Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

House of Commons PQs

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: House of Commons
Source: Hansard HC [973/217-24]
Editorial comments: 1515-30.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 2542
Themes: Agriculture, Secondary education, Employment, Industry, Monetary policy, Public spending & borrowing, Foreign policy (Africa), Foreign policy (Middle East), Foreign policy (USA), Housing, Labour Party & socialism, Local government, Trade unions
[column 217]

PRIME MINISTER

(ENGAGEMENTS

Q1. Mr. Neubert

asked the Prime Minister whether she will list her official engagements for 6 November.

The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)

In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty The Queen.

Mr. Neubert

If, during the course of the day, my right hon. Friend should encounter critics of the Government's public expenditure plans, will she draw to their attention the fact that the Labour controlled London borough of Brent is proposing to replace its retiring town clerk and chief executive with two men—an executive at £16,000 a year and a director at £14,000 a year? Does not that demonstrate the need for restraint, as well as illustrating the reason why the number of employees in local government has been rising rapidly?

The Prime Minister

I saw the report in the press to which my hon. Friend refers. I also noted that in the year ending in June the number of local authority employees increased by about 30,000. It is a great mistake to think that administration is improved just by taking on more administrators. The truth is much more likely to be that too many cooks spoil the broth—not only that, but they make it too highly priced to be able to afford it.

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Mr. Pavitt

If the Prime Minister has time to look at the excellent administration and organisation of the London borough of Brent, will she make herself better informed than is her right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, whose statement about that borough appears in Hansard, and which he is refusing to withdraw in spite of the fact that it is totally untrue?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman must refer questions such as that to Sir Keith Josephthe person who made the statement

Mr. Montgomery

During the course of her busy day will my right hon. Friend take time to look at the Daily Express and at the report of the CBI conference yesterday, where two people stated two views? One was that trade union leaders should get £40,000 a year, and the other that now that a Conservative Government are in power managers are being allowed to get on with managing, without too much Government intervention. Would it not be a good idea if those two things were married, so that trade union leaders got on with the job of looking after their members instead of interfering too much in politics?

The Prime Minister

I noted both statements. If we are to increase the prosperity of British industry, managers must manage and trade union leaders must manage their members. I hope that both will do it very successfully.

Mr. S. C. Silkin

Can the Prime Minister confirm today's reports that the Government of Rhodesia have decided to stop the supply of maize to Zambia? If she can, will she have regard to the special requirements of the Security Council's mandatory resolution, which requires us to give particular help to Zambia in view of its economic difficulties? Will she condemn the action that has been taken and announce that until that decision is reversed the Lancaster House discussions will be terminated?

The Prime Minister

I can neither confirm nor deny the reports. Any reports of that kind demonstrate the need to get on with the Lancaster House conference and to reach agreement upon the matters that are in dispute there.

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Q2. Mr. Adley

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 6 November.

The Prime Minister

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I have just given.

Mr. Adley

Has my right hon. Friend had a chance today to see the text of the letter widely published this morning from the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Sandelson) to Mr. Ron Hayward, in which the hon. Gentleman describes the NEC's actions as “the cancerous control of these commissars over Labour's affairs” ? Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the situation has reached that pass it is a direct threat to the liberty and individual freedom of Members of Parliament? However much certain Labour Members——

Mr. Speaker

Order. Last week the House invited me to try, even on open questions, to ensure that there was some relevance in supplementary questions. That applies to both sides. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would make the point for which the Prime Minister is responsible.

Mr. Adley

This is in today's newspapers.

Mr. Speaker

So is my horoscope. Will the hon. Gentleman, and all hon. Members when called, try to ask a question on a matter for which the Prime Minister is responsible?

Mr. Adley

Can my right hon. Friend offer any advice to these Members of Parliament in their predicament?

The Prime Minister

I have not yet read the letter to which my hon. Friend refers. Naturally, I and most other hon. Members are concerned that for the future of democracy—[Interruption.] To some of us it happens to matter that we should have two major parties, both based on the liberty of the individual and on political and economic liberty.

Mr. Heffer

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury said last week that another 300,000 people, possible more, would be out of work as a result of the Government's policy. How does the right hon. Lady justify those figures? What has she to say to those who will become [column 220]unemployed as a deliberate result of Government policy?

The Prime Minister

No one can predict, with any hope of accuracy, the path of unemployment over the next few years. That was said by Denis Healeythe previous Chancellor of the Exchequer. That is what I happen to believe. The previous Chancellor of the Exchequer also spent a long time trying to differentiate between forecasts and working assumptions. He did not succeed. I do not expect that I would succeed either.

Mr. Mellor

Will my right hon. Friend find time today to comment on the Inner London Education Authority's proposal to close Highbury Grove school? Does she agree that this shows utter contempt for educational standards? It is a sheer act of political spite against a former headmaster of that school. Does she agree also that this lends great force to those Conservative councils which are seeking to break up an inefficient, perpetual Socialist monstrosity, and that they deserve Government support for what they are trying to do?

The Prime Minister

The former headmaster, now Rhodes BoysonUnder-Secretary of State for Education and Science, has been one of the most successful headmasters of a comprehensive school. Many generations of children have cause to be grateful to him.

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Callaghan.

Mr. James Callaghan

rose——

Mr. John Grant

rose——

Mr. Callaghan

I understand, Mr. Speaker, that this school is in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, Central (Mr. Grant) and that he therefore wishes to ask a question. I wish to raise another matter. No doubt my hon. Friend will have the opportunity of asking a question as this matter relates to his constituency. Will the right hon. Lady, in her meetings with colleagues, ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to say when he expects the minimum lending rate to come down, following his forecast that the lifting of the rate to 14 per cent. on 12 June was to be for only a few weeks?

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The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman knows that the unwisest forecast of all is to say anything at all about interest rates. Although he asks the question, he knows that I would be most unwise to comment on it in any way.

Mr. Callaghan

In that case, are house owners to reconcile themselves to an increase in their mortgage payments next January? Or does the Prime Minister propose to intervene once again to try to keep them down?

The Prime Minister

I must be candid with the right hon. Gentleman. I think that there is very little hope of getting down the proposed increase in mortgage rates. Had the Government undertaken the expenditure proposals of the previous Government, the borrowing would have been infinitely greater, taxes, both income tax and value added tax, very much higher, and interest rates even higher than they are now.

Mr. Anthony Grant

Will my right hon. Friend find time today to send a message to the President of the United States expressing complete support for any action that he might take on behalf of America against the outrageous activities in Tehran, over which the Iranian regime seems to have no control, or does not want to have any control?

The Prime Minister

I wholly agree with my hon. Friend. The takeover of the United States embassy was an outrage to diplomatic relations everywhere. We are naturally pleased that our embassy was subject to that for only a short time. We will do anything that we can to help the United States to achieve justice.

Mr. John Grant

In view of an earlier supplementary question, may I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether it is the normal courtesy of the House that when an hon. Member intends to raise a matter relating to another hon. Member's constituency he gives him notice of that? May I inform the right hon. Lady that this is an extremely delicate constituency matter? It would be wrong for her or her hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science, who replied to the debate last night, to do or say anything that might pre-empt a decision which the Secretary of State for Education and Science [column 222]will probably have to take fairly shortly. Will she confirm that that is the case?

The Prime Minister

Nothing will stop me from saying that Rhodes Boysona previous headmaster of the school was an extremely good headmaster.

SCOTLAND

Q3. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister when she intends to make an official visit to Scotland.

The Prime Minister

I have at present no plans to do so.

Mr. Hamilton

I am not surprised to hear that reply. Is the Prime Minister aware that, as a direct consequence of the policies that her Government have pursued since May, de-industrialisation and unemployment are accelerating at an alarming rate, and that as a consequence she is known in Scotland not so much as an iron lady but as a myopic, petty little tinpot dictator.

The Prime Minister

As the hon. Gentleman knows, no Government can keep yesterday's industries in existence, and no Government can keep industries in existence unless they are competitive with overseas industries. Everyone has the capacity to be a wage earner and a consumer. The tragedy of this country is that many people, as consumers, reject the products of their fellow wage earners because they are not sufficiently good value.

Mr. Ancram

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the warm welcome given by young couples in my constituency and the rest of Scotland to the Government's announcement yesterday to local authorities that there will be no reduction in the availability of local government mortgages, and that in some areas, such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, the capital allocation for these mortgages will be increased?

The Prime Minister

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. It is still preferable to have an opportunity to purchase a house rather than to be only the tenant of a council house.

Mr. Harry Ewing

If the Prime Minister is so interested in creating tomorrow's [column 223]industries in Scotland, but is not intending to visit Scotland, will she at least call into her office the Secretary of State for Scotland and give him a good dressing down for refusing to tell Scottish industry who are to be the new agents for the European Investment Bank? Is the Prime Minister aware that, despite three letters to the Secretary of State, Scottish industry has been told that no further applications for finance through the European Investment Bank will be considered? But the Secretary of State continues to refuse to tell Scottish industry who the new agents are to be.

The Prime Minister

The hon. Gentleman had two questions there. There have been cases of the British taxpayer pouring into Scotland investment money that has not been properly or fully used for many months.

Mr. William Hamilton

Where?

Hon. Members

Hunterston.

The Prime Minister

Fortunately, one of the disputes is reported today as being over. It is not enough for the taxpayer to put up money for investment. The money has to be used by those responsible for using it.

The Department of Industry and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices are agents for the European Investment [column 224]Bank. The first stage of the loan scheme is to end in December this year. When the scheme was announced it was said that the agents would be reviewed, and the agencies are now being reviewed.

Mr. David Steel

Knowing the Prime Minister's deep attachment to her mandate, may I ask whether she recalls the detailed commitment given by her colleagues in Scotland during the election campaign to the hill farming community? As that community believes that it has sympathetic ears among Ministers at the Scottish Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, will the right hon. Lady give those Ministers support in the battle with the Treasury to get a better deal for the hill farming community?

The Prime Minister

The compensatory amounts payable to hill farmers are being reviewed and my right hon. Friend Peter Walkerthe Minister of Agriculture expects to be able to make an announcement by the end of the month.

Mr. Harry Ewing

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I apologise to my hon. Friend the Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton), who tabled the original question, but in view of the Prime Minister's totally unsatisfactory answer on the question of the European Investment Bank I give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.