Tuesday 9th February 1982
→ + C + AG PAC discussion. [Comptroller and Auditor General Public Accounts Committee discussion]
Du Cann + Joel Barnett want to control C + AG - make him a servant of the House of Commons and investigate Nat Inds
Channel Tunnel - fell like a stone - no guarantees at all - CPRS left with their political guarantee but PM said impossible since political gtee would be interpreted as commercial - very good discussion.
Budget mtg C/E [Chancellor of the Exchequer] - I had not received papers and was very annoyed - Questions of RW [Rooker Wise] +5% but 5% would cost £600m. Burns said we could not afford it - but it would give great impetus to employment and portray the Tories as a caring party.
MTFS [Medium Term Financial Strategy] - over J B-G’s [Jock Bruce-Gardyne] dead body everyone opted for (A) the one I had agreed with Peter Middleton, so that looks ok.
Nick Ridley thought these large meetings were a fiasco.