Thursday 11th March 1982
Is Budget inflationary or deflationary? PM question - old distinction - it is inflation reducing but output expanding.
PM just realised that people are worse off in the middle ranges of income - only poor and rich are better off - but if we had done RW [Rooker Wise] +5% it would have cleared it - Leon Brittan made a fool of himself in the H/C yesterday.
- ready to give Cryer it “between the eyes” if he starts.
PM took my advice on Janet Young memo and told her not to discriminate in favor of < 20 year olds in Civil Service hiring
WW<[William Whitelaw] had responded but could only find 37 applicants for 50 jobs (with 2 O levels) in CROYDON.
E Cttee on Construction Guarantees and Road Bldg
- I said a bit about the advantages of private ent roads - Heseltine anxious to have joint-seed corn type of construction - he was promoting it anyway as Willie pointed out - why did he want permission.
Dinner with Alfred Sherman + John Wu (Hongkong road Bldg)