The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Social Chapter

  • PMQT Written Answers – 1 February 1993

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 1st February 1993.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Maastricht (Social Chapter)

    Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the amendments and additions to the social chapter of the treaty of Rome proposed by the social chapter of the treaty of Maastricht to which Her Majesty’s Government do not assent.

    The Prime Minister : The social chapter of the treaty of Rome will remain entirely unchanged after ratification of the treaty on European union. At Maastricht I made it clear to our Community partners that I was not prepared to accept treaty changes to the social chapter which would have increased industry’s costs and jeopardised the jobs of British employees.

    On this basis the United Kingdom will continue to play a full part in sensible Community action on social affairs and to resist measures which would prove damaging to British industry.

     

    India

    Mr. Fraser : To ask the Prime Minister what representations were made to him during his visit to India about the proposals of his Government to remove the right of appeal from visitors refused leave to visit the United Kingdom from India.

    The Prime Minister : The Indian Prime Minister and I discussed our proposals and I was able to explain to him the reasons for our proposals.

    Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will name the industrialists who accompanied him on his visit to India and the companies they represent.

    The Prime Minister : The names are as follows :

    Sir Brian Shaw, ANZ Grindlays Bank plc.

    Mr. Roger Mabey, Bovis International Ltd.

    Mr. Richard Evans, British Aerospace plc.

    Mr. Norman Davis, British American Tobacco Co. Ltd.

    Mr. Robert Evans, British Gas plc.

    Mr. Norman Hawkins, Cadbury Schweppes plc.

    Mr. Patrick MacDougall, Chartered West LB Ltd.

    Mr. G. Douglas Gadd, GEC Alsthom Ltd.

    Mr. Richard Reynolds, GPT Ltd.

    Mr. Brian Baldock, Guinness plc.

    Mr. Philip Daubeny, ICI plc.

    Mr. Andrew Cummins, Inchcape plc.

    Mr. Graham Hadley, National Power plc.

    Dr. Terry Harrison, Rolls Royce plc.

    Mr. Philip Hills, Samual Montagu and Co. Ltd.

    Mr. Peter Grant, Sun Life Assurance Society plc.

    Mr. Howard Davies, Confederation of British Industry

    Mr. Rooker : To ask the Prime Minister what steps he took to raise concerns expressed by British citizens at the destruction of the Babri mosque during his recent visit to India; and what was the response.

    The Prime Minister : During my recent visit to India, I had a long discussion with the Indian Prime Minister about the situation in India following the destruction of the Babri mosque. I also restated our support for the principles of India’s secular democracy, rule of law, tolerance and protection of minorities.

     

    Terrorist Attacks

    Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of co-operation between the British Army and the authorities of the Republic of Ireland in dealing with terrorist attacks launched from within the Republic of Ireland.

    The Prime Minister : There is very effective co-operation between the security forces in Northern Ireland and those in the Republic of Ireland. Both Governments recognise the importance of keeping existing measures under review, and that further improvements can be made wherever practicable.

     

    European Year of Older People

    Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what benefits he expects to accrue to pensioners in the United Kingdom from the European Year of Older People launched on 25 January.

    The Prime Minister : The Year will bring lasting benefits for older people in the United Kingdom, and I was particularly pleased to welcome the initiative during our presidency of the European Council. In collaboration with many organisations we are managing a substantial programme of initiatives, connected with the initiative, focusing on four main themes : combating ageism, volunteering, health promotion and active leisure, and social and environmental integration. The programme is designed to secure the involvement of older people themselves, professionals who work with them, and the general public. I hope that many people will play a part. The outcome will be improved understanding between the generations and an increasing recognition of the vital part older people have to play in our society.

     

    Cabinet Committees

    Mr. Trend : To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an updated list of ministerial standing and ad hoc committees of the Cabinet.

    The Prime Minister : All the ministerial Cabinet Committees I listed in my response to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) on 19 May 1992 at column 110 are still in existence. In addition one Standing Committee and one ad hoc group have been established, and their membership and terms of reference are given below. Copies of the revised list, which includes minor revisions to the membership of existing Committees, are available in the Library of the House.

    Ministerial Committee on Public Expenditure (EDX)– Composition

    Chancellor of the Exchequer (chairman)

    Secretary of State for the Home Department

    President of the Board of Trade

    Lord Privy Seal

    Lord President of the Council

    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

    Chief Secretary, Treasury

    Terms of Reference

    “To consider the allocation of the public expenditure control totals and make recommendations to the Cabinet”.

    Ministerial Group on Refugees from Former Yugoslavia (GEN– 24) Composition

    Secretary of State for the Home Department (chairman)

    Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    The Lord President of the Council

    Secretary of State for the Environment

    Secretary of State for Wales

    Secretary of State for Social Security

    Secretary of State for Scotland

    Secretary of State for Education

    Secretary of State for Health

    Secretary of State for Employment

    Chief Secretary, Treasury

    Attorney General

    Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Minister for Overseas Development)

    Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office

    The Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will also receive papers and be invited to attend as necessary.

    Terms of Reference

    “To consider whether a visa regime should be instituted for citizens of former Yugoslavia in the context of the Government’s overall policy towards that region and to review the practical arrangements for the reception and subsequent support of those arriving in the United Kingdom from this area taking account of the implications for the treatment of refugees from other parts of the world, and to report to Cabinet.”

     

    Queen (Tax)

    Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Prime Minister if he will report on the up to date position regarding the tax arrangements for the Queen.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 29 January 1993] : Discussions are continuing between the Treasury, the Inland Revenue and the royal household. I will make a statement shortly about the arrangements for the tax year commencing 6 April 1993.

  • PMQT – 6 February 1992

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 6th February 1992.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 6 February.

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

    Sir Anthony Grant : Does my right hon. Friend recall that, when he was eight and I was a little older, Her Majesty the Queen acceded to the throne? Will he join me in expressing our deep respect, our loyal affection and our good wishes to Her Majesty on the 40th anniversary of her accession?

    Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Queen has set a shining example of steadfast service over four decades of momentous political and social change, and will he wish her many more years of a great and glorious reign?

    The Prime Minister : I am happy to accept my hon. Friend’s invitation. The Cabinet discussed the matter this morning, and the whole House may care to listen to the message that the Cabinet agreed to send Her Majesty :

    “At the Cabinet meeting today, Your Majesty’s Ministers agreed that I should convey to Your Majesty our warmest good wishes on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Your Accession to the Throne. This was in recognition of the incomparable contribution Your Majesty has made to the life of our nation throughout your Reign.” I am sure that those are sentiments that the whole House would wish to endorse.

    Hon. Members : Hear, hear.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I join the Prime Minister–and, I am sure, the whole House–in sending good wishes to Her Majesty, and in expressing the admiration that I know is felt throughout our country, the Commonwealth and, indeed, the wider world for the wisdom, strength and dedication that Her Majesty has invariably shown throughout the four decades in which she has been our sovereign?

    The Prime Minister : I believe that the right hon. Gentleman speaks for all our millions of fellow citizens.

    Mr. Kinnock : May I– [Laughter.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. Mr. Kinnock.

    Mr. Kinnock : Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

    When the Prime Minister told us on Tuesday that, like the British economy, Japan’s economy was, as he put it, in recession, had he overlooked the fact that last year, while our economy shrank by 2.5 per cent., Japan’s economy grew by 4.5 per cent.?

    The Prime Minister : As the right hon. Gentleman knows, a number of countries around the world are in recession, are heading towards recession or are coming out of recession. According to the latest figures, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden are at the moment in recession. In the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, the worst of the recession is over ; in West Germany and Japan, growth has slowed and is slowing.

    I noted this morning that the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) now at last admits that there is a world situation which is on a downturn. I hope that the Leader of the Opposition will also have the courage to admit that.

    Mr. Kinnock : There are economies that are slowing ; ours is in reverse because of the Prime Minister’s policies.

    On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that Japan was in recession. It is worth reminding him of the fact that Japan’s economy grew by 4.5 per cent., and ours shrank by 2.5 per cent. Japan’s unemployment is at 2 per cent., while ours is at 9 per cent. Is it not now obvious that, because of his policies, the Prime Minister is reduced to imagining recovery at home while inventing recessions abroad?

    The Prime Minister : Every one of the right hon. Gentleman’s policies would lead to a continuing recession, and that is well known. The right hon. Gentleman ignores the fact that I head a Government who have cut interest rates seven times in the past 12 months, halved inflation in a year and built up the best industrial relations in half a century. The reality, I fear, is that the right hon. Gentleman does not understand the economy or how it works. The right conditions for economic growth are low taxes, the right hon. Gentleman wants high taxes ; low inflation, the right hon. Gentleman would engender high inflation ; and good labour relations, the right hon. Gentleman would reintroduce the old, bad trade union practices. Everything that the right hon. Gentleman proposes would lead to the perpetual recession of which I spoke on Tuesday.

    Sir Bernard Braine : May I revert to the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West (Sir A. Grant)? I speak as Father of the House. Is it not a matter of great rejoicing, wherever we may sit in the House, that throughout the past 40 years, which have seen such momentous changes as the peaceful transition from empire to Commonwealth, the ending of the cold war and the coming together of former enemies in the European Community, Her Majesty has presided over this nation unfailingly, with a dignity and devotion to duty for which we are all greatly thankful?

    The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend is right and speaks with the authority of many years’ membership of the House. One of the most striking facts of the Commonwealth, as I saw clearly at the Commonwealth conference in Harare, is the immense affection and admiration that exists for Her Majesty the Queen among all Commonwealth leaders and countries.

    Mr. Ashdown : May I associate myself, my right hon. and hon. Friends and our party with the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister on the 40th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne?

    On the more unhappy subject of Northern Ireland, in the light of the appalling horrors which last night added to the seemingly endless litany of tragedy in that unhappy Province, does the Prime Minister agree that the first condition for defeating terrorism in Northern Ireland is to ensure that the politicians there get together and work together?

    The Prime Minister : I believe that the whole House will share the right hon. Gentleman’s view on both the matters that he raised. The recent activities–the shooting of five men and the wounding of others the other evening–were another terrible and unnecessary scar on the history of Northern Ireland. It would greatly assist the activities in Northern Ireland and the search for peace if the clearest possible lead was given by all politicians in this country and Northern Ireland.

    Sir Alan Glyn : I thank my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister for his message from the Cabinet and Government. Is he aware of early day motion 580, already signed by 165 hon. Members, which expresses the views of Back Benchers and their loyalty and congratulations to Her Majesty? It does not include members of the Cabinet or Government, or of the shadow Cabinet, and, unfortunately, is not even allowed to include Parliamentary Private Secretaries. Will my right hon. Friend please convey that message to Her Majesty?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend expresses sentiments that are shared by the whole House.

    Mr. Molyneaux : May I associate my right hon. and hon. Friends with the tribute paid by the Prime Minister to Her Majesty the Queen, and may I join in the other congratulations already expressed?

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, and I shall ensure that Her Majesty is aware of what has been said.

    Rev. Ian Paisley (Antrim, North) : May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks about Queen Elizabeth II? Does the right hon. Gentleman really believe that if politicians in Northern Ireland had been sitting at a table, the awful atrocities that we have witnessed in the past few days would not have taken place? If he and this House believe that, there is no hope for Northern Ireland.

    The Prime Minister : I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s words about Her Majesty the Queen.

    The point that I was seeking to make a moment ago–I reiterate it now–is that I think that it is to the advantage of everyone in Northern Ireland for the politicians of Northern Ireland, of all shades of opinion, to come together, to talk and to express their mutual wish for peace in Northern Ireland.

     

    Q2. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 6 February.

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

    Mr. Eastham : The latest year for which figures are available on the number of new houses built in the United Kingdom is 1990. A comparison with 1980 shows that 38,000 fewer houses were built in 1990. Why is it the policy of the Government to build fewer houses?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman might more accurately have asked which local authorities had the highest number of vacant dwellings. I shall tell him : numbers of vacant dwellings are highest in Liverpool, then in Manchester, then in Salford, then in Burnley, then in Brent, then in Hackney, then in Tower Hamlets, then in Knowsley, then in Newcastle and then in Wolverhampton. The characteristic of all those areas is that for a long time they have been Labour controlled, although Conservatives have been in control in Brent for the past year and the Liberal Democrats have recently been in control in Tower Hamlets. There is no doubt which party fails people on housing.

    Sir Fergus Montgomery : Has my right hon. Friend noticed the remarks of Sir Brian Corby, the president of the CBI, who said that to sign the social charter would be an act of remarkable lunacy? Does he agree that, if we signed the social chapter, employers’ costs would rise and jobs and foreign investment would disappear, all of which would be bad for this country?

    The Prime Minister : I most certainly agree with that view, which is why I declined to sign the social chapter. I believe that it would cost jobs and cost prosperity in this country. It is noticeable that a number of other politicians abroad have made it perfectly clear that this country becomes a more attractive place for investment–and therefore for jobs and prosperity–because we are not committed to the costs of the social chapter.

     

    Q3. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 6 February.

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

    Mr. Griffiths : Why have pensions dropped from 20 per cent. of average earnings to 16 per cent. under the Tories? Does the Prime Minister believe that pensioners were paid too much in 1979, or will he express regret at that meanness and raise pensions in line with Labour’s plans?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman should look at history. If he talks about pensioners, he should let the facts speak for themselves : under the previous Labour Government, the real average income of pensioners rose by only 3 per cent. and their income from savings fell by 16 per cent. The Labour party had no place for pensioners in the past and no promises that it can properly meet for the future.

    Sir Ian Lloyd : The Prime Minister will no doubt have noticed the interesting exception that President Bush made in his state of the union message to Congress, when he said that his Government were too big and spent too much. The exception was that he proposed to maintain research expenditure at the record level of $77 billion and to make permanent the fiscal allowances for research and development. If my right hon. Friend should be considering with his right hon. Friend the Chancellor any largesse over the next two or three weeks, will he ensure that a few crumbs from the Treasury table fall in that direction?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend will know that there was a real- terms increase in the science and technology budget this year, a point that has been readily acknowledged by scientists up and down the country. As for potential largesse, there is no lack of applications for any that there might be.

     

    Q4. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 6 February.

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

    Mr. Banks : May I thank the Prime Minister for allowing his Ministers to vote as they wish on the Wild Mammals (Protection) Bill on Friday 14 February, St. Valentine’s day? If the Bill is passed, it will stop the massacre of harmless creatures like deer, hares and foxes.

    No one expects the Prime Minister to be here to vote on Friday 14 February, but will he tell the House and the country whether he supports the abolition of fox hunting, deer hunting and hare coursing? I hope that his answer is yes.

    The Prime Minister : It is a matter for the individual conscience of every hon. Member, which is precisely why I am allowing a free vote by my Ministers on the Bill. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Bill in question goes a good deal wider than just the matters that he has been addressing. Because it goes a good deal wider, I will not myself be supporting it.

     

    Q5. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 6 February.

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

    Mr. Colvin : Will my right hon. Friend send a message today to the leaders of the National Association of Local Government Officers who are spending some £2 million on a shoddy and inaccurate advertising campaign, telling them that their policies of abandoning competitive tendering, abolishing the Audit Commission and introducing a minimum wage would be acceptable only to a party which has already sold its soul to the trade union bosses?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend makes a very sound point. It is clear that the advertisements appearing today show that now, as in the past, the Labour party remains in hock to the trade unions.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 18 December 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 18th December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

    EC Social Chapter

    Mr. Dewar : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the propositions in the social chapter of the treaty on European Union which (a) have not already been implemented in the United Kingdom and (b) would have to be implemented if the United Kingdom were a signatory to the social chapter; and what is his assessment of the effect on British industry of each of the propositions in (b).

    The Prime Minister : The treaty on European union confirms that the social provisions chapter within the existing treaty of Rome will be maintained without change. The chapter contains no propositions, but establishes the basis upon which the Community may support member states in the pursuant of their objectives. It is, and will remain, the basis for the development of a sensible social dimension respecting national diversity and subsidiarity and consistent with the priority of employment creation.

  • PMQT – 12 December 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 12th December 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Q1. Mr. Butler : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 December.

    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. Butler : Will my right hon. Friend reassure the House that, by rejecting the social chapter, he is rejecting the strikers’ friend and the creep of socialism?

    The Prime Minister : Yes, I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. At the end of the 1970s, 29 million days were lost in strikes whereas only 2 million days were lost in strikes last year. I have no enthusiasm for returning to the sort of legislation that applied at that time.

    Mr. Kinnock : Will the Prime Minister tell us why Chancellor Kohl and his fellow Conservative Heads of Government do not agree with him that, by adopting the social chapter, they will jeopardise jobs?

    The Prime Minister : Because they do not have the trade union structure that we have in this country or the record of trade union militancy that so damaged this country in the 1970s and to which we have no intention whatsoever of returning. If the right hon. Gentleman begins to listen to what many employers elsewhere in Europe are saying, he will learn that they recognise that we made the right decisions.

    Mr. Kinnock : What those Heads of Government do not have is a record of losing 768,000 jobs in their countries in the past 12 months. Four out of every five of the jobs that have been lost in the European Community in the past year have been lost in Britain because of the right hon. Gentleman’s policies. He is the last person to be entitled to think of himself as a protector of jobs ; he is the destroyer of jobs.

    Mr. Major : Throughout the 1980s as a whole, more jobs were created in this country than in any other European country. Indeed, nearly as many jobs were created in this country as in the whole of the European Community. I need no lectures from the right hon. Gentleman about the social dimension. The social dimension to Europe was part of the Single European Act, against which the right hon. Gentleman voted.

    Mrs. Maureen Hicks : May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on that record? Is he aware that Britain receives almost half the total investment coming into Europe from the United States of America and Japan and that many of the companies involved have the good sense to choose Wolverhampton and the rest of the west midlands? Does he agree that those companies choose to come to Britain because our taxes are low, our industrial relations are good and, most of all, our Government understand business? Does he agree that none of that would be the case if the Labour party was in charge?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right in that diagnosis. She may have read the remarks made yesterday by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, which made its position perfectly clear on the agreement at Maastricht. It said :

    “There will be many continental businesses today envying their competitors in the United Kingdom.”

    That is because they understand that the decisions that we have taken are in the interests of British industry, British commerce and jobs for British workers.

     

    Q2. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 December.

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

    Mr. Patchett : Given the decision to opt out of the social charter in Europe– [Hon. Members :– “Reading.”]– can the Prime Minister confirm that he is planning– [Hon. Members :– “Reading.”]–to fight the next general election on the slogan “Vote Tory for the lowest wages, least consultation and worst employment protection in Europe”?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman– [Hon. Members :– “Reading.”]–is in no position to talk about opt-outs, considering that his party has opted out of every necessary decision to assist this country in the past 10 years and has backed every inflationary wage claim, every piece of trade union militancy and every policy that would do damage to Britain and its future.

    Mr. Wilkinson : Could my right hon. Friend find time today to think again about the significance of an historic referendum which took place in the Ukraine on 1 December, in which the people of Ukraine freely and democratically voted for their sovereignty and independence? Will Her Majesty’s Government recognise the Government of Ukraine and show that they are on the side of democracy and freedom?

    The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend said, the referendum in Ukraine showed overwhelming support for the independence of Ukraine. [Hon. Members :– “Reading.”] The Foreign Affairs Committee statement on 2 December gave the initial response from the European Community. We shall continue to consult–

    Hon. Members : “Reading.”

    Mr. Speaker : Order. The House well knows the conventions here. It has always been in order for Ministers on the Front Bench to read their answers and it has never been in order for hon. Members to read their questions.

    The Prime Minister : Most people would have regarded what is happening in the Soviet Union as a matter of some importance, not a matter for the fourth-form behaviour that we see on the Opposition Benches.

     

    Q3. Mr. O’Brien : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 December.

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

    Mr. O’Brien : Will the Prime Minister confirm that because of his decision to opt out of the social charter– [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. I cannot hear everything down here. Perhaps it is just as well.

    Mr. O’Brien : Will the Prime Minister confirm that because of his decision to opt out of the social charter

    Hon. Members : He has said that. [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. Does the hon. Gentleman want to ask a question or not? Please get on with it.

    Mr. O’Brien rose — [Interruption.]

    Mr. Speaker : Order. This is intolerable. Will the hon. Gentleman please ask his question.

    Mr. O’Brien : Will the Prime Minister confirm that because of his action in opting out of the social charter, Great Britain will be the only country in Europe that will deny its people the legal right to paid holidays? Does not he feel ashamed of that?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman can know what we have agreed not to join. What we have agreed not to accept are the sort of damaging laws that nearly brought this country to its knees when we last had a Labour Government. That is what we are not prepared to accept. Matters such as the hon. Gentleman raised can be dealt with at present under the social dimension to which the British Government subscribe and against which the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock) voted.

     

    Q4. Mr. Hannam : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 December.

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

    Mr. Hannam : I congratulate my right hon. Friend on helping to create a more outward-looking Europe. In that connection, and in view of the impending serious food shortages in the Soviet Union, may I ask whether he was able to take any initiatives at Maastricht to help move foodstuffs from the Community to the Russian people?

    The Prime Minister : Yes, we were able to take such initiatives. The European Council reaffirmed its determination to act quickly to help the people of the Soviet Union and in particular those who live in the heavily populated areas of Moscow and St. Petersburg. A substantial package of help for the Soviet Union, totalling over $11 billion worth of emergency aid in 1991, has now been put in place by the Group of Seven, under my chairmanship, and the European Community. That includes new commitments of food and medical aid of over $4 billion. Logistical experts will be meeting shortly to ensure that that aid gets swiftly to those in need. I am pleased also to tell the House that the United Kingdom is sending £20 million worth of animal feed aid to St. Petersburg so that livestock need not be slaughtered this winter.

    Mr. Ashdown : Is the Prime Minister aware that the Government’s decision to pay the mortgage element of income support direct to lenders is a welcome but wholly insufficient response to the crisis facing thousands of families in Britain because of home repossessions? Does he not realise that unless he is prepared to be more imaginative–for instance, with schemes for converting mortgages to rents–we shall not avoid in the new year thousands of families facing misery, a further plunge in house prices and serious damage to the economy?

    The Prime Minister : The Government are providing substantial help to those who risk losing their homes when they lose their jobs. As the right hon. Gentleman pointed out, we made new arrangements on 5 November to ensure that income support payments can be paid directly to the lender. The right hon. Gentleman may be interested to know that the Government are looking urgently with mortgage lenders at what further measures might be taken to protect those faced with repossession.

    Sir Teddy Taylor : As one who joined the Leader of the Opposition in voting against the Single European Act, before the right hon. Gentleman became a Euro-fanatic, may I appeal to my right hon. Friend to warn the voters about the huge dangers to the much-improved labour relations of Britain if they were to vote into power any Government who were prepared to pass over the power to wreck our trade union reforms by majority vote in Brussels? Will he warn the British people of the damage that could be done to them and the danger to their way of life and democracy?

    The Prime Minister : I am sure that if my hon. Friend maintains his position with his normal consistency, the day will come when the right hon. Member for Islwyn (Mr. Kinnock) will join him yet again in that view. On the substantive point, my hon. Friend will know that I agree with him, for I refused earlier this week to agree in Europe to the sort of laws that would have had the effect my hon. Friend sets out.

     

    Q5. Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 December.

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

    Mr. Livingstone : Will the Prime Minister take time today to meet the Home Secretary to discuss how the Government should respond to the letter they have received from the mayor of Conservative-controlled Bexley drawing attention to the 140 per cent. increase in racist attacks in the area since the British National party moved its headquarters into the area? One of those attacks involved the stabbing to death of Rolan Adams by a racist mob. How does the Prime Minister think that the Government can respond to the Mayor’s request that Bexley council be given the power to close that fascist headquarters before more lives are lost?

    The Prime Minister : I was not aware of that incident, but I deplore such racist attacks without any reservation whatsoever. I will certainly discuss that incident with my right hon. Friend.

    Mr. Rowe : The channel tunnel is about to become a major part of the United Kingdom infrastructure. Will my right hon. Friend look with his Cabinet colleagues at the fact that Kent is receiving considerable capital-infrastructure funds but virtually all of that money is going on projects linked to the channel tunnel, to the great detriment of Kent’s other needs?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for his constituency and for Kent generally. I will certainly examine the point that he raises.

  • Mr Major’s Parliamentary Answer on the Social Charter – 30 November 1989

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s response on the Social Charter held on 30th November 1989 in the House of Commons.

    Mr. Andy Stewart To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the effect on the United Kingdom’s long-term economic performance of the proposed European social charter.

    Mr. Gale To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the effect on the United Kingdom’s long-term economic performance of the proposed European social charter.

    Mr. Major Implementation of the proposed social charter in its present form would have a harmful effect on economic performance. It would raise costs and cost jobs.

    Mr. Stewart Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is ludicrous for the EEC to try to introduce laws to govern a wide variety of our small business sector?

    Mr. Major I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. I suggest to our colleagues in Europe that the principle of subsidiarity would serve us much better than the proposed social charter.

    Mr. Gale Further to that answer, what would be the effect on the United Kingdom’s economy of a 35-hour working week?

    Mr. Major I scarcely think that an immediate 35-hour week would be helpful for the economy.