MT
… This project is one of the many which Locate in Scotland has helped. And in the four years that Locate in Scotland has been in existence, and we created it, we have now in fact secured some £1,000 million of investment this week—in the four years, this week marks £1,000 million of investment in Scotland. Not bad for four years. It in fact means about 25,000 jobs. So we are looking for more companies like this.
Bernard Ingham
Shall we take a few questions?
Glyn Mathias
… turn to the mining dispute. We have another round of talks coming up in the next few days. How optimistic are you that we are nearer a settlement …?
MT
Well, I am always hoping for a settlement. We had seven days of talks between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers, seven days of talks. There's now a new round of talks and I hope they will be successful. We can't engage on the talks here, that would be absolutely fatal. But naturally I hope they will be successful.
Glyn Mathias
Do you still have confidence in the way that Mr McGregor is handling the dispute … from the Coal Board.
MT
I have great confidence in Mr McGregor to create a prosperous coal industry for the future. Which is, good price coal, that is cheap price coal for all those who have to buy it. And don't forget, many many people like the people who work in this company depend on reasonable priced energy because energy goes into their products. So we want energy costs that will compete with other people. That means we've got to watch the price of coal. We cannot have high price coal. I'm sure Mr McGregor will create a prosperous coal industry, both for those who buy from it and for those who work in it and for the children and for the future. I have great confidence in him. Don't forget—even during this dispute, he went to Chicago and got an order, an order that meant a thousand jobs for the Durham miners. That order had to be delivered between May and September. It was not fulfilled from coal mines in this country but in order to keep the prospect for the future we had to buy in coal from the outside, in fact to fulfil that contract. I like chairmen who can get orders.
Question
You have just said, Prime Minister, there have now been seven days of talks now in the dispute without any discernible progress. Is it time do you think for, um, the Government to take perhaps a higher profile on it?
MT
No. It is absolutely vital for the success of an industry that management and workforce get on together. May I point out what government has done? Government believes in the future of this industry. When we came into power we wanted to make this a highly prosperous industry both for those who work in it now and for their children and for all who have to buy coal and electricity, because a lot of jobs depend on keeping the price of [end p1] electricity reasonable. So you will find that as a result of Government policy there is the best pay deal for the miners have ever had. They are about 25 per cent above the average industrial earnings. That is far better than under any previous government. You will find that we have had the best investment that we have ever had—œ2m for every day that this Government has been in power. The price of efficiently produced coal. And I'm sure you don't buy cameras at four times the price of the efficient camera. And so some of the older pits, because they are uneconomic. But for some people that represents their skill. Now your skill is your capital. So this Government has said right: we will see that those people really have a fair deal, and a miner who has been working in the industry, say age 49, all his life, gets over £30,000 redundancy pay. Tape cuts and then resumes
Question
… this dispute?
MT
You're only going to get a successful industry if your management and workforce say, look we are all in this together, this is our industry. We only succeed by serving and giving a fair deal to the customer. At the moment, when you have paid the price of coal, when you have paid your electricity bill, you are also as a taxpayer, this year paying—this last year that has just gone past—œ 1.3 billion, put it another way œ 1300 million in subsidy towards coal. You may say, what does that mean, Mrs T? I don't understand what œ 1300 million means. Let me tell you. In subsidy towards coal that means more than we pay in salary to all of the doctors and dentists in the National Health Service. Tape cuts and then resumes
Question
inaudible
MT
[Straining to hear question] How long can it … have they? Well, fortunately, er, quite a lot of the miners are working. They chose to work. The miners who are working are often those who balloted—they've balloted to go back to work. There are many who balloted not … under exactly the same rules as we're employed previously and then we shall soon have an end to the strike, which is of course what I want to see.
Bernard Ingham
Prime Minister, you ought to be away now, it's after half past 11. So could I thank you gentlemen, I'm sorry it's been so brief but I'm afraid it's been unavoidable.
MT
Thank you.
Journalists
Thank you, Prime Minister.