PRIME MINISTER

Engagements

Q1. Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

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. Thurnham

During the course of my right hon. Friend's busy day, will she find time to read Paul Twyman 's excellent pamphlet entitled “1992, Crossroads for Free Enterprise” ? Will she use her best endeavours to ensure that Europe takes the road of free enterprise so that we can look forward to the day when the whole of Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, is rid of creeping Socialism and tyrannical Communism?

The Prime Minister

I have indeed read that pamphlet and I agree with its conclusion that we face a choice in Europe between corporatism, central control and regulation—as is supported by the Opposition—and the creation of a genuine single market in which enterprise can flourish and the energies and talents of people be set free to generate wealth and bring about further social improvement. That is the sort of Europe that the Conservative party wants and for which we shall be campaigning in the forthcoming election.

Q2. Mr. Barron

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Barron

Will the right hon. Lady confirm that on Monday evening she will be joining me and my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition in voting in favour of the televising of the proceedings of this House?

The Prime Minister

I must disappoint the hon. Gentleman, in that I shall not be here on Monday evening. I wish to make it clear that if I were here, I should be supporting John Wakehamthe Lord President.

Mrs. Currie

Has my right hon. Friend noticed that the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) is missing from the Chamber this afternoon as he has buzzed off to Hong Kong? He is not, therefore, here to ask his usual silly questions—[Interruption.]

Ms. Short

The hon. Lady is not in order.

Mr. Speaker

Order. It must be a question for the Prime Minister.

Mrs. Currie

Does my right hon. Friend agree that although there is considerable sympathy with and understanding of the worries of the people of Hong Kong,[column 365] it would be wrong to give anyone the idea that millions of people could come and settle in this country overnight? Does not the future of the colony lie with China?

The Prime Minister

As both my right hon. and learned Friend Sir Geoffrey Howethe Foreign Secretary and I have said, we are deeply concerned about Hong Kong and the natural feelings of its people. We have said that we are prepared to consider ways of obtaining greater flexibility under the present rules to allow an increasing number of people to come to this country under the several different limbs of the immigration rules and the British Nationality Act 1981. We shall consider that matter carefully in the coming days and, if need be, come to the House if we need additional powers.

Q3. Mr. Nigel Griffith

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Griffiths

How does the Prime Minister justify the shameful decision of Tayside Tories to support the Nationalists where SNP means “sacking 900 people” ?

The Prime Minister

I do not think that I should get involved in that. I am sure that Tories support Tory policy.

Q4. Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Miss Widdecombe

Will my right hon. Friend find time in her busy schedule to visit Maidstone general hospital, which was built under the aegis of this Government after years of obvious neglect and which even now is just expanding to include a mass radiography unit? Does she agree that this is tangible proof of the Conservative commitment to the National Health Service?

The Prime Minister

Yes, and I am delighted to hear of its success from my hon. Friend. It is an example of the improvements that are occurring throughout the country in the NHS because we are spending three times as much on the NHS as was spent under Labour. Whereas Labour cut the capital programme for hospital building, we have increased it by 40 per cent., and I am glad that my hon. Friend's constituency is a beneficiary.

Mr. Kinnock

Is the Prime Minister aware that the chief executive of London Regional Transport says that the only way to reduce rush hour overcrowding on the Underground is substantially to increase fares so that people cannot afford to travel at those times? Does the right hon. Lady agree with those views?

The Prime Minister

If there are requests for increased fares and they are designed to lead to increased service, of course those would be considered. I would point out that on transport matters, as on most other things, the Government have put an increasing amount to the capital spent on transport.

Mr. Kinnock

Why does not the Prime Minister stop wriggling and simply say whether she thinks—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order.

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Mr. Kinnock

Will the Prime Minister say whether she thinks the ability of people to get to their work in London should be rationed by fares regulated by price?

The Prime Minister

I thought that on a previous occasion the right hon. Gentleman had agreed with me that if one gets increased service, one should expect to have to pay for that improvement. He seems totally to have forgotten that.

Mr. Kinnock

Can the Prime Minister explain how, if one is charging fares that stop people travelling, one is increasing service to them?

The Prime Minister

There have been a number of proposals from London Underground for increasing the standard of service. The right hon. Gentleman, as usual, wants something pretty well free, provided that someone else pays.

Q5. Mr. Roger King

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. King

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on her recent visit to the west midlands. Will she confirm that no Conservative Euro-candidate is opposed to our membership of the European Economic Community? What message does she have for the numerous members of the other parties in respect of their attitude to the hard Left campaign group of the Labour party?

The Prime Minister

Yes, of course I confirm that, unlike the Labour party, all our candidates in the Euro-elections believe that Britain's future lies in the European Community. A Conservative Government led by my right hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr. Heath) had the vision to take Britain into the Community—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. Interruptions waste a lot of time.

The Prime Minister

A successor Conservative Government have made such a success of Britain's membership.

Mr. Maginnis

Has the Prime Minister been informed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that at a dinner party in Hillsborough castle, the deputy chairman of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland described the former Chief Constable—and I apologise to the House for the language—as a “black bastard” , accused him of having previously kicked the—I will not use the four letter word beginning with “f” —out of Roman Catholics, and that the deputy chairman further described the police as “black thugs” ? Is that the sort of behaviour the right hon. Lady expects from the deputy chairman of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland? When the right hon. Lady has verified what I have said, will she take steps to ensure that that person is removed from the authority?

The Prime Minister

I am in no position to know whether or not the account of the hon. Gentleman is accurate. My right hon. Friend Tom Kingthe Secretary of State for Northern Ireland says that the answer to the first part of the question is no, Sir. It is monstrous to try to repeat an[column 367] alleged account of a conversation under such circumstances, and I totally condemn it. The hon. Gentleman knows that we fully stand behind the police in Northern Ireland in the excellent and wonderful work that they do.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

Is my right hon. Friend aware that an increasing number of industries in this country are concerned about the policy of high interest and exchange rates, and that those two policies are torpedoing the very sector of the British economy which could reduce our balance of trade deficit and assist in reducing inflation? Will she look at other policies, particularly that of asking the Bank of England to request the clearing banks to place substantial deposits, which would be very beneficial for Britain's manufacturing industry?

The Prime Minister

There are two points. As my hon. Friend is aware, increases in interest rates are not readily acceptable, but are far less damaging than a perpetual increase in inflation. Secondly, as he will also be aware because he takes much interest in industrial matters, a 1 per cent. increase in wages is about four times as damaging as a 1 percentage point increase in interest rates. There has been an increase in wages of 9 per cent. in the past year.

Q7. Mr. Knapman

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Knapman

Has my right hon. Friend seen press reports stating that a mother of three, a Lambeth Labour councillor, has claimed £20,000 expenses in one year? Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is absurd, and a backdoor way of appointing full-time councillors?

The Prime Minister

I have seen such reports. In the White Paper responding to the Widdicombe report, we announced our intention to introduce a flat-rate allowance to prevent councillors exploiting an attendance-based allowance system.

Rain Forest

Q8. Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Prime Minister if she will seek to include on the agenda of the Madrid summit, European Economic Community policy towards debt-for-nature swaps in relation to conservation of the rain forest.

The Prime Minister

I welcome the debt-for-nature swaps agreed voluntarily between commercial banks, conservation organisations and debtors, although their role is likely to remain small in relation to both developing[column 368] country debt and environmental problems. The agenda for the European Council has not yet been agreed, but environmental issues may well be raised.

Mr. Dalyell

May I ask the Prime Minister a question of which I gave her Office a little notice? Does she support the European Parliament's resolution of 26 May on tropical timber products?

The Prime Minister

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me notice. The resolution, which is addressed to the Commission for initial consideration, deals with a number of aspects relating to trade in tropical timber. My right hon. Friends in the DTI, with their officials, are looking at its full implications.

Mr. Bell

In relation to the Prime Minister's earlier response as to our success in the European Community——

Mr. Speaker

Is this related to rain forests?

Mr. Bell

In relation to rain forests and the European Economic Community, should we not have a proper social contract throughout Europe?

The Prime Minister

It is much more practical for us to do what we do to assist the continuation of the rain forests and that is one of the reasons why we should be proud of being British.

Engagements

Q9. Mr. Ken Hargreaves

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 8 June.

The Prime Minister

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Hargreaves

As tickets for the West German national lottery are now circulating in Britain, is it not time to consider the setting up of a national lottery here so that the proceeds of such a lottery can benefit the British people?

The Prime Minister

As my hon. Friend knows, that question comes up from time to time, but we have never set up a national lottery. People want a national lottery for many different reasons, but I would be slow to consider setting one up because enough money already goes to gambling of one sort or another and such a lottery would be damaging for a number of local fund-raising occasions which are far more profitable.