TV Interview for HTV

MT

No, I don't think it's going to lose the next election because I think people know the only way to create more jobs is for business to be more enterprising and get more business. Er, that can't necessarily be done by government. In the management of nationalised industries, we've done well. Coal is efficient in Wales. Steel is efficient in Wales. In inward investment, we've also done well. So we're doing as much as we [end p1] can to train young people and to help people to start up in business. But in the end, it's the people who are in business and who start up, from whom the new jobs come.

Interviewer

But what sort of direction are we going in? Last month's unemployment figures showed some of the biggest losses in manufacturing industry that we've seen for many years. Does that mean that we're becoming simply a service industry country? Does that mean that we're becoming a lightweight country in many ways?

MT

No, no, it doesn't. I think if you look in almost all industrialised countries, you'll find you can produce more and more with fewer people. Now, that means that if you're to get more in manufacturing industry, you have to get more business, more products, more small businesses starting up. That's why we put so much emphasis on small business. But you'll find, over the years, and it's been going on for a large number of years, that you do get more service industries.

Interviewer

How do you see the future of the coal industry, particularly here in Wales?

MT

Er, the coal industry has now become profitable in Wales, I think for the first time for a very long time. And we … did we cheer when we heard! It's terrific. People much prefer to work for a profitable industry. First, it gives them confidence in the future. Yes, we have to concentrate on the good seams, because there is a good future there. When productivity goes up, it means that prices can go down and can compete with other fuels. And also, you know, the price of oil is down at the moment, but I think in a few years, it will rise again. And so there is a good future for the coal industry.

Interviewer

Do you think that you'll ever reconcile yourself with the striking miners? There's been a lot of anger recently about Sir Ian MacGregor 's knighthood. There was a lot of anger when the man who ran convoys to the steelworks was given an honour. Do you feel that there is a gap that will never be bridged?

MT

I hope the gap will be bridged. We really can't be a country that carries on feuds forever. We really can't. Yes, there have been difficult times. But really it's the time to bury those difficult times and work together. Heaven knows, they were difficult for all of us, um, and some of the things we saw then, we hope never to see again. There were scenes we should never have seen in this country. Heavens, surely we can bury the hatchet.

Interviewer

Do you think it helped to honour the man who ran convoys to the steelworks in this way?

MT

Look, I cannot get involved in discussing honours. I can only say that people, in fact, who have been honoured, have been honoured for doing something rather special, and it's right that they should be honoured for doing something special.