The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Gulf War

  • Mr Major’s Speech to Conservative Local Government Conference – 2 March 1991

    Below is Mr Major’s speech to the Conservative Local Government Conference made on Saturday 2nd March 1991 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Gulf

    Mr Chairman, over the last few weeks the conflict in the Gulf has been uppermost in all our minds. Thousands of young men and women from the communities you represent took part in the battle to free Kuwait. Some gave their lives in that cause and all of us have been touched by their loss. Our hearts go out to their families and friends. We will never forget those young men. Nor will we forget what each of those out there in the Gulf has accomplished. Our duty now is to work for a peace worthy of their achievement and to bring those men home as soon as possible. I know this Conference will pay tribute to their courage.

    I am delighted to be with you today. I began my political career in local government some time ago. And I am proud of that. I enjoyed it. I learned a lot from it. Local government is important. It is just as much a trust to be elected as a councillor as to hold office in the Government. Because to be elected is to undertake obligations. That is the trust. And it is something that no-one in politics must ever forget.

    Lessons from Lambeth: Conservative and Labour compared

    Many years ago, I became Chairman of housing in what was then Conservative Lambeth. And I had good reason to know the housing problems far too many people faced. Indeed in some ways I had shared them. I knew that it was the duty of a Conservative council to help. To help obtain for people what they wanted, not provide for them what the Courcil wanted. We were innovators. We built in Lambeth council houses for sale. We opened the first ever Housing Aid Centre. And we took housing officers out to meet the people of Lambeth face to face and hear their problems. And very interesting meetings some of those turned out to be too.

    Few people wrote then about what was happening in Lambeth. It was quiet work and efficient – typically Conservative, in fact. How things changed under Labour. Then Lambeth became famous. Famous for putting politics before people, personal ambition before public service. Famous for red flags flying over the Town Hall. For bureaucracy blossoming, while services withered away. For costs surging through the roof, while quality was kicked out of the window. The very worst in local government. That’s Labour’s legacy.

    And, sadly, not only in Lambeth. Camden and lslington; Haringey and Hackney; Derbyshire and Liverpool. All Labour Councils. And all bywords for incompetence and waste. Each of them proving that Labour local government – like Labour national Government – never works. It never has. And, what’s more, it never will.

    Commitment to, principle of local government: aims of local government

    Mr Chairman, we are here for one reason. Not just because we have served or do serve in local government. But because we care about it. Because we know that when it operates well local government is the best way to see that local services fit local needs. Up and down the country Conservative councillors, like those of you here today, have shown what good local government can mean. You have put in long hours and made many sacrifices. You can be proud of what you have achieved.

    But seeing that local services fit local needs doesn’t mean councils must themselves provide every service. Far from it. I believe in the principle of the enabling council. A council that acts on behalf of the public, not the providers. Its job is to ensure that good services are delivered, seek out new methods, and call in specialist skills, wherever those are needed. Its job is to buy in the best quality at the best price, whether from its own workforce or outside, and then to put it to the benefit of its local community. That enabling role is the key to good local government.

    But if councils are to be confident and perform well, they must also be secure about their role. They need certainty. They need to know what their tasks are. I am determined to see a stable and lasting framework created for local government in the 1990s. And by that I mean a structure that is effective and will endure. A system of finance that is sustainable. For only that will attract people of high calibre into local service. No-one here should be in any doubt. Good local government will be vital in this Governments strategy to widen opportunity and spread responsibility throughout the country.

    Past achievements of Conservatives in local government

    No-one should question our commitment to that aim. This Party was the principal architect of modern local government.

    – from the enhancement of Victorian city centres:

    – through the social improvements of Neville Chamberlain and others in the first half of this century;

    – to the new ideas and methods of public service pioneered by Conservative Councils today.

    This Government will support all of you in building on that great tradition of reform.

    Need to look to the long-term, not immediate worries

    The last twenty-five years have not been easy for local government. Amidst many pressures it has been damaged. The infiltration of the Loony Left and the shifty centre into too many of our town halls has seen to that.

    Local Government has become too defensive, too inward-looking, too much obsessed with means and too little about ends. Over the next years I want us to look again to the longer-term role of local councils. I want to chart out a fresh vision and a better course for local government.

    Finance: cutting costs and relieving needs, attack on non-payment

    Many of you, of course, are already involved in the debate about finance. Michael Portillo has already discussed that with you this morning. I want to make just three points today:

    First, no system of local government finance can last if the public think their money is being wasted and their services are poor. More Conservative Councils are proving to the public that charges can be cut, yet services developed further. They deserve our praise for that. And the rest of our Party must follow their lead.

    Secondly, we have already made considerable efforts to see that most help with local costs goes to those who most need that help. We are now improving support for those whose bills were most affected by change through the Community Charge Reduction Scheme.

    Take Lancashire, for example, where as we all know particular problems were faced. There, the relief available next year for couples living in smaller properties – half average rateable value – will in some cases be up to £500. On average across the nation people will pay £100 less than the headline community charge. The help we are giving will benefit some 18 million people nationwide. It deserves to be far better known. And in the next few weeks we must ensure that it is.

    The point I will make on finance is this. Conservatives help people in need in practical ways and with practical solutions. How different from those in the Labour Party who posture about solidarity, but push others into breaking the law. Non-payment can be justified in no circumstances. Never by Labour councillors claiming attendance allowances paid out of the community charge. And least of all by Labour MPs. What they don’t pay, others less well off have to pay for them.

    It is a disgrace that Labour MP after Labour MP is trooping into the courts to proclaim his defiance of the law. Of this I’m sure: those who break the law have no right to make the law. It should be a source of lasting shame to the Labour Party and its Leader that no action has been taken to crack down on behaviour like theirs.

    Bad management discredits local government

    But it’s not just over the community charge that Labour leadership has failed. Labour Council after Labour Council and Liberal Council after Liberal Council has wasted the public’s money and let their services run down. You all know some of the examples:

    – The council that spent millions of pounds on a new civic centre – and forgot to include a council chamber. Big spending on bureaucracy; no accountability to the public. The very model of modern Labour local government.

    – There was the council that lost over £5 million in running a time-share operation. Only the Labour Party could give the time-share sharks a good name.

    – And then there was the council that sent a member and an officer on a fact-finding trip about football. What a coincidence that the trip was to Italy during the 1990 World Cup. Labour’s version of the penalty shoot-out; the council shoot out to the sun; and the public pay the penalty.

    It is this sort of nonsense that has cast discredit on local government. Because of this sort of nonsense the good work of the many has been missed among the excesses of the few.

    The Conservative Agenda: less government, more service

    We in this Party must now set a new agenda, provide reforming leadership, and rebuild confidence in local government. Many of you have already begun. Conservative Councils have led the way in cutting back bureaucracy, bringing in private sector skills, and concentrating attention on service to the public.

    But we need to do more. There are still attitudes that are wrong. Still too many who see competitive tendering as a threat. Still too many who think the answer to a problem is to appoint an officer. In my experience the better answer is often to disappoint an officer. And still too many committees, too many reports, too many members struggling in piles of paper and mountains of unread bumph.

    What we need in local government is less paper and more action. Less empire-building and more innovation. Less government and more service. That must be the Conservative way.

    Simpler local government

    The very essence of local government should be variety. Some people feel there are too many layers of local government in some areas. It may well be that we need to simplify the structure and reduce the number of bodies we now have overall. We have that position under review. And here, too, your views will count.

    But some change surely must come. I do not think that the pattern of local government has to be uniform. Why should it be the same everywhere? Differing structures might be right for different parts of the country. Local opinion must play its part. But on no account will we create wasteful new tiers of local government as Labour and Liberals propose.

    Finance and structure are important. But in my view they should be part of, and not control, the arguments about local government as a whole. The key questions are simple. They are about functions. What is local government for? What is the proper range of its activity? Who is it seeking to serve? And how best can it achieve those ends?

    Those are the key issues. And in developing new ways to answer those questions, I want our party to stay in the lead. There are two areas, above all, where I want new ideas to be felt – in education and in housing.

    Education – local authorities to assist not obstruct, change

    I have spoken elsewhere of my belief that education must be top of our agenda for the 1990s. We are now giving more influence to governors and parents. The best local authorities encourage that change; the worst stand in its way. I deplore the way in which some councils have held back funds from schools keen to take on local management.

    In some places too much of the schools budget goes into administration and too little into the classroom. We need to shift that balance. The role of LEAs is changing. There will still be crucial tasks to perform. But we Conservatives believe that it is the wishes of parents, not the politics of the councillors, that must determine priorities in school.

    Housing – putting people first

    In housing, too, changes must come. And, again, Conservative councils are in the lead. Conditions on far too many of our housing estates – owned, managed and maintained by local authorities – are an absolute disgrace. Since 1979 we have set out to tackle those problems:

    – Giving tenants the right to buy.

    – Developing the role of housing associations.

    – Offering new freedoms to those unable to buy their own homes.

    Competition, choice and freedom are as always the public’s friend. So what is it that we want to see? In housing I want to see home ownership and our housing reforms go further. But I also recognise that for the foreseeable future many families will remain in properties under council control. They, too, deserve the best service. All too often they are left with the worst.

    As one former Labour MP said of Labour Hackney Council, “tenants were not treated as people at all.” Tenants not treated as people at all. What does that tell you of the arrogance of Labour Councils” It tells me that nothing has changed since I lived under the control of Labour’. And it tells me, too, that if there is one thing this Party must do, it is to sweep out of our town halls the outrage of attitudes like those.

    Housing management is one of many areas where more use should be made of outside skills. Here, too, the job of councils is to choose the best way of providing what people want. It is to protect their own staff if they are not performing up to the mark. Where there is patronising of tenants, or slow response to repair jobs, it needs to be exposed, not excused.

    Yet, all too often, Labour councils react the other way. If a council’s housing management is not delivering results, then it is high time to bring in a new management team. That is true of many other white collar as well as manual tasks. Legal departments. Computer services. Conveyancing. Aspects of planning. All these could be on the competitive tendering list. And when new management is brought in I for one don’t want to hear that every one of yesterday’s administrators have become today’s monitors, and that life in the old town hail is as cosy as ever before.

    More contractorization

    Conservative councils are making those changes voluntarily. But Labour councils are not. So what we will be looking at in Government is how well compulsory competitive tendering has worked so far, at where we need to revise existing legislation, and in what new areas contracting should be applied. These techniques offer new opportunities for councils to improve their services and provide better quality for the public.

    It is not just because we back private sector approaches in themselves. It’s not only private we back; it’s quality and cost- effectiveness from wherever it comes. But we cannot – and will not – accept that the public should be denied the most efficient service their council can provide.

    So what is the system of local government we want to see? It is a system that reacts to the choices of the public and which doesn’t deny them. It is a system where those who check on quality are independent from those who provide it. It is a system where information on how services are doing is shared with the public and not hidden from them. It is after all that very same public who depend on and pay for the services themselves. Above all, I want a system in which a good new idea is seen, not as a threat to the workforce, but an opportunity for the public. The principle of competitive tendering will help carry forward all these objectives. And that is why you in Conservative Councils have been the first to embrace it.

    It is because Conservative councils have always been leaders in innovation and change, that Conservative local government is trusted, while Labour local government is feared. You can have pride in the part you have played to bring that about.

    Neil Kinnock skulks away when the Press ask him about his own local council. Hardly surprising that he does. We took Ealing from Labour last year. Then there were changes. The gender advisers, whatever they were, in every council department were moved. The animal rights officer who was trying to close pet shops – he lost his job. But the key facts are these. Thanks to a Conservative Council Neil Kinnock pays less and receives more than he did under Labour. Funny really that he never mentions it. He’s uncharacteristically silent when the Press come to call.

    Well, we in this hall are not going to stay silent. We are going to tell people what Conservative local government has achieved and will achieve in future. We are going to set out our commitment to first- class local services. Together on May 2nd we are going to drive Labour and Liberal councils out of office throughout Britain. And we are going to put into office Conservative councils, committed to the principles we have set out today, and ready to restore integrity and pride to local government in every part of our country.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on the End of the Gulf War – 1 March 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments made on Friday 1st March 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    [Mr Major was asked about how he had coped during the Gulf War and what pressures he had been under now that there was peace]

    It is almost impossible to answer questions like that without seeming either pretentious or evading them, if I could perhaps make that point at the outset of seeking to reply. I think I have learned several things, I do not know that necessarily they are all about myself. I have learned a great deal I think about the British instinct. I am filled with admiration for the way in which the troops I met out there felt about what they had been asked to do. It cannot be easy for young men to be asked to go out there and fight for principles that their government think are important.

    They are professional soldiers, they were asked to go out there and do the job, and I learned a great deal about the British when I went out there and talked to them, I do not just mean the officers, I mean the men who were out there as well. I spent a good part of the day talking to them and the way in which they responded and what they felt about it was quite remarkable, I think I learned a great deal about them when I was there and I think it gave me a great deal more confidence that what we were doing was right. So I think the first thing I learned was about the British generally, that they were amazingly resolute with this sort of problem.

    The thing I learned about myself I do not think was new and that was that when you have something that is difficult and pressured you need to assemble the facts, think about the facts, consider the alternatives, weigh the pros and cons of any particular approach, and then reach a conclusion as to how you should proceed. I have always believed that is the right way to make decisions, it is sometimes more boring assembling all the facts and making a snap instinctive decision, but it seems to me that it is a rational way to proceed and I found that reinforced during the last few weeks.

    [Mr Major was asked if he had got much sleep]

    It was mixed, there were occasions when I did not get a lot of sleep, that is true, there were other occasions where I would have got five and a half or six hours a night.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on the End of the Gulf War (II) – 28 February 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments made on Thursday 28th February 1991 following the end of the Gulf War.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked what he felt now the war was over].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Well, I am pleased it is over, I am relieved it is over, I am delighted that it has ended so satisfactorily. It has been a very remarkable military campaign; I doubt there have ever been any campaigns better organised by the military than this one; it has been a supreme success for them.

    QUESTION:

    [Mr Major was asked about British prisoners of war].

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We want them back immediately. There is no question of any delay. The commanders in the field will discuss it with the Iraqi commanders as soon as the meeting takes place and similarly, the politicians will discuss it within the next two or three days.

    There is no reason for delay and no delay will be acceptable. We want them back straight away. Indeed, earlier today, we contacted Mr Sommeruga, the President of the International Red Cross, to re-emphasise that point. Even as we speak, he is trying to get access to the prisoners.

  • Mr Major’s Comments on the End of the Gulf War (I) – 28 February 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s comments made on Thursday 28th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    [Mr Major was asked why he wasn’t using terms such as victory and surrender]

    The war is over – I think that is the important point. It is over and it is over very satisfactorily. I don’t think anybody takes any pleasure in war – I certainly don’t and I don’t think most other people do. The predominant feeling in this country, I believe, will be satisfaction that it is over, relief that so few people were killed in the conflict and a hope that now it is over that we can find a lasting peace.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 28 February 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 28th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    The Gulf

    Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the conflict in the Gulf.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made earlier today.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister at what times on 22 February Her Majesty’s Government first obtained the text of (a) the first Soviet plan and (b) the revised Soviet plan for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait ; and from what source this text was obtained.

    The Prime Minister : In the evening of 18 February I received a personal message from President Gorbachev in which he set out the proposals he had put to the Iraqis. Details of the revised plan were received in the morning of 22 February from Moscow ; the Soviet Government put it to the United Nations Security Council in the morning–New York time–of 23 February.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what communications he or his officials had with his counterparts in member states of the allied coalition in the Gulf on 22 February ; and what matters were discussed.

    The Prime Minister : We had extensive consultations on 22 February with partners in the allied coalition, and with the Soviet Union, predominantly on the terms under which Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait and comply with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration was given to the effects of the damage done to bridges and roads in Kuwait and in southern Iraq by the allied bombing sorties when the time period for Iraqi military withdrawal from Kuwait was set on 22 February.

    The Prime Minister : The allied deadline took account of circumstances at the time and was intended to ensure that Iraq ended its occupation of Kuwait in the shortest possible time.

     

    Kuwait

    Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to submit proposals to the United Nations and to the allied Governments for the establishment of a free and autonomous nation, with a democratic government, in Kuwait on the completion of its liberation.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 26 February at column 463.

     

    Nuclear Test Ban

    Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray), Official Report, 17 January, column 572, he will set out the proposals that have been submitted by the United Kingdom to the conference on disarmament in Geneva in each year since 1979 on the matter of nuclear testing.

    The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom has participated fully in the relevant ad hoc committee and in the group of scientific experts which is considering the subject.

     

    Mr. Ian Richter

    Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister what information he possesses on the present health and whereabouts of Mr. Ian Richter, a British citizen held in jail in Iraq.

    The Prime Minister : Mr. Richter was last visited in Abu Ghraib prison by Her Majesty’s consul general in Baghdad on 2 January shortly before the withdrawal of our staff from Iraq. Mr. Richter was then in good health, had sufficient supplies to last some time and well understood why the embassy staff were withdrawing.

    We are using all possible channels, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to check that Mr. Richter is safe. We remain in close touch with his family.

     

    Norwegian Prime Minister

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West concerning the meeting with the Norwegian Prime Minister, Official Report, 21 February 1991, column 223, what matters were raised during the discussions on developments in Europe.

    The Prime Minister : Mrs. Brundtland and I exchanged views on NATO, the European Community and on the negotiations toward a European economic area.

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 28 February.

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

  • PMQT – 28 February 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 28th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Hicks : I am sure that the whole House will wish to pay tribute to those who have been involved in the successful liberation of Kuwait and especially to our own armed forces whose courage, professionalism and inspiration have been an example to us all. We offer our deepest sympathy and gratitude to the families who have lost their loved ones.

    Does my right hon. Friend agree that very real problems still exist in that part of the world and that it is incumbent on all nations, through the United Nations, to ensure that a middle east peace conference is established at which all the issues, including Israel, the Palestinians and the rest, can be discussed? Does he agree that we should give every encouragement to the Arab nations to formulate their own security arrangements for the future?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I shall, of course, be making a full statement on those matters very shortly. The fact is that Kuwait has been liberated and that one of the most remarkable military campaigns of recent years has been concluded. I want to pay the warmest possible tribute to the commanding officers of all nations out there and especially to General de la Billiere, who has commanded our own troops with such skill. I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. We must now look to the future and secure peace, especially by the means mentioned by my hon. Friend.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I say to the Prime Minister that today, in this Parliament and throughout the country, we share the feelings of satisfaction at the defeat of aggression, and the feelings of sorrow at the deaths and misery caused directly as a result of that aggression? Does the Prime Minister agree that the only fitting memorial to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice is to build, through the United Nations, lasting peace and lasting justice?

    The Prime Minister : I share the emotions expressed by the right hon. Gentleman and the conclusion that he reached.

    Mr. Temple-Morris : Does my right hon. Friend agree that if politicians do half as good a job in sustaining the peace as the armed services have done in winning the war, we shall not be doing at all badly? In sustaining that peace, will my right hon. Friend differentiate between the Iraqi people on the one hand, and Saddam Hussein and his Baathist clique on the other? Does he further agree that the longer that Saddam Hussein and that clique remain in power, the more difficult it will be for all nations to have a charitable attitude towards Iraq?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend. We have never opposed the Iraqi people ; it is their leadership and Saddam Hussein who have been the enemy on this occasion.

     

    Q2. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Home Robertson : Will the Prime Minister pay tribute to the 300 service men and their five minesweepers from the Rosyth naval base on their skilful achievement in the long and hazardous task of clearing mines for the allied fleet? Is he aware that the Minister of State for the Armed Forces said on Tuesday that Rosyth naval base was the “easiest and most suitable” target for closure, in spite of the assurance given by the Prime Minister to the House on 5 February? Is that the kind of welcome home that our returning heroes can expect from Ministers in this Government?

    The Prime Minister : I willingly join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to the men from Rosyth and the Royal Navy who have done such a magnificent job in sweeping the northern Gulf of mines. I do that with the greatest warmth and willingness. As the hon. Gentleman knows, for I have told the House before, a whole range of possible options concerning the armed forces generally is being considered to reduce the cost of defence support. In the case of the Royal Navy, that is bound to mean the closure of some naval establishments. At this stage the Ministry of Defence is looking at various possibilities and studies are being carried out. It is essential that those studies are carried out before any decisions of any sort can be made. I repeat my assurance to the hon. Gentleman : no decisions whatsoever have been made about the future of Rosyth.

     

    Q3. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Devlin : My right hon. Friend will be aware of the profound joy and relief among families of service men in the north of England at the news of the ceasefire today and, in particular, at the extremely low level of casualties. Will he confirm that the troops will be brought back from the middle east as soon as possible and be replaced by a United Nations peacekeeping force?

    The Prime Minister : We shall certainly be bringing our own troops home shortly. Precisely what will happen thereafter is a matter yet to be determined. No doubt I shall have more to say about that shortly.

    Mr. Ashdown : May I associate myself with the words of other hon. Members on the role of our armed forces? The use of their professionalism and skill has been put to the service not just of the freedom of Kuwait but to the rule of international law and the authority of the United Nations. May I also pay tribute to the Prime Minister for the calmness and authority with which he has led the nation at a difficult time? Is his view about the future the same as mine? If the coalition invests the extraordinary victory in the United Nations, we will have created a powerful instrument not just for peace in the middle east now, but for peace in the world in the future as well.

    The Prime Minister : I agree with the right hon. Gentleman. I am grateful to him for his kind words. The attitude taken by the Leader of the Opposition and by the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) has led to a unity in the House which can have been only a comfort to all our troops.

     

    Q4. Mr. Speller : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Speller : Will my right hon. Friend accept the congratulations through me of the people of north Devon on his leadership over the past few months? Now, as he turns his view towards domestic problems, will he see whether he can right some of the inequalities that have bothered people about the community charge? In particular, will he consider the case where a husband and wife both have to pay community charge even though only one is at work?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to my hon. Friend. As he knows, we are examining the community charge and we will make announcements on that when our examination is concluded.

    Mr. James Lamond : Is there any chance of Governments at the United Nations applying the same energy and enthusiasm to trying to stop the sale of arms to dictators like Saddam Hussein throughout the world, in which case it might not be necessary to sacrifice young men such as those who were sacrificed in the recent war?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman knows that there has been an embargo by this country on sales of arms to Iraq for a considerable number of years. My right hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) imposed a strict embargo on sales to Iraq many years ago.

     

    Visits

    Q5. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit Dover, Deal and south- east Kent.

    The Prime Minister : I am making plans for a series of visits to all parts of the country and very much hope to include Kent among them.

    Mr. Shaw : Will my right hon. Friend confirm the commitment of his Government to completing the dual carriageway A20 into Dover and– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. It is a perfectly legitimate question.

    Mr. Shaw : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that his Government is committed to completing the A20 dual carriageway into Dover and to completing the A2 dualling between Lydden and Dover? Furthermore, will he send his best wishes to Bob Bale, Trevor Povey and all my constituents who have been fighting for Britain in the Gulf?

    The Prime Minister : I am happy to send the best wishes that my hon. Friend suggests. My hon. Friend has raised his first point with me before, both privately and publicly, and I am happy to confirm that part of the A20 between Folkestone and Dover is under construction and, as my hon. Friend is aware, a scheme for the improvement of the A2 entered the road programme last year.

     

    Engagements

    Q6. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Eastham : With the welcome end of the Gulf war, will the Prime Minister ensure that the same endeavours are used to reduce hospital waiting lists, which now stand at 980,000, as were used to open wards and provide beds for possible casualties? If he bothers to visit Ribble Valley during the by-election will he try to explain why the waiting list for beds there has doubled during the past four years and now stands at 4,380?

    The Prime Minister : As the hon. Gentleman should know, the health service is now treating more people more efficiently than ever before, not least due to the reforms introduced by the Government and the funding provided by them.

     

    Q7. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Dykes : I thank my right hon. Friend for his incisive and decisive War Cabinet leadership which has led to success in the Gulf and I add my words of admiration for the unsurpassed and brilliant performance of our armed forces. As I have RAF Bentley Priory in my constituency, from which the Battle of Britain was directed 50 years ago, I particularly think of the performance of the Royal Air Force. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the particularly brave performance of the Tornado pilots in low flying on the Iraqi airfields did, contrary to rumours, substantially neutralise many of the Iraqi airfields and prevent the Iraqi air force from fighting?

    The Prime Minister : I can certainly confirm that. The bravery of the Tornado pilots in the early part of the campaign played a material part in ensuring that casualties in the land war were so few. I am happy to pay tribute to all those pilots.

    Mr. William Ross : Will the Prime Minister give an assurance to the House that considerable expense will now be put to trying to find a better means of identifying friendly ground troops?

    The Prime Minister : That is a matter to which we shall certainly give attention. The House will understand the tragic occurrence that leads the hon. Gentleman to ask that question. It is certainly a matter which will have the most careful examination.

     

    Q8. Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mr. Arbuthnot : In view of the recent murder of an innocent civilian by the IRA and the attempted murder of the War Cabinet, does my right hon. Friend agree that now is not the proper time to water down the prevention of terrorism Act?

    The Prime Minister : I very much agree with my hon. Friend. The prevention of terrorism Act has served us well in recent years and for the moment we still require it.

    Mr. Mallon : On this historic day when people throughout the world can again savour peace, may I as an Irishman express the anger and revulsion felt by the vast majority of Irish people at the murderous attempts on commuters in Victoria and other stations? Does the Prime Minister agree that the contrived security alerts that we saw again yesterday are causing enormous suffering and disruption to thousands of people going to and coming from work? Does he share my view that to kill and to heap suffering on people in furtherance of political ends is a sad and cynical perversion of the very concept of patriotism?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It is wickedness beyond belief, and it deserves the contempt of everyone.

     

    Q9. Dr. Twinn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Dr. Twinn : May I join in the warm congratulations of the House to my right hon. Friend for his conduct of the war? In looking to the future, will he bear in mind the problems caused by the division of Cyprus and the fact that United Nations Security Council resolutions have still not been implemented there?

    The Prime Minister : I shall certainly put my mind to that problem. I share my hon. Friend’s hope that the Cyprus question will be resolved. Indeed, I am sure that everyone in the House wants to see that. I do not believe that question of Cyprus can be directly related to the Gulf conflict.

     

    Q10. Mrs. Alice Mahon : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 February.

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

    Mrs. Mahon : Has the Prime Minister had time to read the recent Amnesty International report on the people of East Timor? Will he now make a commitment to the achievement of a peaceful and just world by banning the sale of weapons to Indonesia, given that that country has illegally occupied East Timor for 15 years and has committed the most atrocious acts of violence against its population? Is not this a good time to do something about the evil of the arms trade?

    The Prime Minister : I have not read the Amnesty International report to which the hon. Lady has referred, but I shall certainly seek to do so and reflect upon what she has said.

  • Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview in London – 27 February 1991

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview held on 27th February 1991.

    [Mr Major was asked whether Iraq had accepted the requirements set out by the United Nations]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    They haven’t yet offered to meet all the resolutions. They’re not yet clear about leaving their equipment. And of course also, we want to make sure that they return any Kuwaitis that they may have abducted and taken to Iraq. So although they appear to be making some movement, they certainly have not yet, so far as I understand it from the information yet available, they have not yet met the conditions we have repeatedly set out, and they must do so.

    QUESTION:

    And until they do, the war continues, all the way to Baghdad?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    Until they do so, the conflict continues.

  • Mr Major’s Joint Doorstep Interview with the Kuwaiti Ambassador – 27 February 1991

    Below is Mr Major’s joint doorstep interview with the Kuwaiti Ambassador in London on Wednesday 27th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I have had the opportunity over the last few minutes of speaking to the Kuwaiti Ambassador, we have been discussing the general situation. As you will know, I am delighted to confirm that Kuwait City is now entirely free, there are a large number of allied troops actually in Kuwait City and other operations this morning are going extremely well. British troops are now in the British Embassy in Kuwait City, they are cleaning it up and I hope very much that the British Ambassador will be able to return very speedily, perhaps as early as tomorrow. I think the Ambassador may wish to say a word or two.

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    This is a great moment for me to hear that Kuwait City has been liberated and the British Ambassador is going soon to Kuwait. Thank you very much, we have seen the flag today rising up on the soil of Kuwait. Thank you for your sympathy and cooperation.

     

    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

    QUESTION:

    Prime Minister, how much more fighting do you still feel has got to be done?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I hope there will not be too much still to come but clearly there is some, it is still continuing in places. I hope very soon that the Iraqis will realise the impossibility of their position and that fighting will be able to cease. But that is not wholly in our hands, I think we do have to look to the security of our own troops and our own positions and that does mean that the initiative is going to have to come from the Iraqis. But military plans are proceeding very satisfactorily at the moment.

    QUESTION:

    How are we telling the Iraqis to surrender given their poor communications?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think the Iraqis know what the situation is in the field and I think the Iraqis in Baghdad are very clear about the present situation.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think we had better conclude it first, we have never seen it in terms of victory or defeat, our purpose has been to ensure that Kuwait is free, to make sure that the legitimate government is back in Kuwait and that there is peace and security in the area. That has been our position all the way through, that is now in sight and I am very pleased about that.

    QUESTION:

    How far are you prepared to go particularly with those anxieties expressed internationally about your attitude towards Saddam Hussein himself and the possibility you might remove him?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We have made our position perfectly clear and it has not changed throughout the whole conflict. We require the implementation of all the Security Council resolutions and the conflict can cease when it is clear that those Security Council resolutions will be met in full. That is and always has been the situation.

    QUESTION:

    How long do you expect to remain on Iraqi territory?

    PRIME MINISTER:

    We are not planning to occupy territory or dismember Iraq or any of those things, we have made that clear repeatedly, our aims are those we have set out. In due course events will return to normal, quite how speedily that will be one cannot be clear. There is still the fog of difficulties to determine, one does not know precisely what one is going to find. We are still seeing what difficulties exist actually in Kuwait City and elsewhere but we hope to bring the matter to a conclusion as speedily as possible.

    QUESTION:

    [Inaudible]

    PRIME MINISTER:

    I think it is a very welcome sign to have, do you not think so?

    QUESTION:

    Can we ask you, Ambassador, what your priorities are now for Kuwait?

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    To ensure the safety of the people who are living now in Kuwait, that is our priority now.

    QUESTION:

    Are we going to see moves towards a freer government in Kuwait?

    KUWAITI AMBASSADOR:

    Yes, for sure.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 26 February 1991

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

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

     

    Civil Servants

    Mr. Dunn : To ask the Prime Minister what was the number of civil servants employed by each Department in 1979, and the number employed in the last year for which figures are available.

    The Prime Minister : Information on staff numbers by Department is to be found in summaries of departmental staff returns for 1 April 1979 and 1 October 1990, copies of which have been placed in the statistical section of the House of Commons Library. Table 2 of the Treasury publication “Civil Service Statistics”, 1984 and 1989-90 editions, will assist in tracing machinery of Government changes that have taken place between 1979 and now. Copies of this publication have also been placed in the Library.

     

    The Gulf

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning the Gulf war.

    The Prime Minister : I have received a substantial number of representations, many supporting the Government’s policy to secure full, immediate and unconditional compliance with the Security Council resolutions.

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what Governments of the allied coalition in the Gulf were contacted by Her Majesty’s Government, and in which sequence, for consultations on the Soviet peace plan for resolving the Gulf conflict before Ministers in the Government issued statements responding to the plan on 19 February.

    The Prime Minister : We remain in constant touch with our coalition partners on a wide range of matters relating to the Gulf crisis.

  • PMQT – 26 February 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 26th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

    The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major) : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

    Mr. MacKay : Will my right hon. Friend confirm that there can be no ceasefire in the Gulf war until all relevant United Nations resolutions have been fully implemented, prisoners of war and Kuwaiti hostages held in Iraq have been released and all Iraqi troops have laid down their arms?

    The Prime Minister : I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, but unfortunately the conditions that he so succinctly set out have not yet been met. As my hon. Friend will know, Saddam Hussein spoke again this morning, but without giving any indication whatsoever that Iraq will comply with all the Security Council resolutions. Instead, this morning Saddam Hussein reiterated his untrue claim that Kuwait was part of Iraq and threatened implicitly to return. He must know that meeting the Security Council resolutions is an essential step, and he must publicly and explicitly do so.

    I believe that we are now in a new situation with the beginning of the ground war. Our first concern has to be with the safety and security of our forces–[Hon. Members :– “Hear, hear.”] That means that we require all Iraqi forces in the theatre of operations–those occupying and those supporting the occupation of Kuwait–to abandon their weapons and equipment, and withdraw. Until they do so, they will be treated as hostile.

    Saddam Hussein started this war on his terms. He must end it on the terms set out by the United Nations.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I take this opportunity strongly to commend our forces for the bravery and professionalism that they are showing in the liberation of Kuwait? Does the Prime Minister share my view that Saddam Hussein could halt the war instantly if he were personally to announce his complete compliance with all relevant United Nations resolutions and, in addition, immediately release all the prisoners of war and civilians he is holding against their will in both Kuwait and Iraq?

    Finally, is it not clear that if Iraqi forces leave their military vehicles and lay down their arms, they will be safe from attack, our forces will know that they are also safe from attack, and all hostilities can end?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is entirely right and I agree with him without reservation. He will know that, even this morning, Saddam Hussein said–I shall quote him because there was an implicit threat in what he said :

    “the Gates of Constantinople were not opened before the Muslims in the first struggling attempt.”

    That is the clearest threat that he will yet again return. We have a duty and an obligation to remove that threat using all necessary means.

    Dame Janet Fookes : As Saddam Hussein, like the devil, is the father of lies, would my right hon. Friend ensure that all in authority take not the slightest notice of what he says, but only of what he does?

    The Prime Minister : I can certainly give my hon. Friend that assurance. There have been many occasions in recent months when Saddam Hussein expressly told untruths. At one stage, his Foreign Minister was negotiating on one tack while he was speaking and acting on another. We simply cannot and do not trust him.

    Mr. Ashdown : Does the Prime Minister agree that, despite today’s welcome news, there is still much hard and potentially costly work to be done before Kuwait is made secure? He is entirely right to say that the safety of our troops and the long-term security of Kuwait mean that any Iraqi troops who wish to return home may do so, but only after they have surrendered their weapons. If they do so, will he say that, once Kuwait is at last liberated, secure and free from threat, Desert Storm will end?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is quite right. Those are the circumstances in which Desert Storm can end. He is right to emphasise yet again the safety and security of our troops. Frankly, I do not believe that either they or world opinion would forgive us if, at this stage of the conflict, we permitted the Iraqis to withdraw with their weapons, perhaps with risk to our troops and the risk that they would return later.

     

    Q2. Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. Hughes : Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the Government have established 12 regional technology centres to aid technology transfer? Can he also confirm that under this Government, the number of science parks has increased from two to 39 with 22 more planned and that spending on civil research and development is higher, as a percentage of the gross national product, in this country than in Japan or in the United States? Does he agree that calls for the establishment of such policies, when they are already in train, merely demonstrates that those who call for them show muddle and ignorance, which dominate Labour party thinking?

    The Prime Minister : I cannot immediately imagine to what document my hon. Friend is referring. If, perchance, he is referring to the document on industrial and manufacturing matters that was released yesterday by the Labour party, he is a little unkind. There were some good ideas in that document. Unfortunately, the good ideas are already being implemented and the bad ideas are being recycled.

    Mr. Allen McKay : Does the Prime Minister agree with the Secretary of State for the Environment who wants to do away with the poll tax or with the Minister of State for the Environment who has gone on record in the Ribble Valley by-election as saying that he wishes to keep it?

    The Prime Minister : The next Member of Parliament for Ribble Valley, who I hope will soon be on the Conservative Benches, will be here in time to hear the result of our review of the community charge.

     

    Q3. Mr. French : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. French : Does my right hon. Friend agree that an industrial policy that is based on the creation of quangos, subsidies and inadequately costed tax breaks is, as the Financial Times called it this morning, a “recipe for economic distortion”?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend, but, again, I fear that he is being too charitable. He has forgotten the reinvention of the son of National Enterprise Board, an enterprise which took money away from viable businesses to pick winners which, alas, went bust.

    Mr. Alfred Morris : What emphasis will the Government put on reparations from Iraq and to what extent will they be demanded? Moreover, what is the attitude of other Governments in the coalition?

    The Prime Minister : The attitude is set out in the Security Council’s resolutions. All Governments in the coalition subscribe to them and that remains the position.

     

    Q4. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. Taylor : This House has been powerfully united against the terrorism practised by Saddam Hussein in Kuwait. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is important that the House is also united against the evil acts of terrorism in this country and that it supports all measures, including the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989? Will he have a word with the Leader of the Opposition to encourage him to be more robust on the issue?

    The Prime Minister : No one doubts the commitment of the whole House to deal effectively with terrorism and not to give way to it. In my judgment, the widest possible support for the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act would be a welcome event and would help to that end.

     

    Q5. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. Brown : I know that the Prime Minister is involved in many important duties. However, will he understand one thing? The real enemy is at home ; the enemy is the capitalist system and the Tory Government. They are responsible for the problems of the British people.

    We have an example of a state-owned British company wishing to take over the fertiliser business, presently owned by ICI. That is blocked because of the Government’s blind party dogma. If we want investment in this country, is not that unfair to workers who may lose their jobs, especially in Leith, where there is a subsidiary owned by ICI called Scottish Agricultural Industries? Is not that wrong?

    The Prime Minister : It is a rum occasion when I have to take lessons in dogma from the hon. Gentleman.

     

    Q7. Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Sir Hugh Rossi : As a successful end to the hostilities in the Gulf is happily within reach, will my right hon. Friend now ensure that the allies will combat, with the same vigour and single-mindedness of purpose, the premeditated ecological vandalism perpetrated by Saddam Hussein? It places at risk the worldwide environment from acid deposition, from accelerated global warming and from desertification, and it also pollutes and poisons the waters of the Gulf.

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right and he touches on an important point. The United Kingdom has already made a substantial contribution to help to deal with the pollution caused by the Iraqis in recent weeks. I am sure that my hon. Friend is right. An international effort will be needed and we will be part of that.

     

    Q8. Mr. Battle : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. Battle : As it is clear that some of the right hon. Gentleman’s Social Security Ministers want to continue the freeze on child benefit and that some do not, will he tell us which ones he will back? Will he pledge now to make good the four-year cut in child benefit or will people have to rely on his one-off, occasional piecemeal statements at the Dispatch Box for their basic benefits?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman knows very well that there are occasions when we make statements on public expenditure matters such as child benefit. This is not one of them.

    Mr. Dunn : When accounts are rendered for the Gulf war, will the Prime Minister seek to obtain an explanation of the extraordinary behaviour of the Soviet Union in recent days? Will he make it plain to the Soviet Government that they can play ball either with the west or with Iraq, but not with both?

    The Prime Minister : I shall have the opportunity to discuss all those matters with Mr. Gorbachev early next week.

     

    Q9. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. McAllion : Is the Prime Minister aware that hundreds of young Scots, half of them aged under 18, pass through London’s night shelters every year and that research has shown that on average each of those youngsters has less than £2? Why does the Prime Minister continue to deny to the 16 and 17-year-olds among them the right to benefit? Is the fate of those youngsters who have been thrown on to the streets and are vulnerable to drugs and prostitution a matter of complete indifference to the Prime Minister and his Government?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman is entirely wrong, as he knows. We have provided unprecedented training opportunities for young people of that age. There is no necessity whatsoever for any of them to be sleeping rough on the streets of London.

     

    Q10. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 26 February.

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

    Mr. Thurnham : Does my right hon. Friend agree that just as the world recognises the strength and discipline of our armed forces, so it should recognise the strength and discipline of our economy? Is not our pound sterling as strong as Chobham armour?

    The Prime Minister : I agree. My hon. Friend will know that there has been a remarkable series of events in recent months and he will also know that sterling has remained remarkably stable despite those events.

    Mr. Hume : During his visit to Northern Ireland last week, did anyone raise with the Prime Minister the security value of fixed military checkpoints? Did anyone point out that over the past 20 years nothing of security value has been found at such checkpoints, and that they have become security risks providing targets in the form of the young soldiers and policemen who man them? Is the Prime Minister considering reviewing the use of such checkpoints?

    The Prime Minister : I discussed a raft of security matters during my meetings in Northern Ireland last week. However, the hon. Gentleman is aware that it would be unwise to discuss them.