HC Deb 17 February 1983 vol 37 cc466-8
Q4. Mr. Greenway

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 17 February.

The Prime Minister

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

Mr. Greenway

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in a quarter of all comprehensive schools there is no religious or moral education beyond the third year and that the Religious Education Advisory Council says that in two thirds of primary schools religious education on the curriculum is confused and the teachers in those schools are not qualified to improve the situation? Does she agree that the moral fibre of the nation will be greatly undermined unless something is done to rectify that?

Mr. Dobson

It is the F-Plan again.

The Prime Minister

I agree that religious education could be much better taught in schools. I remember from my days as Secretary of State for Education and Science that it is a legal requirement that there should be an act of collective worship and full religious education in schools. The local education authority, school governors and head teachers are responsible for seeing that the requirements of the law are carried out.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

Is the Prime Minister aware that there is a great new wave of concern in Scotland [Interruption.]—over the Secretary of State's words about the future—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. This is thoroughly unfair to the right hon. Gentleman. The House knows that it is unfair. The right hon. Gentleman must be heard.

Mr. Jenkins

Is the Prime Minister aware that there is a great new wave of concern in Scotland over the words of the Secretary of State about the future of the Ravenscale—[Interruption.]—Ravenscraig steelworks—

Mr. Skinner

Someone help him.

Mr. Jenkins

—with only a limited capability? Can the right Lady give a further assurance for the future?

The Prime Minister

I cannot add to the words of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The right hon. Gentleman will remember that my right hon. Friend made it clear that Ravenscraig, along with the other four main British Steel Corporation plants, is to be kept open until we can better see what is the required capacity for steel in the future. It is important to keep those plants open so that when there is an expansion of the market we have good bargaining power with Europe to see that we get a full and proper share of steel making in this country.

Mr. Faulds

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The Prime Minister was asked a question about Victorian standards. From her answer—

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman knows, before he goes any further, that the content of answers is not a matter on which I rule in this House, and that he must hope to catch my eye at another Prime Minister's Question Time. That is his best remedy. I hope that the hon. Gentleman has a real point of order. If so I shall listen. The hon. Gentleman will know whether he has a real point of order.

Mr. Faulds

Since the hon. Lady's answer revealed the fact that she knows nothing about the complexity, the richness and the order of pre-colonial cultures, can a series of lessons be arranged to enlighten her ignorance?

Mr. Speaker

Order. That intervention was as useful as I thought it would be.

Mr. Faulds

Ignorant woman—as she is about most subjects.

Mr. Skinner

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will recall that during Prime Minister's Question Time you were able to call the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Rost). I thought for a moment or two that there would be a response from someone on the Labour side to defend the labour-controlled Derbyshire county council. I hoped that—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman has said more than enough for me to know that that is not a point of order.