The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: South Africa

  • PMQT Written Answers – 29 April 1991

    Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 29th April 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER:

     

    St. John Ambulance Brigade

    Mr. Redmond : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make facilities available to staff in his office to contribute to the appeal that has been launched for people with the name of John to help raise £5 million for the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

    The Prime Minister : Arrangements exist for officials to contribute by deduction from pay to charities of their choice. The decision by members of my office about which charitable appeals to support must be a matter for them.

     

    Drink Driving

    Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister if he, with his colleagues responsible for transport in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will consider consultations on ways to let the public know whether a driver killed in a road crash had consumed alcohol.

    The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he received from my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr. Lloyd) on 22 April 1991 at columns 350-51.

     

    Management Consultants

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Prime Minister’s office to management consultants in 1979-80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.

    The Prime Minister : There has been no expenditure by my office on fees to management consultants since 1979-80, and none is planned for 1991-92.

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Cabinet Office to management consultants in 1979-80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.

    The Prime Minister : The expenditure by the Cabinet Office, including from its creation on 1 October 1987, the Office of the Minister of the Civil Service, on management and computer consultancies, including certain consultancies relating to the civil service as a whole, in the financial years from 1983-84 is as follows :

    Year |£

    ————————

    1983-84 |152,000

    1984-85 |423,818

    1985-86 |329,334

    1986-87 |505,092

    1987-88 |417,778

    The figures for each year since then, which exclude the cost of computer consultants, are as follows :

    Year |£

    ———————————

    1988-89 |70,608

    1989-90 |51,500

    1990-91 |<1>182,000

    1991-92 |<2>242,735

    <1>Estimate.

    <2>Budget.

    Note:

    The figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92 reflect increases in management consultancies undertaken by the Cabinet Office for the civil service generally.

     

    Press and Public Relations

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total expenditure by the Cabinet Office on press and public relations in 1979-80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.

    The Prime Minister : Expenditure on press and public relations by the Cabinet Office was :

    |£

    ————————

    1984-85 |247,495

    1985-86 |232,980

    1986-87 |224,813

    1987-88 |215,925

    1988-89 |201,837

    1989-90 |205,650

    The latest estimate for 1990-91 is £165,088 and the budget for 1991-92 is £213,323.

    Similar information is not available for the years prior to 1984-85.

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total expenditure by the Prime Minister’s office on press and public relations in 1979-80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.

    The Prime Minister : Expenditure by my office on press and public relations was not recorded separately before 1987-88. The total expenditure for each year since then and the budget for 1991-92 are as follows :

    |£

    ———————————

    1987-88 |377,987

    1988-89 |419,326

    1989-90 |427,802

    1990-91 |<1>553,010

    1991-92 |<2>554,748

    <1> Estimate.

    <2> Budget.

    Note: The figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92 include notional superannuation costs which are excluded from the figures for earlier years.

     

    Departmental Staff

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in the Cabinet Office; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

    The Prime Minister : The number of staff, by grade, employed on 1 April in each of the years from 1982 in the statistical divisions of the Cabinet Office, differentiated between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts, were :

    Staff in post, with in brackets,

    where different, total complement

    Grade |Members of |Members of |Total

    |Statistician |Administration

    |Group |and other

    ———————————————————————————————-

    1982 |51.0 |153.0 |204.0 |(209.0)

    1983 |50.0 |159.5 |209.5 |(208.5)

    1984 |47.0 |146.0 |193.0 |(193.0)

    1985 |50.5 |136.5 |187.0 |(186.0)

    1986 |52.0 |148.5 |200.5 |(198.5)

    1987

    1a |1 |- |1

    3 |3 |- |3

    5 |9 |1 |10 |(9)

    7 |24 |6 |30 |(31)

    Senior Executive Officer |- |8 |8 |(7)

    Higher Executive Officer |- |23 |23 |(22.5)

    Executive Officer |- |34 |34 |(35.5)

    Administrative Officer |- |24 |24

    Personal Secretary |- |13 |13 |(12.5)

    Senior Assistant and Assistant

    Statistician |9 |- |9 |(11)

    Cadet Statistician |7 |- |7

    Chief Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Senior Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Higher Draughtsman |- |2 |2

    Draughtsman |- |6 |6 |(7)

    Information Officer |- |1 |1

    |——- |——- |——- |——-

    |53 |120 |173 |(175.5)

    1988

    1A |1 |- |1

    3 |3 |- |3

    5 |9 |1 |10 |(9)

    7 |25 |4 |29 |(31)

    Senior Executive Officer |- |8 |8

    Higher Executive Officer |- |20 |20 |(21)

    Executive Officer |- |31 |31 |(37)

    Administrative Officer |- |21 |21 |(24)

    Senior Personal Secretary |- |1 |1

    Personal Secretary |- |11 |11 |(11.5)

    Senior Assistant and Assistant Statistician |9 |- |9 |(10)

    Cadet Statistician |6 |- |6 |(7)

    Chief Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Senior Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Higher Draughtsman |- |2 |2

    Draughtsman |- |5 |5 |(7)

    Information Officer |- |1 |1

    |——– |——- |——- |——-

    |53 |107 |160 |(175.5)

    1989

    1A |1 |- |1

    3 |3 |- |3

    5 |9 |1 |10 |(9)

    7 |25 |4 |29 |(31.5)

    Senior Executive Officer |- |7 |7 |(5.5)

    Higher Executive Officer |- |18 |18 |(21)

    Executive Officer |- |35 |35 |(36)

    Administrative Officer |- |25 |25 |(24.5)

    Senior Personal Secretary |- |2 |2

    Personal Secretary |- |11 |11 |(10.5)

    Senior Assistant and Assistant Statistician |8 |- |8 |(11)

    Cadet Statistician |3 |- |3 |(1.5)

    Chief Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Senior Draughtsman |- |1 |1

    Higher Draughtsman |- |2 |2 |(1)

    Draughtsman |- |4 |4 |(7)

    Information Officer |- |1 |1

    |——- |——- |——- |——-

    |49 |112 |161 |(167.5)

    <1>Includes all other non statistician group staff.

    Figures for the years prior to 1982 are no longer available, and information on the numbers of staff by grade is not readily available for the years 1982 to 1986 and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

    Since July 1989, when the Central Statistical Office became a separate department, the Cabinet Office has had no statistical divisions.

    Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in the Prime Minister’s office; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

    The Prime Minister : During the period in question, there has been no statistical division within my office. There are no statisticians in post or on the staff complement, and there are no plans to create any such posts.

     

    Iraqi Refugees

    Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to increase the financial year 1991-92 budget of the Overseas Development Administration to cover the costs of emergency relief for Iraqi refugees.

    The Prime Minister : Additions to the overseas aid programme totalling up to £30 million have been agreed to fund the Government’s further efforts to relieve the suffering of Iraqi refugees. Within this total, up to £20 million will be provided to continue the airbridge operation, to provide urgently needed supplies, and to finance the immediately foreseeable costs falling to the aid budget of the United Kingdom’s participation in Operation Haven inside Iraq. The balance of £10 million represents the Government’s contribution to the Kurdish refugee appeal announced on Thursday 25 April. These additions will enable the ODA to maintain its planned development activities, and to continue to provide substantial humanitarian assistance to help relieve famine in Africa.

     

    North Sea

    Mr. David Porter : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up a high-level task force combining all the Departments of state concerned, all industries involved and all interested parties to bring forward proposals to secure continued viability of all uses and the well-being of the North sea, once gas and oil structures are decommissioned; and if he will make a statement.

    The Prime Minister : Departments maintain regular contact with a wide range of organisations with an interest in many aspects of the North sea. I see no advantage in establishing an additional forum. Consideration of an abandonment programme by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy under the provisions of the Petroleum Act 1987 will take account of consultations with organisations concerned with other uses of the sea including fishing, and with environmental interests. The abandonment of offshore installations will be performed in such a way as to cause no significant adverse effects upon navigation or the marine environment, in accordance with our international obligations.

     

    Opposition Parties (Access to Civil Service)

    Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will consider allowing opposition parties equal access to civil servants and publicity budgets to enable them to prepare and publicise their own policies.

    The Prime Minister : No. By long-standing convention, civil service time and Government publicity budgets are not used for party political purposes.

    Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the civil service trade unions regarding the effectiveness of the rules set out in the Armstrong memorandum of December 1987 on the propriety of publishing party political material using civil servants’ time.

    The Prime Minister : None.

     

    Arms Trade

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has for an international register of arms sales.

    The Prime Minister : At the special European Council in Luxembourg on 8 April, I proposed a register of arms sales at the United Nations to monitor the scale of arms build-up in any one country. We are taking every opportunity to urge others to support the idea of such a register. Our ambassador at the United Nations is also taking this forward in New York.

     

    First Division Association

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister how many of the demands of the First Division Association code of civil service ethics have been incorporated into official regulations.

    The Prime Minister : The Government’s position is set out in the note by the former head of the home civil service on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to Ministers, issued in December 1987, subject to the further points contained in the Government’s responses to the fifth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee for the 1989-90 Session.

     

    Iraqi Arms Disposal

    Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has put to the United Nations for a commission to monitor Iraqi arms disposal.

    The Prime Minister : United Nations Security Council resolution 687 requires the Secretary-General to establish a special commission to oversee the elimination of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. We hope that the special commission will start work as soon as possible, and we shall co-operate with it fully.

     

    Members’ Letters

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 April, Official Report, columns 293-94, to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes), whether he will make it his aim to provide responses to Members’ letters to Ministers which are as full and as helpful as possible, on a time scale similar to that for a response to a parliamentary question.

    The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis) on 12 February at column 393. I have nothing further to add.

     

    South Africa

    Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister whether he raised with Mr. de Klerk at their meeting on 22 April the failure of the South African Government to release all political prisoners by the target date of 28 February 1991, as agreed in the Pretoria minute of 6 August 1990.

    The Prime Minister [holding answer 26 April 1991] : No, not least because the target date of 30 April has not yet been reached.

  • PMQT Written Answers – 25 April 1991

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

    PRIME MINISTER:

    President de Klerk

    Q6. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with President de Klerk of South Africa.

    The Prime Minister : I was glad to have had the opportunity to meet President de Klerk during his visit to the United Kingdom this week. We had a useful talk on a wide range of issues.

    I should add that I also had useful talks with Mr. Nelson Mandela at our meeting yesterday.

     

    Economic and Social Committee (United Kingdom Membership)

    Mr. Beith : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will list the 24 United Kingdom members of the European Community Economic and Social Committee, indicating their dates of appointment, their occupations and their party political affiliations if known.

    The Prime Minister : The United Kingdom members of the Economic and Social Committee who were appointed in September 1990 for a term of four years are as follows. Members are recommended to Council for appointment on the basis of their individual qualifications not political affiliations.

    Neville Beale Esq–Independent Consultant. Former senior executive of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies.
    Michael Bell Esq–Chairman, International Business Communications PLC.
    John Little Esq–Former Chairman and Chief Executive, Anderson Strathclyde. Former Chairman, Scottish Confederation of British Industries.
    Kenneth Gardner Esq MA FRSC–Consultant in food law technology and food technology.
    Dr Felix Kafka–Production and Technical Managements (Health and Safety and Environment), ICI Europa Ltd.
    Michael Mobbs Esq–Chairman and Managing Director,M L Aviation. Dr Ann Robinson–Head of Policy Unit Institute of Directors. John Whitworth Esq– Chairman, Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund. Former Director of the International Shipping Federation. Campbell Christie Esq–General Secretary, Scottish Trades Union Congress.
    Peter Dawson Esq OBE–General Secretary Professional Association of Teachers.
    Tom Jenkins Esq–Assistant Secretary, Trades Union Congress, International Department.
    John Lyons Esq CBE–General Secretary, Engineers’ and Managers’ Association.
    Miss Ada Maddocks OBE–National Organising Officer (Health Staffs), National Association of Local Government Officers.
    William Morris Esq–Deputy General Secretary, Transport and General Workers’ Union.
    Roy Sanderson Esq OBE–National Secretary, Electrical and Engineering Staff Association (Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union).
    Alexander Smith Esq–General Secretary, National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers.
    Wilfred Aspinall Esq–Executive Director, Managerial, Professional and Staff Liaison Group.
    Mrs Jocelyn Barrow OBE–Deputy Chairman, Broadcasting Standards Council.
    Professor William Black–Economic Adviser, Department of Economic Development, Northern Ireland. Former Professor of Economics, Queen’s University, Belfast.
    Mrs Angela Guillaume–(British) Chairman, European Union of Women.
    Robert Moreland Esq–Former MEP. Member of the Council for Business Graduates Association. Management Consultant. Chairman of Regional Development Section.
    Ms Sue Slipman–Director, National Council for One Parent Families. Michael Strauss Esq–Former Co-ordinating Director for Policy, National Farmers’ Union.
    Andrew Tyrie Esq–Fellow, Nuffield College, Oxford.

     

    Disabled People

    Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the letter dated 27 March from the hon. Member for Monklands West, concerning the Government’s policy of non-implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    The Prime Minister : I replied to the hon. Member on 22 April 1991.

    Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Prime Minister what representation he has received from the Act Now Group concerning the Government policy of non-implementation of sections of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and how he has responded.

    The Prime Minister : The Act Now Group and I have corresponded.

     

    Haemophiliacs

    Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Prime Minister what steps are taken to ensure parity of treatment for haemophiliacs in Scotland and Wales so far as factor 8 is concerned.

    The Prime Minister : The prescribing of factor 8 in the treatment of haemophiliacs is a matter for the individual clinicians concerned. Both Scottish and Welsh patients have equal access to the treatment deemed appropriate.

     

    Building Works

    Mr. Fisher : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will list the number and location of all new buildings or extensions commissioned by the Cabinet Office in each of the past five years which (a) had contracts worth between £3 million and £5 million and (b) had contracts worth more than £5 million.

    The Prime Minister : The Cabinet Office has not commissioned any new buildings or extensions in the last five years which had contracts worth more than £3 million.

     

    Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister whether the issue of South Africa signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was discussed in his meeting with President De Klerk of South Africa in London on 27 April.

    The Prime Minister : Yes.

     

    Chernobyl

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the compensation received by the United Kingdom from (a) the Soviet Union and (b) any other relevant international authority to cover the financial losses incurred by United Kingdom farmers and tourist trade businesses in Scotland, Cumbria, Northern Ireland and North Wales as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Soviet Union.

    The Prime Minister : No compensation has been paid to the United Kingdom for damage suffered following the Chernobyl accident. The Soviet Union is not a party to the international conventions on third party liability for nuclear damage.

     

    Iraq

    Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will propose the creation of safe havens for Shias in southern Iraq.

    The Prime Minister : We are concerned for the welfare of all Iraqis. We understand that the International Red Cross and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees are ready to take over responsibility for refugees in those parts of southern Iraq presently occupied by coalition forces. The United Nations Iraq/Kuwait observer mission is being deployed to the border. Our contribution of some £20 million to the UN Secretary-General’s and other international appeals is for the humanitarian need of all Iraqis. We are in touch with both the Kuwaiti and Saudi Governments about access for Iraqi refugees to their countries.

  • PMQT – 5 February 1991

    Below is the text of Prime Minister’s Question Time from 5th February 1991.

    PRIME MINISTER

     

    Engagements

    Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Winnick : Is the Prime Minister aware that, as the recession bites even deeper in all parts of the country, not least in the west midlands, the country will simply not buy the nonsense that it is all due to the Gulf war? Is he aware, further, that people recognise that the recession and the devastation that are occurring in so many parts of the country are due to the disastrous policies of a discredited Government who simply do not know from day to day where they are going?

    The Prime Minister : I certainly accept that there is a downturn in the economy and I have made that clear. But the hon. Gentleman must recognise that that downturn, in terms of investment and growth, comes from a very high level after a very lengthy period of growth. It is absolutely essential that we take the appropriate decisions now to ensure that we have a lower rate of inflation in the economy in the 1990s.

    Mr. Hayes : Is not my right hon. Friend greatly encouraged by the fact that British investment outstrips that in Germany, France and Italy? Does not he think that British industry is getting rather fed up with the Labour party continually saying that there is no end to the recession in sight and no economic good news? Does he agree that it is becoming the party of the abominable no-men?

    The Prime Minister : As my hon. Friend knows, our investment record over recent years has been extremely good–a record unmatched elsewhere in the Community.

    Mr. Kinnock : Since it is clear that before too many weeks have passed the Government will be forced to cut interest rates, why do they not do it now and save British industries and British home buyers absolutely pointless pain?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman should not be so desperate. If he panics in opposition, what might he do in government?

    Mr. Kinnock : First, all observable panic is on the right hon. Gentleman’s side of the House. Secondly, he will soon have a very good opportunity of finding out the strength of Labour in government.

    It is all very well for the Prime Minister to try to avoid the question. It is not his business which he spent a lifetime building up that is now threatened ; it is not his factory that is facing closure ; and it is not his mortgage that threatens to put him and his family out of their home. Is he not ashamed that Britain, alone of all the major industrial countries, is facing, under his Government, prolonged slump–extended slump–because of his policies?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman has clearly overlooked the fact that– [Interruption.] –I shall come directly to the question. The right hon. Gentleman has clearly overlooked the fact that there is a recession in a number of countries. The right hon. Gentleman misunderstands the importance of interest rates. Nobody wants interest rates to be unduly high, but we need to ensure that we have a low inflation economy. That is the means to ensure that we have it.

    Mrs. Peacock : I am sure that my right hon. Friend is aware of the many Gulf support groups that have been set up throughout the country to offer help and support to those families who have loved ones fighting in the Gulf. Will he join me today in sending best wishes to the two groups in my constituency, in Batley and Cleckheaton, who are doing a superb job?

    The Prime Minister : I am certainly happy to do as my hon. Friend requests. I am delighted by the number of Gulf support groups that have been set up around the country and I wish them all well.

     

    Q2. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Skinner : Can the Prime Minister tell us how this war can have any moral or democratic purpose when British troops risk being slaughtered on the desert sands while the Kuwaiti royal family is gallivanting around the gambling dens and casinos, living it up? When the war is over and those Kuwaiti American stooges are back in power, with all their luxury, some British troops will be coming back to the dole queue, the poll tax and cardboard city. Is that the classless society that the Prime Minister talks about?

    The Prime Minister : I always thought that the hon. Gentleman was against the sort of actions that we have seen in Kuwait by the Iraqis. I am sorry that I am wrong.

     

    Q3. Dame Peggy Fenner : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Dame Peggy Fenner : During my right hon. Friend’s busy day I am sure that he will share my concern about the current proposals for reform of the common agricultural policy. Does he agree with me that we should not accept any reform that penalises the efficient British farmer, since that will not help the British consumer?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend. I share the view of the majority of hon. Members that further reform of the common agricultural policy is needed, but that must make European agriculture more, not less, open to market forces. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has been making clear in Brussels, we shall very strongly resist any proposals that penalise the efficient farmer and, in so doing, place the burden upon consumers.

    Mr. Ashdown : Does the Prime Minister recall the very welcome words of the Foreign Secretary at the weekend when he said that when the fighting is over we must be prepared to use the peace wisely? May I therefore put to him this proposition : if the United Nations provides the authority for fighting the war in the Gulf, the United Nations should have the responsibility for building the peace that follows it. Does the Prime Minister agree?

    The Prime Minister : We shall certainly be discussing, both within the United Nations and beyond–with the Arab states that have the primary interest–what is necessary for the future security of the region.

     

    Q4. Mr. Nicholls : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Nicholls : Has my right hon. Friend noted that for the last four months inflation has been running at about 1.9 per cent. per annum? Does not that show that the Government’s policy of reducing inflation is working? Does not such a policy offer a far more certain way towards eventual interest rate reductions than the soft option advocated by the Leader of the Opposition by way of a devaluation?

    The Prime Minister : My hon. Friend is right. Soft options tend to lead to hard times. Our policies are succeeding in reducing inflation. As inflation comes down there will be the opportunity for sustained interest rate reductions.

    Ms. Ruddock : Does the Prime Minister agree with me

    Mr. Dickens : I saw the hon. Lady on television.

    Mr. Speaker : So did I.

    Ms. Ruddock : Does the Prime Minister agree with me that, in keeping with the spirit and purposes of the United Nations, consent to the allied military action is limited to ending Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, that peace and security in the region can be achieved by other means, and that those means must include the removal of nuclear and chemical weapons throughout the region?

    The Prime Minister : The present aims are set out perfectly clearly in Security Council resolutions. As to the second point in the hon. Lady’s question, I think that it is a matter that everyone will wish to address after the conclusion of the conflict.

     

    Q5. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Wilshire : Does my right hon. Friend agree that, whatever our party politics, we should all welcome the proposed abolition of the apartheid laws in South Africa? Does he agree also that, whatever we may think about that country’s past, the best way to support its Government now is to help them make those changes as quickly as possible and to begin the process of reintegrating South Africa into the community of nations?

    The Prime Minister : I agree with my hon. Friend that it is necessary to support the South African Government. But perhaps even more relevant is support for the people of South Africa–all of them. President de Klerk has made a truly massive move forward and it is now for the international community to respond. I hope very much that it will do so. I have already discussed the matter with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and with President Bush, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised it with European Community Foreign Ministers yesterday. I spoke about it this morning with Mr. Hawke, the Australian Prime Minister. He and I agree very strongly that the time has come to begin lifting the Commonwealth measures, especially the sports sanctions, particularly in the case of those sports that are integrated in South Africa. All in all, the announcement by President de Klerk was a most welcome move forward.

     

    Q6. Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Hogg : Is the Prime Minister aware that the naval base at Rosyth in Scotland employs 5,000 naval and civilian personnel? Is he aware that we have received ministerial assurances that, in the defence review, all the options will be considered impartially? Is he aware of a secret study report showing that there is an intention to close Rosyth in the shortest possible time? Does not he agree that it is disgraceful that at a time when our naval personnel are serving in the Gulf, their home base is being threatened in this way?

    The Prime Minister : No decision has been made to close Rosyth or any other naval base. We fully recognise the implications that closure would have for employment in the area. Those implications would be fully considered and examined before any such decision was taken.

    Mr. Haselhurst : Can my right hon. Friend assure the House that if President Bush raises the question of transatlantic air routes he–the Prime Minister–will sustain the Government’s position, as outlined by the Secretary of State for Transport, in a very strong and sensible defence of British civil aviation?

    The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is discussing these matters. I can assure my hon. Friend that my right hon. Friend will defend our interests very robustly.

    Mr. Eadie : How does the Prime Minister justify the salary of £225,000 per annum being paid to the new chairman of British Coal? Previous chairmen had a large industry and a comparatively small salary, whereas the present chairman is inheriting a very small industry and will have a large salary. Some of us suspect that his terms of reference are to make the industry smaller still.

    The Prime Minister : The gentleman concerned is being paid according to his ability.

     

    Q7. Mr. Moate : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Moate : Reverting to reform of the common agricultural policy, does my right hon. Friend agree that if, for social reasons, the Germans and French wish to subsidise their small farmers, they should be free to do so?

    As the British taxpayer will next year spend £4 billion on agricultural subsidies, apparently to produce inadequate incomes for farmers and excessively high prices for consumers, is not it time we considered repatriating agricultural policy so that we can decide what is best for Britain?

    The Prime Minister : The common agricultural policy is an established element of the European Community. I share my hon. Friend’s view that it is an unsatisfactory one, and for that reason we are seeking to reform it.

    Mr. Alan Williams : Is the Prime Minister aware that a measure of the underlying weakness of our economy is the fact that, excluding North sea oil, in the past three and a half years, at constant prices, we have had a trade deficit of £85 billion? Why does he believe that we can solve that problem with the same rate of exchange that caused it?

    The Prime Minister : The right hon. Gentleman is selective in his criticism. He wholly forgets that we had eight successive years of growth, a period in which our investment has grown faster than that of Germany, Italy, France and anyone else in the European Community and we now have a wholly different industrial position from that which we inherited in 1979.

     

    Q8. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Irvine : Is my right hon. Friend aware of the concern of many firms operating in the financial services sector about the European Commission’s draft directive on capital adequacy? Does he agree that some of the requirements imposed on capital adequacy are excessive, and will he make vigorous representations to ensure that, where appropriate, they are reduced?

    The Prime Minister : I am aware of the concerns that my hon. Friend raises. He will know that firms that act purely as advisers are exempt from the requirements of the capital adequacy directive. We do not wish to see inappropriate or unnecessary capital requirements imposed on any United Kingdom investment firm.

     

    Q9. Mr. Barron : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 5 February.

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

    Mr. Barron : Under the private Bill procedure, the Government have always accepted their neutrality to be one of support for a private Bill. Last Thursday night, the Southampton Rapid Transit Bill was defeated by the use of the payroll vote, including 10 members of the Cabinet, two of whom are members of the War Cabinet, which was suspended when that vote took place. What has changed the Government’s mind? Was it political judgment or political spite?

    The Prime Minister : The hon. Gentleman should know that that was the individual decision of Members of this House.