PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Q1. Mr. Beith
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)
This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.
Mr. Beith
Following her visit to the site of the east midlands air crash, does the Prime Minister agree that the widespread speculation—some of which apparently was fuelled by United States Government officials—attributing pilot error to Captain Hunt the day after he was so widely acclaimed as a hero, was utterly deplorable? Does she further agree that what is needed is not deeply hurtful speculation but the most thorough investigation of the causes of this dreadful crash?
The Prime Minister
I agree with the hon. Gentleman. It would be far better if everyone accepted that the best course after a tragedy of this kind is for those charged with the duty of investigating to get on with that task. Nothing should be said until it is properly and truly completed, with the one exception that if any technical problems are found during the course of the investigation information should be given so that they can be put right. Otherwise, there should be no speculation and we should wait until the facts are found.
Mr. Teddy Taylor
Given the widespread concern in the west about the chemical warfare establishment being built in Libya, is the Prime Minister willing to take a Euro-initiative to try to persuade European firms not to provide the equipment on which it is based?
The Prime Minister
I agree with my hon. Friend that there is widespread concern about the plant, which I believe is there to produce chemical weapons. We have the powers to stop exports that could be used for that purpose, which have been used, but usually persuasion has been enough. When people have told us that they have received certain orders and we have asked them not to proceed with them, they have agreed not to do so.
Q2. Mrs. Ray Michie
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
[column 988]The Prime Minister
I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mrs. Michie
Will the Prime Minister accept a timely warning that if she continues to ignore the wishes of the majority of Scottish people for constitutional reform and the right to look after their own affairs through their own Scottish Parliament, she the Government and the Tory party could be responsible for the break-up of the United Kingdom?
The Prime Minister
Many of us have been through these arguments before on Bills and the referendum, and know full well that the House was split, not always on party-political grounds, although we accept that we are the party that believes in the Union of the United Kingdom and will continue to do so. I would find it strange if the Labour party believed in separatism for Scotland.
Mr. David Martin
I welcome my right hon. Friend's continuing active interest in environmental issues and a cleaner atmosphere. In the run-up to the Budget, will she consider the wisdom of widening the tax differential between leaded and unleaded petrol to promote greater use of unleaded petrol?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend Nigel Lawsonthe Chancellor introduced a large differential in cost between leaded and unleaded petrol in favour of unleaded petrol, which was designed to encourage more people to use unleaded petrol. It is not possible for everyone to use it because it depends, obviously, on the kind of engine that one has in one's car. I believe that there will be progressively more use of unleaded petrol as new car engines come into use.
Mr. Kinnock
The Chancellor said yesterday that he was not worried by the further rise in the pound against the deutschmark. Is that the Prime Minister's view as well?
The Prime Minister
The main priority of my right hon. Friend Nigel Lawsonthe Chancellor is the same as mine—to get inflation down. As my right hon. Friend says, one cannot have two priorities and that is—and will remain—his main priority.
Mr. Kinnock
Is the Prime Minister saying in her response to this House, importers and competitors that, in her view, it does not matter how high the pound goes?
The Prime Minister
I am saying that when one considers these many matters, the task and priority of getting inflation down takes precedence over other things and that one cannot have two priorities. The priority is getting inflation down.
Mr. Kinnock
Is it, then, the Prime Minister's view that in pursuit of that objective, British industry should be crushed between a high pound and high interest rates?
The Prime Minister
It will not have escaped the right hon. Gentleman's attention that the country that has had the sharpest increase in the value of its currency—Japan—is the country that has the highest balance of payments surplus.
Mr. Dickens
I wonder whether my right hon. Friend can tell the House whether the ground crew working on aircraft flying in and out of Northern Ireland—the engine mechanics and airframe mechanics—are positively vetted?
[column 989]The Prime Minister
That is not a matter to which we would refer, but I do not think that it is wise to speculate in any way on the cause of that very tragic crash.
Q3. Mr. Dunnachie
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
The Prime Minister
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Dunnachie
Can the Prime Minister tell the House what plans she has to prevent the dreams of home ownership—[Interruption.]—becoming the nightmares of bed-and-breakfast accommodation because of the Chancellor's policy?
The Prime Minister
With regard to bed-and-breakfast accommodation, as the hon. Gentleman is aware, it varies very much between local authority and local authority as to how they make use of that provision—[Hon. Members: “Answer the question.” ] I am sorry, did I mishear the question? That is not unusual in this House.
Mr. Dunnachie
What plans has the Prime Minister—[Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker
Order. Please let us hear the question.
Mr. Dunnachie
Can the Prime Minister tell the House what plans she has to prevent the dreams of home ownership becoming the nightmares of bed-and-breakfast accommodation because of the Chancellor's policy?
The Prime Minister
More and more people are having their dreams of home ownership realised—opportunities they would never had had before. As far as repossession is concerned, the latest figures show that it is less than one third of 1 per cent.
Mr. Roger King
Is my right hon. Friend aware that tomorrow the city of Birmingham celebrates its 100th anniversary of being created a city and that celebrations will take place that will reflect the city's noble past and look forward to opportunities for the future? Has my right hon. Friend a message for the people of the city of Birmingham as they celebrate on that centenary?
The Prime Minister
I congratulate Birmingham. The city has played a tremendous part in our industrial and political history. I wish it well, and I hope and believe that it is well on the way to regaining its former industrial and commercial pre-eminence in our country.
Q4. Mr. Allen McKay
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
The Prime Minister
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Allen McKay
Has the Prime Minister seen or heard of the report—[Hon. Members: “Reading.” ] I know; I have to get it right. Has the Prime Minister seen or heard of a report suggesting that cook-chill causes a disease called listeria which is as dangerous as salmonella—perhaps more so? In view of the scare caused by one of her ex-Ministers over the Christmas period and by the fact that amended guidelines have been drawn up by the Ministry, what do the Government propose to do about the problem?
The Prime Minister
I have not seen the report, although I have read reports about the report. As the hon. [column 990]Gentleman knows there is as yet far too little information about the problem, and my right hon. Friends are looking into the matter very carefully because they, too, are concerned about the facts and figures given in the new report.
Q5. Mr. Oppenheim
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
The Prime Minister
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Oppenheim
Will my right hon. Friend congratulate the work force of Amber Valley district council on winning the lion's share of recently tendered contracts, and will she congratulate and commend the leadership of that council on having made Amber Valley the first local authority to put all its services out to tender in accordance with the Local Government Act 1988, thus saving ratepayers more than £2 million?
The Prime Minister
I shall certainly congratulate Amber Valley district council on the most excellent way in which it has tackled the problems and I congratulate its leadership on having saved the ratepayer something like £2 million. I think that that example could be followed by many other councils. I understand that an Audit Commission report published today suggests that savings of 20 per cent. or more can be gained in contract prices, irrespective of whether the work has been won by the private sector or by the authority's own work force. May many others follow the lead given by Amber Valley district council.
Correspondence
Q6. Mr. Harry Barnes
To ask the Prime Minister what is her policy as to whose signature appears on replies to letters she receives from members of the public dealing with matters of Government policy.
The Prime Minister
I receive several thousands of letters each week from members of the public. It is not possible for me to deal with all those letters personally and I must accordingly refer most of them to the Minister and the Department with responsibility for the policy in question. Others are signed by my staff at No. 10.
Mr. Barnes
Mr. George Flynn of 24 Amber Place, Holmgate sent a letter to the Prime Minister about his loss of £6.20 a week housing benefit. The reply came not from the Prime Minister's Office or from Social Security Ministers but from the transitional payments unit in Glasgow, and it was a political defence of the Government's policy. Should not the Government change their response entirely and ensure that civil servants are not instructed by them to act as their political hacks?
The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman is being totally unreasonable. He knows full well that I should never even be able to come to the House to answer questions if I spent all day opening letters—4,000 a week. The Opposition would not like that. The hon. Gentleman also knows full well that we went to great lengths to set up the unit to deal with those special problems. I can only say that I congratulate my staff on sending the letter to the appropriate place to get the right answer.
[column 991]Mr. Latham
If I were to dictate and sign personally a letter to my right hon. Friend asking her to ensure that two popular rural maternity units in my constituency remained open, would she make it her business to dictate and sign personally a reply to me of a favourable nature?
The Prime Minister
No, I can make no such promises that I would automatically answer for my right hon. and learned Friend Kenneth Clarkethe Secretary of State for Health.
Engagements
Q7. Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
The Prime Minister
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Smith
Does the Prime Minister stand by the view, which she held when she was Secretary of State for Education in 1972, that nursery education should be available for all three and four-year-old children whose [column 992]parents wished it? Will she, therefore, ensure that there is a favourable response from the Government to the unanimous report of the Education Select Committee on this matter?
The Prime Minister
There has been an increase of more than 100,000 pupils under five in nursery and primary schools—an increase of a quarter in eight years. That is really a very good performance, which followed the particular White Paper that bears my name. We also pointed out in that White Paper that authorities should consider carefully the role of voluntary playgroups. Many thousands of mothers devote considerable time and energy to organising them. We increased the financial support for the playgroups. We pointed out, too, that the most important thing for the increase of nursery education was that it was especially valuable for children whose homes and lives are restricted, for whatever reason. Therefore, priority would be given to areas of disadvantage. That has happened.