE LORDS – Lord Waddington
TRADE AND INDUSTRY – Peter Lilley
DEFENCE – Tom King
HEALTH – William Waldegrave
SOCIAL SECURITY – Tony Newton
ENVIRONMENT – Michael Heseltine
TRANSPORT – Malcolm Rifkind
EMPLOYMENT – Michael Howard
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE – Kenneth Clarke
AGRICULTURE – John Gummer
ENERGY – John Wakeham
PARTY CHAIRMAN – Chris Patten
CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY – David Mellor
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 29th November 1990.
PRIME MINISTER:
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall be attending a long-standing engagement in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir. F. Montgomery.)
Statements
Q9. Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to make greater use of statements to the House at 3.30 pm.
The Prime Minister : Ministers make statements when appropriate.
The Gulf
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss the ecological consequences of a military option in the Gulf with President Bush.
The Prime Minister : I have no plans to do so.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with Saudi Arabia about military action against Iraq.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) discussed the invasion of Kuwait, including the military aspects, with King Fahd and other members of the Government of Saudi Arabia on a number of occasions after 2 August. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and for Defence have had similar discussions.
Government Offices and Civil Servants
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister what steps he will take to ensure that all relevant rules are followed prohibiting Government offices and civil servants from being used on behalf of any political party by Ministers in his Government; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 November 1990] : No special steps are necessary.
Malaysia
Mrs. Ann Clwyd : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all visits of Government Ministers or officials to Malaysia, with dates since 1979.
The Prime Minister [pursuant to the reply, 19 November 1990, c. 3- 4.] :
1988
September–Mr. Hamilton, Minister of State, Defence
1990
March–Mr. Hamilton, Minister of State, Defence
October–Mr. Hamilton, Minister of State, Defence
The text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 29th November 1990. This was the first PMQs answered by John Major.
PRIME MINISTER:
Engagements
Q1. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 29 November 1990. The first question to a great new Prime Minister, Sir.
The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) rose —
Mr. Skinner : Resign!
The Prime Minister : Now wait a while.
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 have further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a longstanding engagement in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir F. Montgomery).
Mr. King : May I preface my question by asking–
Hon. Members : No.
Mr. Speaker : I think that it would be more helpful if the hon. Gentleman encompassed it.
Mr. King : In congratulating my right hon. Friend on becoming Prime Minister, may I assure him of the total and united support of my constituency and every constituency in the country?
May I draw my right hon. Friend’s attention to the latest round of national health service cuts in the South Birmingham area–a cut of 17 per cent. in the past 15 months in the number of people awaiting an operation and a cut of 26 per cent. in the past five years in the same group? Will my right hon. Friend ensure that the national health service continues to make such cuts?
The Prime Minister : That is certainly the intention of our reforms, our management and our financing of the national health service. I congratulate South Birmingham health authority. It has made good use of the extra resources that it had last year and I expect it to continue to do so in the future.
Mr. Kinnock rose–
Hon. Members : Hear, hear.
Mr. Speaker : Order. I am anxious to call as many hon. Members as possible.
Mr. Kinnock : May I offer my personal congratulations to the right hon. Gentleman on becoming Prime Minister? As the right hon. Gentleman says that he was bounced into the poll tax, does he now intend to abolish it?
The Prime Minister : I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his welcome to the Dispatch Box. I look forward to our discussions over the forthcoming years. On the community charge, I have made it perfectly clear what the position will be. We have decided that we shall look again to see what further refinements may be necessary to ensure that the community charge is accepted throughout the country.
Mr. Kinnock : May I offer some help to the right hon. Gentleman– [Hon. Members :– “No.”] It is well intended. He could save himself a great deal of time and trouble and the British people a great deal of money by accepting Labour party policy and abolishing the poll tax now.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will take forward a very thorough, constructive and fundamental review of the community charge. In doing so, he will take account of the points made by my hon. Friends both north and south of the Scottish border before we reach conclusions. On this side of the House we believe in examining matters before reaching conclusions.
Mr. Kinnock : Everybody, including the right hon. Gentleman, knows that there is only one fundamental, efficient and fair thing to do with the poll tax and that is to scrap it.
The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman forgets the alternative, to which he has decided to return. Was not it he who, in 1980, said that
“the most unjust of all taxes, local rates, take most from those who can afford least”?
Q2. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Thompson : Will my right hon. Friend accept the special congratulations and welcome that he will receive from East Anglian Members of Parliament and their constituents, particularly as he is an East Anglian Member of Parliament, representing Huntingdon? Will he confirm that shortly he will meet President Bush to discuss the Gulf and other matters of common concern so as to continue the Government’s correct policy on these issues?
The Prime Minister : I can certainly confirm that to my hon. Friend. The date has not yet been fixed, but I hope that it will be this side of Christmas.
Mr. Ashdown : May I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his appointment as Britain’s Prime Minister? The whole nation will wish him success in the difficult task ahead– [Hon. Members :– “Speak for yourself.”] For the sake of the nation, we wish the right hon. Gentleman success.
If in two weeks’ time at the intergovernmental conference all 11 of our European partners say that they can accept the right hon. Gentleman’s hard ecu proposal, provided that he will accept that it could be used as a transitional mechanism towards a single currency, perhaps by the end of the decade, will he agree?
The Prime Minister : I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his generous welcome, which I appreciate. There will be a wide range of matters to discuss at the intergovernmental conference and we need to discuss them with great care before we proceed. The Government’s position on the imposition of a single currency is clear : it is not acceptable.
Mrs. Peacock : After the recent turmoil and my right hon. Friend’s uniting of the party, does he agree that his objective of a classless society in the future will be better served by a Conservative Government led by him than by the socialism offered by the Labour party?
The Prime Minister : I am happy to agree entirely with my hon. Friend about that. We need to continue to build on what has been achieved in the past 11 years to make this an open society of opportunity. The Government propose to do that.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : The Prime Minister in his recent meteoric rise has shown great dignity and pride in his humble origins. What priority will he now give to the problem of homelessness which he inherited from his predecessor? In particular, will he look at the issues of cardboard cities, people who live in damp homes and those who have no hope of a roof over their heads?
The Prime Minister : Everyone is entitled to dignity and pride. The Government’s policies will endeavour to ensure that they can attain them.
Q3. Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Coombs : May I, too, welcome my right hon. Friend to the Dispatch Box?
Given the record rate of growth in the economy over the past 10 years, and as my right hon. Friend was the Chancellor of the Exchequer who relieved 6 million non-taxpayers of the need to pay tax on their savings at source, does he agree that the next decade of opportunity crucially depends on further tax reductions and further savings incentives of exactly the sort that have so reinvigorated the country in the past 10 years?
The Prime Minister : I assure my hon. Friend that I certainly favour further tax reductions when they are affordable and it is prudent to make them. I am extremely keen to see the growth of savings for two reasons : first, to provide the base from which the investment we need in the 1990s will come and, secondly, for the security and independence that savings give individuals and their families.
Mr. Blunkett : Earlier this week, the right hon. Gentleman’s former boss, the right hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Lawson), described the poll tax as unworkable and politically catastrophic, whereas his predecessor as Prime Minister said that we had already had a fundamental review of the poll tax. Which of those two conflicting opposites has the Prime Minister advised the new Secretary of State to adopt in the new fundamental review of the poll tax to which he referred earlier?
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) made it entirely clear on a number of occasions from this Dispatch Box that when any new charge of this sort was introduced, it would need to be kept under review. That is what we are doing.
Mr. Shersby : At the commencement of his Administration, will my right hon. Friend declare continuing support for the police in their difficult task of maintaining law and order?
The Prime Minister : The police do a magnificent job in this country, often in difficult circumstances. I have no hesitation whatever in assuring my hon. Friend that I have the greatest admiration for the way they behave.
Q4. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Patchett : If, as the right hon. Gentleman says, he is his own man, may I ask him to say in what way his policies will differ from those of his predecessor?
The Prime Minister : I am my own man and on that basis I see no need to beat my chest and tell the hon. Gentleman. Let him wait and see what we do.
Q5. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mrs. Hicks : I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend as Prime Minister. May I invite him to take some advice from a female colleague in relation to inner cities? Does he agree that to achieve his aim of a classless Britain, which is highly commendable, the Government need to give the highest priority to inner cities? Will he afford me the honour as soon as possible of coming to Wolverhampton and giving me the opportunity to demonstrate our success and illustrate the constraints of municipal socialism, which continues to deny choice and opportunity?
The Prime Minister : I find that an irresistible invitation. I am familiar with the problems of the inner cities. I regard them as a matter of great importance and I have no doubt that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will bend his formidable energies to that problem.
Mr. Robert Hughes : With regard to the Prime Minister’s desire for a classless society and social mobility, will he explain why there are no women in his Cabinet, or is the only woman in his Cabinet the back-seat driver?
The Prime Minister : In recent years, in all aspects of life in this country, women have been taking a higher profile : in the law, in commerce, in the civil service, in industry and in politics– [Interruption.] –and that will continue. As those women would wish it to be, they will reach the top on merit– [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker : Order.
The Prime Minister : Oh yes, and if the hon. Gentleman is patient, he will find women aplenty in top positions in my Government. Indeed, if he had waited awhile, perhaps even to the end of today, he would not have asked that question.
Q6. Mr. Gill : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list his official engagements for Thursday 29 November.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Gill : I endorse the congratulations of my West Midlands colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Hicks). My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will know of the tremendous support that exists for him in the west midlands. When my right hon. Friend visits Ludlow next July, will he take time to visit the Lady Forester memorial hospital in Much Wenlock, where Mrs. Major was born? He will find local people working hard to take over the management of their local hospital for the benefit of the local community.
The Prime Minister : I am certainly looking forward to visiting Much Wenlock. It is true that my wife was born at that hospital, so I have a good reason for looking forward to visiting it.
Mr. Radice : As a member of the Select Committee on the Treasury and Civil Service, may I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on becoming Prime Minister? Now that he is Prime Minister, can he say whether the British economy is in recession?
The Prime Minister : As I have told the hon. Gentleman in the past, if he takes the classic definition of recession, it is never possible to determine whether we are in a recession until after the figures are available. As I have told the House more than once, I expect a small downturn in output for a brief period, but we shall be back in a growth pattern during the passage of next year, with inflation well down.
Below is the complete list of Her Majesty’s Government, as of November 1990.
MEMBERS OF THE CABINET
(Formed by the Rt. Hon. John Major, MP, November 1990)
PRIME MINISTER, FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY AND MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE –
LORD CHANCELLOR –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS –
LORD PRIVY SEAL AND LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT –
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND SCIENCE –
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENERGY –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY –
CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND –
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EMPLOYMENT –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND –
CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY –
LAW OFFICERS
ATTORNEY GENERAL –
LORD ADVOCATE –
SOLICITOR-
MINISTERS NOT IN THE CABINET
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY –
MINISTER OF STATE, PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE, (MINISTER FOR THE ARTS) –
MINISTERS OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE –
Minister for Overseas Development –
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Caithness
The Hon. Douglas Hogg, QC, MP
Tristan Garel-
MINISTERS OF STATE, HOME OFFICE –
The Rt. Hon. The Earl Ferrers
The Rt. Hon. John Patten, Esq, MP
The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Angela Rumbold, CBE, MP
FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY –
MINISTER OF STATE, TREASURY –
MINISTERS OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT –
Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities –
Minister for the Environment and Countryside –
Minister for Housing and Planning –
The Baroness Blatch, CBE
MINISTERS OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE –
Minister of State for the Armed Forces –
Minister of State for Defence Procurement –
MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE –
MINISTERS OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT –
Minister for Aviation and Shipping –
Minister for Public Transport –
MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY –
Minister for Social Security and Disabled People –
MINISTERS OF STATE, NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE –
Paymaster General –
Minister of State –
MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD –
MINISTER OF STATE, WELSH OFFICE –
MINISTERS OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY –
Minister for Trade –
Minister for Corporate Affairs –
MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH –
MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE –
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE AND MINISTERS
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
MINISTER –
MINISTER OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES –
David Maclean, Esq, MP
David Curry, Esq, MP
Arts and Libraries, Office of
MINISTER FOR THE ARTS –
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster –
The Rt. Hon. Chris Patten, MP
PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE –
MINISTER OF STATE, PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE (MINISTER FOR THE ARTS) –
Defence –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARMED FORCES –
MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE PROCUREMENT –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Education and Science –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
MINISTER OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARIES OF STATE –
Alan Howarth, Esq, CBE, MP
Michael Fallon, Esq, MP
Robert Atkins, Esq, MP (Minister for Sport)
Employment –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Robert Jackson, Esq, MP
Eric Forth, Esq, MP
The Viscount Ullswater
Energy –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
David Heathcoat-
The Hon. Colin Moynihan, MP
Environment –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
MINISTERS OF STATE –
Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities –
Minister for the Environment and Countryside –
Minister for Housing and Planning –
The Baroness Blatch, CBE
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Tony Baldry, Esq, MP
Robert Key, Esq, MP
Tim Yeo, Esq, MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs –
SECRETARY OF STATE –
MINISTERS OF STATE –
Minister for Overseas Development –
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Caithness
The Hon. Douglas Hogg, QC, MP
Tristan Garel-
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Health –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH –
MINISTER OF STATE –
Minister for Health –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
The Baroness Hooper
Stephen Dorrell, Esq, MP
Home Office –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT –
MINISTERS OF STATE –
The Rt. Hon. The Earl Ferrers
The Rt. Hon. John Patten, Esq, MP
The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Angela Rumbold, CBE, MP
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE –
Law Officers’ Department –
ATTORNEY-
SOLICITOR-
Lord Chancellor –
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mackay of Clashfern
Northern Ireland Office –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND –
PAYMASTER GENERAL –
MINISTER OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Richard Needham, Esq, MP
Jeremy Hanley, Esq, MP
Paymaster General’s Office –
PAYMASTER GENERAL –
Privy Council Office –
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS –
LORD PRIVY SEAL AND LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS –
MINISTER OF STATE –
Scottish Office –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND –
MINISTER OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Lord James Douglas Hamilton, MP
The Lord Strathclyde
Allan Stewart, Esq, MP
Social Security –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY –
MINISTER OF STATE –
Minister for Social Security and Disabled People –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
The Lord Henley
Michael Jack, Esq, MP
Miss Ann Widdecombe, MP
Trade and Industry –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE –
MINISTERS OF STATE –
Minister for Trade –
Minister for Corporate Affairs –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Transport –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT –
MINISTERS OF STATE –
Minister for Aviation –
Minister for Public Transport –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Christopher Chope, Esq, OBE, MP (Minister for Roads and Traffic)
Patrick McLoughlin, Esq, MP (Minister for Shipping)
Treasury –
PRIME MINISTER, FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY AND MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE –
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER –
CHIEF SECRETARY –
FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY –
MINISTER OF STATE –
ECONOMIC SECRETARY –
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY –
LORDS COMMISSIONERS –
The Hon. Tom Sackville, MP
Sydney Chapman, Esq, MP
Greg Knight, Esq, MP
Irvine Patnick, Esq, OBE, MP
Nicholas Baker, Esq, MP
ASSISTANT WHIPS –
Timothy Wood, Esq, MP
Timothy Boswell, Esq, MP
Neil Hamilton, Esq, MP
Timothy Kirkhope, Esq, MP
David Davis, Esq, MP
Welsh Office –
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES –
MINISTER OF STATE –
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-
Her Majesty’s Household
LORD CHAMBERLAIN –
LORD STEWARD –
MASTER OF THE HORSE –
TREASURER –
COMPTROLLER –
VICE-
CAPTAIN OF THE HONOURABLE CORPS OF GENTLEMEN-
CAPTAIN OF THE QUEEN’S BODYGUARD OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD –
LORDS IN WAITING –
Below is the text of Mr Major’s interview with journalists at the doorstep of 10 Downing Street on 28th November 1990.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning to you all.
May I say firstly that I am extremely grateful for the trust that my Parliamentary colleagues have put in me and for the tremendous support that we have already had from so many people up and down the country. I hope in the next few years that I will be able to prove that that trust is justified.
I am grateful also for the enormous achievements that I inherit from Margaret Thatcher. I think history will record that she was a towering Prime Minister who left our country in a far better condition than she found it eleven years ago.
I hope in the next few years to build on those achievements. I certainly hope in those years to build a society of opportunity. By that I mean an open society, a society in which what people fulfil will depend upon their talent, their application and their good fortune. What people achieve should depend particularly upon those things and I hope increasingly in the future that that will be the case.
I believe very firmly in the 1990s that we will have a decade of the most remarkable opportunities. We have soon the full opening and flowering of the single Market in Europe. We have seen in the last few years the remarkable ending of the Cold War and the bringing together of nations in a fashion that no-one would have imagined just a few years ago. We have in front of us the building and development of an entirely new Europe, a building and development in which this country will play a full and leading role.
In the past week we have seen openly and publicly the uniting of the Conservative Party. I would like to express again my thanks to all members of the Party and particularly Douglas Hurd and Michael Heseltine for the enormous contributions they have made during the leadership contest to ensure that the Party can remain united for the future.
There is no ill-feeling at the end of this contest, at the end of this week for the leadership of the Conservative Party. At the end of this week I believe that there is a smile on the face of the Party that will mean we are fully united for the future.
I hope in the next few years that we will carry on with much of the work that has been done in the last few years. In particular I want to see us build a country that is at ease with itself, a country that is confident, and a country that is prepared and willing to make the changes necessary to provide a better quality of life for all our citizens.
I do not promise you that it will be easy and I do not promise you that it will be quick, but I believe it is an immensely worthwhile job to do. Because it will be neither easy nor quick, if you will forgive me, I will go into Number 10 straight away and make a start right now.
Thank you very much indeed.
Below are the results from the 1990 Conservative Party leadership contest.
November 20th 1990 – First round of Conservative Party leadership contest. Margaret Thatcher obtained 204 votes, Michael Heseltine 152 votes, 6 abstentions and 17 void.
November 22nd 1990 – Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister.
November 27th 1990 – John Major became Leader of the Conservative Party following the second round of the leadership contest. John Major obtained 185 votes, Michael Heseltine 131 votes and Douglas Hurd 56 votes.
November 28th 1990 – John Major became Prime Minister after being summoned to Buckingham Palace by the Queen.