The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Gulf War

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Statement on Iraq – 17 April 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview outside 10 Downing Street at 7.30am on 17th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    The proposal to establish some safe havens in Northern Iraq is now taking shape. When we proposed it some eight or nine days ago we began intensive discussions with a large number of countries, with the United States, with France, of course with the United Nations and Peres de Cuelliar and with a number of other nations as well. I am delighted that this proposal is now proceeding and you will know from statements previously made that we intend to establish a number of camps in Northern Iraq. They will be quite large and we will establish them speedily. Earlier this morning a group of top officials flew to the US European Command at Stuttgart where detailed planning for the operation will continue and proceed. We will have further details later today and I anticipate that the Foreign Secretary will make a statement to the House this afternoon. I can take a couple of questions before I have to leave for the North.

    JOHN HARRISON:

    What will be the orders given to troops should they consider it necessary to engage with Iraqi troops to protect the refugees?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    These are the matters that are under discussion at Stuttgart at the moment and we will make that clear at a later stage. We do not anticipate that there will be any difficulties. We think the Iraqis will respect what is going to happen. Nevertheless it is absolutely essential to get the Kurds down off the mountains and into safe havens speedily. There is no time to delay with that, it is urgent and it will proceed immediately.

    JOHN SERGEANT:

    It could take a long time to solve the problem of the Kurdish refugees, are you prepared to allow British troops to stay there as long as necessary?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We do not have a long time to leave the Kurds where they are at the moment, and for them to safely survive. We must proceed with action now without delay and that is what we are going to do. We will see what we can do about further implementation of returning them to their homes at a later stage but we can not await for a final decision on that before we take action. Action is needed, it is needed now and that is what is going to happen.

    ANOTHER REPORTER:

    How many troops are we talking about?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I would imagine from the United Kingdom it would be less than a Brigade, but that is part of the detailed planning and discussion that is going on this morning. But there will be a number of camps and we will need to make some strategic decisions upon which we need military advice and decisions as to how many troops there will be, but there will be British troops there, there will be French troops there, there will be American engineers there, there will be American air cover. But the precise size of that will be determined over the next few hours.

    ANOTHER REPORTER:

    Is this too little too late?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Well I think that criticism can be left to stand don’t you think? This is the most wide ranging proposal that anybody has produced. The criticism often comes from people who have made very little contribution to what has happened. I think action will speak far louder than words and will drown that criticism.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 16 April 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 16th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    HMS Endurance

    Q9. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to continue the deployment of HMS Endurance in the south Atlantic including South Georgia and Antarctica; and if he will make a statement on the replacement of the present vessel by the mid-1990s
    The Prime Minister : Endurance will return from her current deployment in the south Atlantic in May, which is the end of the Antarctic summer. Studies into the best way of fulfilling the role currently undertaken by Endurance are continuing.

    Iraq

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what requests Her Majesty’s Government have had for air cover from anti-Saddam forces in (a) northern Iraq and (b) southern Iraq.
    The Prime Minister : We have received a number of representations requesting the coalition forces in the Gulf to prevent the Iraqi air force from flying missions. Security Council resolution 688 demands that the Iraqi Government should end their repression of their own people. We are working urgently to create safe havens for Iraqi refugees. The United States has warned Iraqi aircraft not to fly north of the 36th parallel.
    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the United States Government about a permanent (a) United States, (b) United States/British and (c) coalition presence in Iraq.
    The Prime Minister : We have no intention of establishing a permanent coalition presence in Iraq. Our recent contacts with the Americans have focused on the need for urgent humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees both in the north and south of the country. We shall continue to maintain close contacts with the United States on the way ahead.
    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller) of 14 March, Official Report, column 1095, what discussions he has had with the allies on the subject of the use of chemical weapons in Iraq.
    The Prime Minister [holding answer 15 April 1991] : The use of chemical weapons by Iraq is a matter of great concern and has been discussed on many occasions with our allies. We have no firm evidence that such weapons were used during or after the Gulf conflict. At our instigation United Nations Security Council resolution 687, which has been accepted by the Iraqi Government, sets out the United Nations terms for the destruction of Iraq’s chemical weapons capability and affirms that grave consequences would follow any use by Iraq of such weapons.

  • PMQT – 16 April 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 16th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Sir Anthony Durant : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

    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.

    Sir Anthony Durant : May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his four-point initiative to deal with the Kurds and Shi’ites, especially the safe haven proposals, which are important? Will he work hard with the agencies to improve aid to the Shi’ites and Kurds and push the United Nations to implement resolutions 678 and 688 so that the Kurds and Shi’ites can return in confidence to their towns and villages and thereby stop this appalling situation?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Hundreds of tonnes of aid have already been delivered, of which 220 tonnes have come from the United Kingdom. In addition to the three C130s already there, nine Chinook helicopters operating from Turkey will be fully operational by the end of the week. The two special representatives of the secretary-general are in Iraq and by the end of the week 150 United Nations personnel will be in Iraq to oversee the relief effort. Urgent and intensive international discussions are continuing on a safe haven plan, which I and others believe is the only way forward. Indeed, I believe that it is rapidly gaining ground. Later today, I shall chair a further meeting of Ministers to take stock of aid needs.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I strongly support the Prime Minister in the efforts being made to get aid to the wretched people who are fleeing from Saddam Hussein’s forces? As the agonies of the Kurdish people continue, will the right hon. Gentleman tell me whether he shares my view that the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein against the Kurdish people mean that the Iraqi dictator has a case to answer under articles 2 and 3 of the genocide convention of 1948? Will the Prime Minister refer the issue of genocide to the United Nations Security Council as a matter of urgency?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his first words. I have asked for legal advice on the subject of genocide.

    Mr. Teddy Taylor : As the strict budgetary controls of agricultural spending were effectively blow sky high last Monday when the Council of Ministers voted by 10 to two to go through the ceiling, will my right hon. Friend say what on earth we can do, or is agriculture entirely out of control? In congratulating him on Britain’s being one of the two who voted against, may I ask whether he will tell the consumers and taxpayers of Britain whether we can take any action to hold on to the strict budgetary controls for which we fought so hard?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of keeping strict budgetary control on agriculture and on other items of the European Community budget. We have consistently stuck to that position and we shall continue to argue for it in the Agriculture Council and the other Councils of the Community.

    Mr. Ashdown : Notwithstanding the Prime Minister’s welcome but long- term plans for Kurdish sanctuary in Iraq, does not our present air superiority provide a means and United Nations resolution 688 provide the authority for action now to prevent continuing genocide against the Kurds in Iraq? Is not the only thing lacking for action the political will and international leadership? Why does he still seem reluctant to provide either?

    The Prime Minister : As the right hon. Gentleman is aware, the only comprehensive international plan before the international community is the one that I announced to the European Community on Monday this week. As I said to the House a few moments ago, urgent and intensive international discussions on the plan are continuing at this moment.

    Mr. Churchill : I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his safe haven policies. Will he build on them as soon as possible with our colleagues and partners in the Security Council to ensure that, under United Nations auspices, forces are sent to both the north and south of Iraq to establish at the earliest possible opportunity safe havens into which Saddam Hussein’s armies will not be permitted to go?

    The Prime Minister : I have made it clear to our colleagues in the United Nations and elsewhere that, if the relief effort is harassed or frustrated, in my judgment, under Security Council resolution 688, it is clearly the responsibility of the United Nations to protect both helpers and helped. If necessary, the United Nations would have to act on that responsibility and seek from its members whatever assistance, including military assistance, it might need.

     

    Q2. Mr. Wray : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

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

    Mr. Wray : The Prime Minister will be in no doubt that the question on everybody’s lips is about the disgraceful “Panorama” programme which made allegations that the Prime Minister used an accommodation address in Templar street in Lambeth to gain access to the electoral register, a seat on Lambeth council and thus win a seat at Westminster. Will he give an assurance that that accusation is untrue and what action is he about to take?

    The Prime Minister : The qualification for standing for Lambeth council was to be resident within the area. “Panorama” was told on more than one occasion by the lady whose address they gave that I was living in the area, directly opposite her house, at the time and that that fully met the qualification requirements. I cannot explain to the hon. Gentleman why “Panorama” chose not to broadcast that fact.

     

    Q3. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

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

    Mr. Bowis : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the success of his policies in bringing down inflation, interest rates and mortgage rates shows that the better way for Britain is the Conservative way to opportunity and that it is getting better and better as the months go by? Does he agree that that is why there is such disappointment on the Opposition Benches and such desperate calls for an early election?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right. It is precisely because we were prepared to take tough action on inflation that it is now coming down fast and, as I forecast, interest rates are following it down. The economy will continue to improve in the months ahead and we will continue to extend opportunities by spreading wealth, ownership and choice. No other party in the country can offer that to the British people.

     

    Q4. Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

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

    Mr. Pike : Is not the Prime Minister concerned about the many thousands of struggling pensioners who get a pension increase and immediately lose income support and other transitional arrangements? Is not it time that he ended the practice of giving with one hand and immediately taking back with the other and started to give all pensioners a fair deal?

    The Prime Minister : If that were the policy of the Opposition, any pretence that they might have had of public expenditure control would have gone.

    Mr. John Greenway : Does my right hon. Friend agree that the next decade will be the decade of opportunity for young people, but that one opportunity that the House and the country would rather they did not take is the opportunity to commit crime? Does he agree that in national Crime Prevention Week the one major objective that we should seek is for young people to be deterred from criminal activity?

    The Prime Minister : I certainly agree with my hon. Friend. He will have noticed in particular the initiative on truancy taken this week.

     

    Q5. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

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

    Mr. Patchett : Does the Prime Minister feel comfortable with his policies, given the criticism from within his party, both inside and outside the House, or is he merely a victim of an enemy within?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman will find that there are millions and millions of people outside the House who support our policies and who will vote for them.

    Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop : Will my right hon. Friend make an important and clear statement today that the British Government’s policy in support of the safety and security of Iraqi Kurds in Iraq is not support for Kurdish insurrection against successive Governments of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran to form a separate state and that activity of that kind gives a spurious strength to the present Government of Iraq to take military action of a genocidal kind against Iraqi Kurds in Iraq?

    The Prime Minister : I have made it clear in the House on previous occasions that our concern in Iraq is to ensure that the Kurds are well treated, safe and protected from repression. That remains our policy.

     

    Cyprus

    Q6. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions he has held with the Government of Turkey concerning their occupation of part of Cyprus.

    The Prime Minister : I met the Turkish Prime Minister yesterday and the President of Cyprus last week. My discussion yesterday with the Turkish Prime Minister concentrated on the plight of the Kurds. I urged him to help the international efforts to get the Kurds down from the mountains into areas of Turkey and Iraq where they can receive food and medicine. The Turkish Prime Minister and I spoke briefly about Cyprus later in the day.

    Mr. Corbyn : Perhaps the Prime Minister can tell us what discussions he had with the Prime Minister of Turkey. He must be aware that the British Government are a guarantor of Cypriot independence and that the 1974 invasion of Cyprus by Turkey was condemned by the United Nations. Does not he think that the aim should be the withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus and the reunification of the island, with guarantees from all communities to end the terrible time suffered by so many people through the division of the island by military intervention?

    The Prime Minister : I made it entirely clear to the Turkish Prime Minister that we supported the efforts being made by the secretary-general and we hoped that he would make progress speedily towards a satisfactory solution.

    Mr. Anthony Coombs : Will the Prime Minister confirm that Cyprus, a democratic member of the Commonwealth, is the only European country at present forcibly occupied by a foreign power? Does he agree that positive action is necessary to persuade Turkey that it is in its interest and in the interest of the regional stability of the eastern Mediterranean that the reunification of Cyprus as a stable and democratic country is implemented as soon as possible?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend and the Turkish Government are aware that that is our policy.

     

    Engagements

    Q7. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 16 April.

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

    Mr. Wareing : Is the Prime Minister aware that the answer that he gave to my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition this afternoon will have appalled the whole nation? If a Prime Minister, above anyone, has not yet taken legal advice about the genocide convention, when Kurds are being murdered and tortured every day, it is a disgrace. Indeed, it is a sin that this matter has been allowed to go as far as it has. Will the Prime Minister take action today to instruct our representatives at the United Nations to raise the matter of genocide so that action–even military action–is taken against the butcher of Baghdad?

    The Prime Minister : I note the hon. Gentleman’s remarks with care. It is wise to seek and await proper legal advice on such measures. If the matter is so self-evident, why did not the Leader of the Opposition raise it until yesterday and where has the shadow Foreign Secretary been for the past fortnight?

  • PMQT Written Answers – 26 March 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 26th March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Human Rights Abuse

    Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those occasions over the past year when Her Majesty’s Government have made representations to Governments involved in the allied military coalition in the Gulf war concerning human rights abuses in their respective countries; and if he will indicate the criteria adopted by the Government in deciding why and when such representations are made.

    The Prime Minister : No. Where allegations of abuse are well founded the Governments concerned are in no doubt of our concerns. Our criteria for representations are set out in the foreign policy document “Human Rights in Foreign Policy”, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

    Gulf War

    Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if he will establish an inquiry into the economic effects of the Gulf war upon the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa and Bangladesh, the Republic of the Philippines and the Indian sub-continent.

    The Prime Minister : The Government have studied the analysis produced by the International Monetary Fund, World bank and others on the economic effects of the Gulf war. We have supported the rapid steps taken by the international institutions to adapt their facilities to assist affected countries. Fortunately, the fall in oil prices at the outbreak of war, and the rapid conclusion of hostilities mean that the adverse effects will not be as severe as initially feared.

    Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Prime Minister what representations were received by Her Majesty’s Government (a) from 2 August 1990 to 16 January 1991 and (b) from 17 January to 8 February concerning the negative ecological consequences of military action in the Gulf ; from which organisations and individuals he received the representations ; and what response he made to each.

    The Prime Minister : Several thousand letters have been received on the subject of the illegal occupation of Kuwait by Iraq and its aftermath, including the ecological damage caused by deliberate release of oil into the Gulf and firing of the Kuwait oil fields.

    Oil

    Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if he will propose an international scheme to make available oil at a substantially reduced price to the least developed states to assist them to restore the damage to their economies resulting from the Gulf war.

    The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom has provided through the European Community some £60 million to Jordan, Turkey and Egypt, the states whose economies were most directly affected by the Gulf conflict. Given the size of our military role in the Gulf conflict we consider that the United Kingdom should not make a further financial contribution; the burden should be shared by others. We have however encouraged the IMF and the World bank to make additional resources available on concessional terms to the poorest countries most affected. The IMF has made specific arrangements to compensate countries affected by higher oil prices. Where the international community is providing such assistance, it will enable those countries to maintain imports of oil at market prices. We believe that providing oil at reduced prices would lead to economic distortions and a wasteful use of energy.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 25 March 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 25th March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Kashmir

    Mr. Summerson : To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty’s Government will urge the United Nations to implement its resolutions that the people of Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination.

    The Prime Minister : United Nations resolutions on Kashmir over 40 years ago were concerned with the accession to India or Pakistan of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Government consider that any proposal to resolve the continuing dispute over the status of Kashmir needs to take account of subsequent developments, and to be mutually agreed between the Governments of India and Pakistan.

     

    President Gorbachev

    Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed at his meeting with President Gorbachev.

    The Prime Minister : The main subjects we discussed were the middle east, arms control, the Baltic states, the progress of political and economic reform in the Soviet Union and bilateral relations.

     

    Kuwait

    Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if he will consult the United Kingdom Institute of Waste Management on the methods of reclamation of building rubble for the reconstruction of Kuwait.

    The Prime Minister : The institute would be advised to register with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Kuwait reconstruction database so that United Kingdom expertise in this field can be made available to the Kuwaiti authorities.

     

    Nuclear and Chemical Weapons

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 1094, to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross), if he will list in the Official Report those forums and institutions at which he intends to take up the matter of the export of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O’Neill) on 6 March 1991.

     

    Moscow

    Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister which organisations he met during his recent visit to Moscow.

    The Prime Minister : During my visit to the Soviet Union I held meetings with President Gorbachev, Prime Minister Pavlov, Defence Minister Yazov and representatives of the armed forces, representatives of the Baltic states, and leading liberals.

     

    Child benefit

    Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister further to his oral answer of 7 March, Official Report, column 456, if he will make a further statement on the uprating of child benefit.

    The Prime Minister : I welcome the uprating of child benefit announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement on 19 March 1991.

     

    Research and Development

    Dr. Bray : To ask the Prime Minister, further to his answer of 12 March, Official Report, column 472, what is the estimate of total Government expenditure on research and development in enterprises with fewer than 200 employees; and what proportion of it is estimated to be for defence purposes.

    The Prime Minister : The 1989 survey of expenditure and employment on research and development (R and D) in United Kingdom industry was largely restricted to enterprises with 200 or more employees. A provisional estimate for civil and defence research and development expenditure in enterprises with fewer than 200 employees has been made of £255 million. Details are given in the notes of the Central Statistical Office’s “Business Bulletin” issue 14/91, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

    The nearest grouping for which firm data, disaggregated into civil and defence R and D, exists is that with 200 to 499 employees for which the proportion of expenditure for defence purposes is 2.4 per cent.

     

    President Bush

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the matters discussed during his meeting with President Bush in Bermuda on 16 March.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 21 March at column 193.

     

    Prime Minister, Tuvalu

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if he met the Prime Minister of Tuvalu during his visit to London on 19 March.

    The Prime Minister : No.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what response he is making to the request for assistance in the establishment of a South Pacific disaster relief programme to respond to natural catastrophes, set out by the Prime Minister of Tuvalu.

    The Prime Minister : This issue was not raised by the Prime Minister of Tuvalu when he saw the Minister for Overseas Development on 18 March. However, we are always ready to respond to the need for disaster relief assistance whether in the Pacific or elsewhere.

     

    Gulf War

    Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister what information he has concerning the extent of damage to sewerage systems, water purification plants, hospitals and medical centres in (a) Iraq and (b) Kuwait arising from military action in the Gulf war; and what steps have been taken by Her Majesty’s Government to provide humanitarian aid to each country to alleviate hardship and disease caused by military action.

    The Prime Minister : The United Nations Secretary-General reported to the Security Council on 21 March on Under Secretary-General Ahtisaari’s findings following his mission to Iraq.

    Ahtisaari reported that sewage systems, water purification plants, hospitals and medical centres are largely undamaged but are not functioning fully due to a lack of electricity and fuel. The United Nations sanctions committee is considering how to respond urgently. Although Kuwait suffered widespread damage and sabotage to its infrastructure as a result of the Iraqi invasion and occupation, the Government of Kuwait have already started to organise repairs and have made arrangements to provide purified drinking water. Medical facilities were relatively undamaged and are continuing to operate. The United Kingdom supports the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations relief agencies in Iraq and Kuwait. This year we have already given £2.5 million to the ICRC’s Gulf appeal (the largest single cash donation) and US$1 million to the United Nations appeal co-ordinated by United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation. In addition, the EC Commission has given £8.75 million to support the relief activities in the Gulf region. The share of this attributable to the United Kingdom’s aid budget is £1.75 million.

    Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister what initiatives have been taken by Her Majesty’s Government’s representatives to (a) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (b) the United Nations environment programme, (c) the International Atomic Energy Agency, (d) the International Energy Agency, (e) the World Health Organisation, (f) the International Labour Organisation, (g) the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, (h) the European Commission and (i) the United Nations, respectively, to alleviate hardship caused to civilians in Iraq and Kuwait caused by the Gulf war.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 March 1991] : The International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations relief agencies are the main international organisations providing assistance to civilians in Iraq and Kuwait. A multi-agency UN mission has just returned from Iraq where it has assessed the needs of the civilian population and will shortly be visiting Kuwait. Representatives of British non- governmental organisations, Oxfam and Save the Children Fund, just back from Baghdad, are also planning relief activities. UNEP is helping to tackle the effects of oil pollution in the Gulf. The EC Commission has given £8.75 million to support relief activities in the Gulf region. The share of this attributable to the United Kingdom’s aid budget is £1.75 million.

    We are not aware that the other organisations mentioned are currently providing assistance to civilians in Iraq and Kuwait.

    Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister what communications he has had with the director of the World Health Organisation concerning disease and epidemics in Iraqi cities arising from destruction of sewage and water purification plants, and electricity generating stations, by allied bombing in the Gulf war.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 March 1991] : We are in close touch with United Nations agencies including the World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross about requirements for humanitarian assistance in Iraq.

    Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 12 March, Official Report, column 472, he will make it his policy to make a one-off extra donation to the United Nations children’s organisation, UNICEF, from the United Kingdom to help children in Iraq suffering as a result of the destruction of the economic infrastructure in Iraq from allied bombings.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 March 1991] : A multi-agency United Nations mission has recently been in Iraq to assess humanitarian needs. It will make recommendations to the Secretary-General on emergency actions the United Nations might take. In the light of the mission’s report we will consider what response to make to any appeal for funding launched by the Secretary-General, including what would be the most appropriate channel.

     

    Middle East

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the United States Government on the prospective role of the Palestine Liberation Organisation in a peace settlement in the middle east.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 March 1991] : We are in regular contact with the United States Administration on all aspects of the Arab/Israel dispute, including the position of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. The PLO has done little to enhance its role in recent months.

     

    Iraq

    Mr. Nellist : To ask the Prime Minister if he will obtain for 10 Downing Street library a copy of the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation report on trade with Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 March 1991] : No.

     

    Food Chain

    Mr. Speller : To ask the Prime Minister if he will establish a single department of state to supervise matters relating to the food chain from farm to plate.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 21 March 1991] : No. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food already performs this function, sharing responsibility for food safety with the Department of Health.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 22 March 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 22nd March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Voluntary Bodies

    Mr. Paice : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the total amount paid in grants by Government Departments to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1989-90; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : Government funding to voluntary organisations in 1989-90 amounted to £2.36 billion. Of this, £1,681 million was payments to housing associations; £204 million was payments under major employment and training schemes; £373 million went to support provision of services and a wide range of activities and projects by a variety of voluntary organisations. The amount spent under individual departmental programmes is as follows :

    ——————————————————-

    Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

    Defence

    Education and Science

    Employment

    Youth training scheme

    Employment training

    Other programmes

    Energy

    Environment

    Direct grants

    Urban programme

    Housing corporation

    Countryside Commission

    Nature Conservancy Council

    Rural Development Commission

    Sports Council

    UK 2000 project grant fund

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Overseas Development Administration

    Health

    Direct grants

    Health Education Authority

    Home Office

    Direct grants

    Equal Opportunities Commission

    Commission for Racial Equality

    Lord Chancellor’s Department

    Northern Ireland Office

    Direct grants

    Housing associations and societies

    Economic Development Grants:

    Action for community employment

    Community workshops

    Community volunteer schemes

    Youth Community project

    Youth Help

    Sports Council for Northern Ireland

    Scottish Office

    Direct grants

    Urban programme

    Housing associations

    Countryside Commission for Scotland

    Highlands and Island Development Board

    Sports Council for Scotland

    Social Security

    Trade and Industry

    Transport

    Welsh Office

    Direct grants

    Urban programme

    Joint Finance/Care in the Community

    Housing associations and societies

    Development Board for Rural Wales

    Sports Council for Wales

    Grand total

    Excluding payments under major employment and training schemes and to housing association and societies funding has increased in cash terms by 8.3 per cent. over the level of provision in 1988-89. In the period between 1979-80 and 1989-90 the level of this Government’s support for voluntary bodies has risen by 114 per cent. in real terms.

    I am placing in the Library of the House a list of voluntary bodies funded by Government in 1989-90, other than those funded under the youth training scheme and employment training, housing programmes and the urban programme or via non-departmental public bodies.

     

    Security Commissioner (Report)

    Mr. Hannam : To ask the Prime Minister when the Commissioner appointed under the Security Service Act 1989 will present his first annual report; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : A copy of Lord Justice Stuart-Smith’s first annual report, for 1990, has been laid before the House today in accordance with section 4(6) of the Security Service Act 1989. The confidential appendix to the report has been excluded from that copy in accordance with section 4(7) of the 1989 Act. I am grateful to the commissioner for his work in reviewing the issue of warrants and note that he is satisfied that the Secretaries of State have properly exercised their powers under the Act.

     

    Troops (Homecoming)

    Mr. Mates : To ask the Prime Minister how the Government intend (a) to mark the safe homecoming of British troops who contributed to the liberation of Kuwait, (b) to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in that cause and (c) to honour those who gave gallant and meritorious service.

    The Prime Minister : A service of remembrance and thanksgiving will be held in Glasgow cathedral in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen on Saturday 4 May.

    The Lord Mayor and the Corporation of London will host a reception at Guildhall on Friday 21 June for members of British forces. It will be preceded by a march through the City at which Her Majesty the Queen will take the salute.

    Her Majesty the Queen has approved the award of a Gulf medal for those who served in the region. She has also agreed that there should be a Gulf honours list, to be published at the end of June, for those who displayed gallantry and gave meritorious service.

  • PMQT – 21 March 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 21st March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

    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 will be having further meetings later today.

    Mr. Eastham : Noting that unemployment has gone up by more than 300,000 in 10 months, to the highest rate in any EC country, may I ask why we have the second deepest recession in 10 years when we have our own coal, our own natural gas and our own North sea oil bringing in £90 billion? The CBI is telling us that by the end of the year 2.25 million people will be unemployed and that unemployment will increase further next year. What is the Prime Minister’s excuse for that?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman will also have seen the very strong welcome from the CBI for the measures in the Budget that will help the cash flow and reduce the taxation of businesses. He will also be aware of the unprecedented amount of help available for people who are unemployed. We have geared that particularly to the areas where unemployment is most severe.

    Sir Timothy Raison : Will my right hon. Friend consider the grave famine that is developing in Africa? Will he make sure that we and the European Community deliver quickly as much aid as possible?

    The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development is studying precisely that matter at the moment.

    Mr. Kinnock : Does the Prime Minister agree that Question Time is an appropriate moment for him to apologise to taxpayers for the £14.3 billion that his Government have wasted on the poll tax fiasco?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman should explain his phoney figures, for he will know that included in his figure is £3 billion for non- payment created partly by his own side urging people not to pay and that the vast majority of the remainder is money that is available to provide extra money for local services. Would he remove that extra money for local services?

    Mr. Kinnock : It was the Prime Minister who described the poll tax as uncollectable when he spoke to his hon. Friends earlier this week. After wasting all that money, why is he not big enough simply to say sorry?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman did not listen. The money that he has counted as wasted is money that will be available for local services. If the right hon. Gentleman thinks that money is wasted on local services he should make it clear.

    Mr. Batiste : Will my right hon. Friend try to find time to reschedule his visit to the Vickers tank factory in Leeds which he had to cancel a few weeks ago due to bad weather? Is he aware that many people there would like to hear from him, following his visit to the Gulf, how the Challenger tank performed and would like to express to him the urgent need for the Government to come to a decision on the replacement contract for the Chieftain tank?

    The Prime Minister : I was certainly sorry– [Interruption.] –that I was unable to make that particular visit. [Interruption.] I am always happy to spread a little amity in the Chamber, so I repeat to my hon. Friend that I am sorry that I was unable to visit the factory, when I would have been able to tell the workers that the Challenger tank performed absolutely magnificently in the Gulf–far above the expectations that anyone could have had of it. I hope that we shall soon be able to draw all the lessons that we need from that and make a decision on Challenger 2.

     

    Q2. Mr. Sillars : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Sillars : Is the Prime Minister aware that the toast in Scotland tonight will be to absent enemies–Thatcher and the poll tax– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. We use the constituency name here.

    Mr. Sillars : It will not really matter in Scotland, Mr. Speaker.

    Mr. Speaker : But it does here.

    Mr. Sillars : I am talking about the right hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) and the poll tax. When will the Prime Minister acknowledge his personal political debt to the non-payers who destroyed the poll tax by making it uncollectable? If we had not done so, it would still be here, she would still be here and he would not be the Prime Minister.

    The Prime Minister : In what he has just said the hon. Gentleman makes clear precisely why his party is so unattractive and undesirable. I am sure that his remarks are not remotely the feelings of the people of Scotland.

    Mr. Tracey : Will my right hon. Friend sympathise with the disgust of the great majority of the British public at those people who have not paid their share towards local government finance? Will he give an undertaking that people who have not paid their community charge will be pursued?

    The Prime Minister : I certainly will. My hon. Friend might share my view that the disgust is redoubled at those people in elected positions who have perhaps persuaded people not to pay.

     

    Q3. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Kennedy : As regards the scheme for a reduction in overall poll tax figures, announced by the Chancellor in the Budget statement this week which has become known, I gather, as the Ribble Valley rebate, will the Prime Minister explain why those who will benefit most are those best able to pay and why the people who are still on rebates in the lowest category of income, by the Government’s definition, will not enjoy the same degree of reduction from the real poll tax figure which they have to pay? Can that possibly be just?

    The Prime Minister : I would not have expected such a stupid question from the hon. Gentleman. Even he should recognise that one cannot give a rebate to people who are not expected to pay in the first place.

    Mr. Burt : Should not the real apologies in local government come from the spendthrift Labour councils which have broken ceiling after ceiling and from the Opposition Front-Bench spokesmen who still refuse to spell out their proposals to control local authority finance?

    The Prime Minister : Of course, they will not spell out their proposals. They do not know what they are. They are still dithering.

     

    Q4. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Lofthouse : Does the Prime Minister recall that on nine occasions he supported the poll tax legislation through the House and cast his vote accordingly? Does he now regret that? If he had his time again, would he give such strong personal support to that legislation?

    The Prime Minister : I indicated clearly throughout the debates on the community charge that I thought that the principle was correct. The hon. Gentleman will know our new proposals in a matter of moments and he might reserve judgment until then.

    Mr. Lester : Does my right hon. Friend agree that, far from what Opposition Members say, the greatest contribution that this place makes to society is that we all believe in the rule of law and in the ways in which one can change laws within the democratic framework, not by protesting or refusing to pay the poll tax?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with the principle of what my hon. Friend said. However, I think that he was being over-generous when he said that everyone in the House believes that. Clearly, some Opposition Members do not.

     

    Q5. Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Williams : Does the Prime Minister recall that in the 1989 autumn statement he predicted that inflation would be down to 5.5 per cent. at the end of last year and that he revised that figure to 7.25 per cent. in the last Budget? In fact, it turned out to be over 10 per cent. What credibility should we give the Chancellor’s forecast that inflation will fall to 4 per cent. by the end of the year when the rise in average earnings is 9 per cent., electricity prices are to go up by 13 per cent., water charges are to go up by 16 per cent. and petrol will rise by 20p a gallon?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman is accurate in saying that inflation is currently higher than I expected it to be. However, he will also know that it is not just my right hon. Friend the Chancellor’s forecast that inflation is falling dramatically. That forecast is shared by almost every independent forecaster and I think that the hon. Gentleman will see the accuracy of it in the months to come.

     

    Q6. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Bellingham : Will my right hon. Friend find time today to consider the part played by small firms in turning west Norfolk into an economic success story? Is he aware that during the past few weeks they have lobbied hard for various Budget measures? Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Chancellor listened to them and that Tuesday’s Budget was an outstanding Budget for small businesses?

    The Prime Minister : It certainly was an outstanding Budget for small businesses and my hon. Friend, who has a long-standing interest in them, is in a good position to judge that. His view was reflected by the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses, which described my right hon. Friend’s Budget as

    “one to bring a smile to small businesses.”

    That is the clearest possible illustration of the way in which small businesses have accepted the Budget.

     

    The Gulf

    Q7. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister what further plans he has to visit the Gulf region.

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

    Mr. Corbyn : That is rather strange since the question was about the Gulf.

    The Prime Minister : I have no immediate plans to do so– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order.

    Mr. Corbyn : I am quite good at lip-reading and I assume that the Prime Minister said that he was not preparing to go to the Gulf region again. I put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that the Prime Minister should visit the Gulf region and assess the results of the war. There were 150,000 casualties and deaths, there is martial law in Kuwait and environmental destruction throughout the region. It is the product of arms sales. Does the Prime Minister consider that all the money that has been spent by the Government on the Gulf war compares unfavourably with the miserly figure of £28 million spent on the African famine? Should not the right hon. Gentleman now create peace in the Gulf and give resources to solve the African famine?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman in his litany missed out one or two material facts–the liberation of Kuwait for a start. He also missed out the fact that the Iraqis were murdering Kuwaitis, dismantling Kuwait, damaging the environment and committing unpardonable sins. I very much regret that the hon. Gentleman does not recall that.

     

    Engagements

    Q8. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 21 March.

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

    Mr. Carrington : The proposal in the Budget to establish high street share shops is greatly welcomed by all of us who want shares in public companies to be more widely held by the public at large. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that high street share shops must conform to all the provisions of the Financial Services Act?

    The Prime Minister : I confirm that to my hon. Friend. The proposed high street share shops will be subject to the Financial Services Act. That will certainly be made clear and I very much hope that this new way of distributing shares will be successful.

  • PMQT – 19 March 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 19th March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Trotter : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

    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. This evening, I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

    Mr. Trotter : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that when he visited the Gulf he heard the Challenger 1 tank had performed very well and that the Vickers work force gave stalwart support to the Army before and during the conflict? Does he agree that the new Challenger 2 is designed specifically for the British Army’s requirements and that it meets them? Will those factors be given due recognition and is he aware of the need for an early order if Vickers is to maintain its manufacturing capability and win export orders for this world-beater?

    The Prime Minister : Yes, I confirm what my hon. Friend says. The performance of the Challenger 1 tank in the Gulf was quite outstanding. Before we reach a decision on the replacement–on a Challenger 2 tank–we must analyse the lessons that we learnt in the Gulf. I hope that that will soon be done and then we shall move speedily to a decision.

    Mr. Kinnock : Does the Prime Minister recall saying recently : “Michael’s claim of taking education from the poll tax and putting it into central education has the disadvantage that it has to be paid for elsewhere, either in more borrowing, more taxation, or pre-empting money that would otherwise go to the health service”? Is that still the Prime Minister’s view?

    The Prime Minister : Government services have to be paid for, from whatever pocket they may come, and that is still the case.

    Mr. Kinnock : I know all about that– [Interruption.] –but from the way the Government are behaving, one wonders whether they know all about that, too. Will the Prime Minister now answer my question? Does he still take the view that he enunciated a short time ago, or does he now agree with Michael? If he does not, is he still dithering in between?

    The Prime Minister : I am glad to hear the right hon. Gentleman confirm that he knows that local government services have to be paid for. I just wish that he would tell some of his hon. Friends that–[ Hon. Members :– “Answer.”] The right hon. Gentleman will have all his answers by the end of this week.

    Dr. Goodson-Wickes : Does my right hon. Friend accept that my appalling voting record over the past few months is no reflection on my wholehearted support for him and the Government?

    On a more serious note, does my right hon. Friend agree that the united voice that went out from the House in support of our troops on the ground in the Gulf was of immeasurable help to them and that that, combined with the unsurpassed military leadership under which we served, led to the magnificent military outcome?

    The Prime Minister : I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. I think that I echo the views of the whole House in saying that in recent weeks my hon. Friend has been in the right place. We welcome him back to the House– to the place which is his by right.

    Mr. Ashdown : If the Prime Minister will not recall his own words, will he recall the words of his predecessor, who, speaking in the House on 15 November for a Government in which he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that transferring education expenditure to central Government would result in huge tax increases and in a reduction in local services? Does the right hon. Gentleman still agree with his right hon. Friend?

    The Prime Minister : There are many things about which I am in wholehearted agreement with my right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher). Those things include clear opposition to proportional representation and a reluctance to do deals with the right hon. Gentleman.

     

    Q2. Mr. Simon Burns : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Burns : Is my right hon. Friend aware that more than 12,000 of my constituents travel by British Rail from Chelmsford to Liverpool Street every day? Does he accept that although the service has improved somewhat in the past few years, it still leaves a great deal to be desired? Can he reassure my constituents that the current record levels of investment in British Rail will continue, so that services may be improved further?

    The Prime Minister : I sympathise with my hon. Friend. I know that the views of his constituents are shared by my constituents and by the constituents of many other hon. Members. The Government’s investment priority is to ensure that all routes are brought up to the high standard that commuters have a right to expect. That is, and has been, our policy.

    Mr. Mullin : Will the Prime Minister take this opportunity to welcome the release of the six innocent men who were convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings? Does he agree that if confidence in our judicial system is to be restored it will be necessary for someone above the rank of police sergeant to take responsibility for the recent series of disasters?

    The Prime Minister : No one in the House either now or at any time in the past, would have wished to see innocent men gaoled. As the convictions were insecure, it is entirely right that the gentlemen to whom the hon. Member referred have now been released. The whole House will be pleased about that. Clearly, we need to look at procedures. The royal commission on the criminal justice system will report speedily and comprehensively.

     

    Q3. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Nicholson : My right hon. Friend will recall personal tax rates of up to 98 per cent., a standard rate of 35 per cent. and weird taxes such as selective employment tax. However deep our party’s hostility to those taxes might have been, no one doubted that they had to be collected and that they had to be paid. Is my right hon. Friend aware that my constituents in Taunton, where the community charge has been collected efficiently, are of the opinion that until the House changes tax measures, public authorities will have a duty to collect taxes and individuals, including hon. Members, will have a duty to pay them?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Everyone has a duty to uphold the law as passed by the House. That is particularly true of hon. Members. Those who seek to make the law should never break the law.

     

    Q4. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Bennett : Does the Prime Minister agree that an important principle of British public life is that when the Ministers or other senior public figures make grave errors of judgment they resign? In doing so, they restore confidence in their office and they salvage a little of their reputation. Will the Prime Minister draw that principle to the attention of Lord Chief Justice Lane?

    The Prime Minister : I shall certainly not draw that to the attention of Lord Chief Justice Lane. I believe that he applied the facts of the case as he saw them; hindsight knowledge is never an attractive thing.

     

    Q5. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Field : Recognising the long hours worked during the Gulf war by my right hon. Friend and the distinguished service– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. This takes up a lot of time.

    Mr. Field : –and the distinguished service given by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes), may I invite them both to partake of the invigorating political air of the Isle of Wight during the Easter recess, where they will observe that the Conservative borough councils of South Wight and Medina have transferred all their housing stock to housing associations, making the Isle of Wight a unique county?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend makes a tempting offer. If I may deal with the underlying concern of his point, to paraphrase Mr. Samuel Clemens, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes) and I would welcome my hon. Friend’s invitation.

    Mr. Salmond : Will the Prime Minister confirm that he told his Back Benchers yesterday that the Achilles heel of the poll tax was its uncollectability? Will he therefore acknowledge that the campaign of resistance to the tax has been a key factor in sinking his predecessor’s flagship? When the Government make their statement on Thursday, will it contain any form of apology to the people of Scotland for the additional year under which we have suffered from this iniquitous tax?

    The Prime Minister : I will confirm no such thing and if the hon. Gentleman played any part in any campaign of disobedience, he has no right to be in the House.

     

    Q6. Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Haselhurst : Does my right hon. Friend accept that London commuters generally will welcome the increased emphasis that the Government are putting on the quality of service in rail transport? As the Stansted airport rail link starts, from today, to place heavier burdens on the infrastructure of the West Anglia line, can commuters there hope that their interests will not be subordinated to the interests of airline travellers?

    The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend knows, improvement in quality is very much the objective of the Government’s policies and of British Rail. He will know that modern rolling stock has been provided for the Stansted express and is intended to provide both fast and frequent services to the newly expanded airport. I shall draw my hon. Friend’s concerns about normal commuter services on the West Anglia line to the attention of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

     

    Q8. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Lofthouse : Will the Prime Minister tell us why he recently said that the poll tax would prove to be enduring and would be a vast improvement on the rates? As he appears rapidly to have changed his mind, does he expect the right hon. Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) to change hers, too?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman will find the answers to all those questions on Thursday.

     

    Q9. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

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

    Mr. Bowis : Has my right hon. Friend had time to read the editorials pointing out that if Wandsworth had received the same amount of Government grant as neighbouring Lambeth, it could have put a cheque in the post to every charge payer? Does he agree that the lesson to be drawn from that is that whatever system of local government finance we have, the only one worth voting for is one run by Conservative councils?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend makes a valid point–

    Mr. Meale : No, he does not.

    The Prime Minister : Yes, he does. Lambeth received almost £300 a head more in external grant than Wandsworth, yet most Wandsworth residents seem to think that they get better services than do the residents of neighbouring Lambeth. The reason is clear : Lambeth is a Labour council and that is why the service is so expensive and so rotten.

    Mr. Clelland : Although I fully appreciate the need to review defence procurement policy following the Gulf conflict, does the Prime Minister agree that that would affect only the size of the order for main battle tanks, not necessarily the manufacturer which will provide them? Will he therefore have a word with the Secretary of State for Defence with a view to making an early announcement that the order will go to a British manufacturer, Vickers Defence Systems?

    The Prime Minister : I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point and we shall seek to learn all the lessons possible from the Gulf conflict. As soon as it is concluded, we shall endeavour to reach an early decision. I hope that there will be no unnecessary delay.

    Mr. Nelson : Will my right hon. Friend find time to reaffirm the Government’s strong commitment to defence? Does he agree that one reason why our armed forces did the job in the Gulf was that, over the past 10 years, the Conservative Government have voted and spent the necessary money for the right equipment and training, while the Opposition parties have constantly called for disarmament and defence cuts?

    The Prime Minister : I happily reaffirm that. Defence remains a matter of intense importance to this side of the House and, in case there is any doubt, I should make it clear that that includes nuclear defence.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on Iraq – 16 March 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments made regarding on Iraq on Saturday 16th March 1991 in Bermuda.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked about the ceasefire resolution].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    A number of other people, of course, will need to be consulted, will need to be concerned about it, but we think it will cover a number of things. It will cover, for example, an arms embargo to Iraq; it will probably cover the destruction of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that Iraq has; it will certainly cover the release of Kuwaiti detainees; and I suspect it may well also cover hypothecation of oil revenues in order to meet reparations.

    Those are the sort of things that I would expect to be in the resolution, but there will be more than that, it will be a lengthy resolution.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked how such an agreement would be enforced].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    It will be part of the ceasefire resolution, it will be a United Nations resolution. There will be sanctions imposed if it isn’t honoured.

  • Mr Major’s Statement in Bermuda – 16 March 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s statement made at the Cabinet Office in Bermuda on Saturday 16th March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    John, thank you very much indeed for your hospitality. When President Bush and I were deciding where we should meet we discussed Washington, we discussed London, we discussed Bermuda and Bermuda won by 2 votes to nil and we are delighted to be here. I can only apologise for having brought my weather with me.

    But it has been a very successful Summit indeed, we had a lot to talk about, all the things that have happened in the Gulf and the plans we have for what must now happen there, elsewhere in the Middle East. We had the opportunity of discussing the Soviet Union, the GATT talks, the very remarkable changes there have been in South Africa and of course the performance of both our economies and the world economy and a vast range of other matters as well. So it was an extremely worthwhile occasion and we were both absolutely delighted that we were able to meet here in Bermuda.

    If I may say so, John, I am also very grateful to you and your Cabinet for your hospitality. We watch with very great interest in London what happens in Bermuda, alas we do not get here as much as we like but I hope I will have the opportunity of coming back and spending rather longer that I have been able to go on this particular occasion.

    In the last few minutes I have had the opportunity of having a meeting with Premier Swann and his Cabinet, we have been able to discuss a number of matters of bilateral interest as well as international concerns. I found that a very useful meeting, it is one I am delighted I was able to attend and I shall look forward to returning again before too long.

    Thank you very much indeed.