PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Q1. Mr. Proctor
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.
The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)
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.
Mr. Proctor
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that it is still the intention of Her Majesty's Government to make real and meaningful cuts in public expenditure?
The Prime Minister
Yes. It is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to reduce public expenditure as a proportion of national income so as to make room for reductions in particular in direct taxation. I remind my hon. Friend that we are now paying in income tax £1.5 billion less than the country would have been paying had the Labour tax regime still been in existence, and we are also paying some £2 billion less in national insurance surcharge.
Mr. Kinnock
In view of the tragically deteriorating situation in the Lebanon, will the Prime Minister tell us what arrangements, if any, she has made for keeping the House informed about any decisions that become necessary regarding our troops in Beirut? Will she, in taking decisions, be sure to clear her mind of any idea that if our troops were to be moved out they would be leading a retreat, as she once put it to me? Will she take all pains to ensure that our troops are quickly and safely withdrawn from a position which is unacceptably dangerous and from duties which are proving to be impossible?
The Prime Minister
The situation in Beirut is serious and has deteriorated further overnight. I have held two meetings with ministerial colleagues today. We are in urgent and constant touch with our multinational force partners and with the Lebanese authorities. We have also been in touch today with the British ambassador in Beirut and with the commander of the British contingent. The safety of our forces is a major factor in our thinking. We are also watching closely the situation of the remaining British community in the Lebanon, and our ambassador [column 758]has their safety constantly in mind. A statement will be made to the House if and when there is anything further than can suitably be reported.
Q2. Mr. Speller
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.
The Prime Minister
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Speller
While congratulating my right hon. Friend on the success of her visit to Hungary last week, may I ask her whether she anticipates that the public success of that visit will be followed by an initiative that may reduce military tension between east and west Europe?
The Prime Minister
The visit was very valuable. I do not think that the fact of such a visit should raise great expectations. Discussions between East and West to improve general understanding and to secure more results on disarmament will inevitably take a long time. It is clear that we must not relax our vigil in any way, but because we genuinely wish disarmament to take place we must take every opportunity for further discussions and to bring the Soviet Union back to the negotiating table at Geneva.
Dr. Owen
To try to reach a settlement of the dispute at GCHQ will the Prime Minister consider a threefold package in which certification under the Employment Protection Act 1975 remains on the table, but a no-strike agreement is negotiated with the unions and the Government withdraw their administrative decision to deprive any of the workers at Cheltenham of their trade union rights?
The Prime Minister
The principle that members of organisations concerned with national security should not be members of trade unions is a familiar one. It already applies to the police and intelligence services. I believe that our proposals are the only ones that will fully achieve the Government's objectives. Nevertheless, if the unions wish to see me again I shall agree to that.
Sir Edward Gardner
Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Leader of the Opposition—[Hon. Members: “Read it out.” ] Is my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister aware—[Interruption.]
Mr. Skinner
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker
I shall take it afterwards.
Mr. Skinner
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker
Afterwards. We must listen to the question.
Sir Edward Gardner
Does my right hon. Friend agree that should there be a renunciation and a dismantling of the British nuclear deterrent——
Mr. Kilroy-Silk
Give us the next question as well.
Mr. Speaker
Order. We shall deal with very few questions at this rate.
Sir Edward Gardner
I hope that I am in order in persisting with my question, which is important. Does my right hon. Friend agree that any renunciation and dismantling of the British nuclear deterrent system would, in effect, mean that we should lose any hope of influencing world opinion—or any other opinion—when we try to renegotiate a disarmament treaty?
[column 759]The Prime Minister
The British nuclear deterrent is a fundamental part of the defence of the West and, in the last resort, of the defence of this country. If we gave it up unilaterally there would be little hope of bringing the Soviet Union back to the negotiating table and persuading it to reduce its nuclear weapons.
Mr. Skinner
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker
Not now.
Mr. Duffy
Is the Prime Minister aware——
Mr. Skinner
I was going to ask him to read them all out to save time.
Mr. Duffy
Shut up, Dennis.
Is the Prime Minister aware that a further high-level visit, following her own in December, to the Drummadd barracks in Armagh—which houses the headquarters of the Ulster Defence Regiment, some members of which are charged with the murder of local people for no apparent reason other than that they were nationalist and Catholic—was criminally insensitive? That cannot but benefit the IRA. When will the Prime Minister stop playing into the hands of Gerry Adams?
The Prime Minister
A visit by a member of the royal family to a regiment in the United Kingdom of which he is colonel-in-chief is an internal matter for the United Kingdom, and a proper reason for such a visit.
Mr. Terlezki
With regard to my right hon. Friend's visit to Hungary last week, what assurance, if any, has she received from the Hungarian Government that the ordinary people of that country will be able to visit our free country, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel for them?
The Prime Minister
Talks with Hungary were on the basis that we have our system and defend it, and are anxious to start discussions with those in the other alliance to try to get greater understanding and reduce international tensions. it was recognised that, although we may be on different sides of a political divide, it is in our common interest to achieve greater understanding and to try to reduce weaponry, always keeping a balance so that we each preserve our security. We did not discuss the details of personal cases.
Mr. John David Taylor
Will the Prime Minister confirm that members of the royal family will be free to visit all parts of the United Kingdom, even though countries that still claim from time to time to be independent and sovereign attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the United Kingdom? Is the right hon. Lady aware that the vast majority of Northern Irish people welcome the recent visits of the Duke of Edinburgh, and herself, to those parts of Northern Ireland suffering from Irish Republican terrorism?
The Prime Minister
I confirm that it is an internal matter for the United Kingdom when a member of the royal family goes to visit a barracks or a regiment of which he or she is colonel-in-chief, or when I do the same. I should like to say thank you, as would most right hon. and hon. Members, for the excellent work of Her Majesty's forces in Northern Ireland in trying to keep law and order in the Province.
Q3. Mr. Tracey
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.
[column 760]The Prime Minister
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Tracey
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that London ratepayers were done out of over £200 million in 1982–83 by incompetent budgeting by the Greater London council? Will she condemn the use of much of that money on anti-Government propaganda and various forms of social engineering? Will she further condemn the speech by the leader of the Greater London council in Sheffield over the weekend, in which he said that Labour councillors should defy the law on rate-capping?
The Prime Minister
It is true that there was substantial over-rating by the GLC recently, which was put into the reserves. Apparently a small amount will be given back this year, but a great deal will be kept by the Greater London council. I agree with my hon. Friend that those moneys should not be used on party political propaganda. I also agree with my hon. Friend that the law relating to local authorities must be observed in the same way as any other law must be observed, because it has been properly passed through Parliament. In a democracy one cannot be selective about the law that one obeys.
Mr. Golding
Is the Prime Minister aware that I have in my hand a copy of the planted questions for her to answer, which were circulated among Tory Back Benchers? Is she further aware that that is an abuse of Question Time? [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.” ] Is she further aware that it reflects the insecurity that she is showing if she has to plant easy questions so that answers can be prepared for her before Prime Minister's Question Time? To save further humiliation to Conservative Members, would she like to answer Questions Nos. 1 to 4 now?
The Prime Minister
If the hon. Member looks at it dispassionately, he will not find any difference between the competence with which Conservative or Opposition questions are answered.
Q4. Mr. Strang
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 February.
The Prime Minister
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Strang
Does the Prime Minister recognise that the future of the Henry Robb shipyard is fundamental to the engineering industry in Edinburgh? Is she aware of the widespread concern that Ministers are doing precious little, if anything, to save that yard? Will she have discussions with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Secretary of State for Scotland and ask them, at the minimum, to ensure that that yard gets the chance to tender for the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, which is due to be ordered shortly?
The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman asked me a similar question at the previous Prime Minister's Question Time. I said that the two orders that he very much wanted for that shipyard had gone to other shipyards which also needed them, and which were thought more suitable. I cannot guarantee any future orders for any particular shipyard. That is a matter for British Shipbuilders to decide. With regard to finding work in the hon. Gentleman's area, a number of contracts have recently gone to firms in his area. For example, Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd. has been awarded a contract [column 761]worth more than £20 million for aircraft shelters. Ferranti (Edinburgh) has another defence contract and the Edinburgh-based Miller group has won contracts worth around £18 million, including the construction of a five-star hotel. There are jobs coming into the area, which I hope very much will help some of those without work.
Mr. Shore
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Further to the supplementary question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Golding), is it not without precedent—[Interruption.]—for a typed list of supplementary questions to be circulating on both sides of the House during Prime Minister's Question Time? Is that not an astonishing and poor reflection on those who are prepared to lend themselves to such a subterfuge? It is not just a grave abuse of Prime Minister's Question Time. Should you not, Mr. Speaker, allow for the extension of Question Time so that some proper and unrehearsed questions and answers can now be heard?
Mr. Speaker
Order. The House will know that I had a previous incarnation. This situation is not unique.
Mr. Skinner
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will recall that several years ago, when the present Secretary of State for Energy was the Secretary of State for the Environment, there was an incident similar to the one referred to by my right hon. Friend the Member for Bethnal Green and Stepney (Mr. Shore) and my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Golding). As a result of the planted questions carefully arranged by the right hon. Gentleman, a Committee was set up to investigate the matter. As you have the sheet of questions there in front of you, Mr. Speaker, I suggest that this matter should be taken up in the same way as it was between 1970 and 1974. It is a very important matter. It was recorded as an abuse of the House on that occasion. It must be the same today.
Mr. Tapsell
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. It may surprise you to know that I have been [column 762]trying to put a question that was not planted. [Interruption.] I rather wondered whether you might pander to my eccentricity.
Mr. Speaker
Order. If I may deal with the hon. Member's eccentricity, I first must say to him that he has been called four times, and that he was not fortunate today.
Mr. Willie W. Hamilton
rose——.
Mr. Speaker
Mr. Willie Hamilton.
Mr. Hamilton
The only way that I can get in is on a point of order. Pending your reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) about the setting up of a Committee, Mr. Speaker, could you ascertain exactly who circulated these questions, who prepared them, whether they were prepared by civil servants or by the Office of the Prime Minister herself and whether she was in any way responsible for circulating them?
Mr. Bidwell
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will notice that I was to ask Question No. 5 of the Prime Minister but that due to the hilarity occasioned by wholesale planting of these questions I was denied the opportunity of putting my question, asking a supplementary and being given an intelligent reply from the Prime Minister. May I have your assurance that in future you will speed through the first four questions if I happen to have No. 5?
Mr. Speaker
I accept that had there not been such hilarity we might have reached the hon. Gentleman's question.
As a general proposition, of course, I think that the whole House deprecates planted questions. I know nothing about this piece of paper that has gone round, and it is not a matter for me. Very frequently hon. Members have the benefit of briefs from outside bodies for their speeches. This is not a matter for the Chair.
Mr. Straw
Before the Prime Minister leaves, Mr. Speaker, since you do deprecate that practice, will the right hon. lady apologise for the way in which she has organised the planted question?