§ Q2. Mr. Tim Rentonasked the Prime Minister what are his official engagements for 18th January.
§ The Prime MinisterIn addition to my duties in this House, I shall be holding meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.
§ Mr. RentonIn the course of a busy day, will the Prime Minister find time this evening to stop and think about the extension of power of non-parliamentary bodies in Britain during the last week? From his reading of today's Press, for example, what does he think about the fact that the price of a loaf is now to be determined by the bread van delivery men?
§ The Prime MinisterI often pause and think about the relationships between the various power structures in this country. This matter, if it is not wholly treated on a purely party basis, should be of concern to us all. I do not intend to have among my engagements today anything to do with bread.
§ Mr. WrigglesworthI wonder whether I may take my right hon. Friend back to his official engagements for last Thursday, particularly Question Time. Does he not regret with me the fact that the visit of Mr. Bukovsky to this country was used for blatant party political purposes and to foster the mistaken impression that people in the Labour movement are 79 not in favour of the campaign for further civil liberties in the Soviet Union? Will he tell the House what approaches were made by Mr. Bukovsky for a meeting and the Government's response to those approaches?
§ The Prime MinisterLast Thursday, when I was perhaps a little unnecessarily irked by the nature of the question put to me, I overlooked, although I had been told that an engagement had been made for Mr. Bukovsky to be seen by a Foreign Office Minister. That engagement was put off and a second engagement was made, but Mr. Bukovsky cancelled that. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] He cancelled it because of ill health. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] That is for hon. Gentlemen to comment on, and not for me.
I certainly recognise, as I hope all hon. Members do, the great pressure to which someone who is released from the atmosphere of the Soviet Union is subject. Because of that, it is highly undesirable that he should be used for party political purposes.
§ Mr. LuceIn the light of Mr. Bukovsky's experience and recent remarks, will the Prime Minister turn his mind to the facts? Does he recall that in July 1975 the then Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Michael Carver, said that Britain's defence had reached absolute bedrock? Since then there have been three defence cuts to the tune of £1 billion. Is not the Prime Minister—indeed, the Government—guilty of jeopardising the defence and freedom of the British people?
§ The Prime MinisterThis matter was debated last week. In any case, it has nothing to do with the hon. Gentleman's Question.