§ Q1. Mr. Pawseyasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ The Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Biffen)I have been asked to reply.
545 My right hon. Friend is paying an official visit to Hong Kong.
§ Mr. PawseyWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that imaginative answer, may I draw his attention to events nearer home, specifically to the visit of the Russian delegation to the United Kingdom? The visit is receiving much favourable comment and seems to be heralding a thaw in the cold war. Will my right hon. Friend say whether he feels that that will continue, and comment on its implications for increased trade between Britain and the Soviet Union?
§ Mr. BiffenI hope earnestly that my hon. Friend is right in saying that the visit will presage an improvement in relations between the Soviet Union and Great Britain. It does no harm to reflect that at various stages in our national destinies the people of Russia and of the United Kingdom have been joined in a common and vital interest.
I believe that our prospects of increasing our trade with the Soviet Union will depend upon our competitiveness, as happens elsewhere.
§ Mr. KinnockApart from his personal friendship with the Secretary of State for Defence, what can possibly justify the appointment of Mr. Peter Levene as Chief of Defence Procurement? By accepting a mere £95,000 a year, does the right hon. Gentleman think that Mr. Levene is pricing himself into a job?
§ Mr. BiffenNo, but I can say this: my right hon. Friend is in a good position to judge who should fulfil this vitally important task, and in going to the world outside Whitehall he is merely repeating past practice with Lord Rayner. My right hon. Friend's actions will stand every test.
§ Mr. KinnockYes, but why £95,000 a year, and why this particular individual? Will the right hon. Gentleman accept that Opposition Members and many other people, in the House and elsewhere, think that the appointment and everything connected with it stinks?
§ Mr. BiffenOne of the privileges of this place is that people may make easy and cheap jibes at those outside without having to take the consequences. The task of managing an £8,000 million budget is formidable indeed, and the price tag of a salary of £95,000 a year is not unrelated to what will be returned to the private sector.
§ Mr. KinnockMany things may be said about Mr. Levene, but at £95,000 a year for five years he certainly is not coming cheap. Will the right hon. Gentleman now answer my question? What possible justification can there be for an appointment at double the salary of the current appointee, and what justification can there be in savings to the national Exchequer and effective defence procurement? Is it not a fact that the whole recent history of the nature of the Government's relationship with this man has given grounds for great suspicion?
§ Mr. BiffenThe judgment of Mr. Levene's ability was made by my right hon. Friend. A man who successfully executes a job at £95,000 a year is a damn sight cheaper than a failure at half that salary.
Mr. Andy StewartIn view of the historic decisions by the Nottinghamshire NUM today to take steps to protect its members, would my right hon. Friend like to give a Christmas message to Arthur Scargill?
§ Mr. BiffenAs this is a period of charity before Christmas, I wish to make it quite clear that my last exchange with the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition should not in any sense be construed as casting a reflection on Mr. Perry. Indeed, I am prepared to exemplify a spirit of charity in respect of those outside the House who cannot answer back. That is sadly lacking in the Leader of the Opposition.
§ Mr. SpeakerMr. Wareing.
§ Mr. BiffenMay I say to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart), to whose question I am still replying, that my message to Mr. Scargill is very simple. There exists a NACODS' agreement which provides an excellent framework for a return to the negotiating table.
§ Q2. Mr. Wareingasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. WareingWill the Leader of the House say what is the Prime Minister's view of the fact that while delicate negotiations are being carried out with Mr. Gorbachev and the Supreme Soviet delegation, the Reagan Administration is precipitously awarding defence projects in order to make progress on star wars technology? Where is the special relationship now?
§ Mr. BiffenThere is absolutely no inconsistency in being a loyal member of NATO and a strong supporter of the United States presence in that organisation, while at the same time expressing the view about star wars technology that we have recently done.
§ Mr. SoamesDoes my right hon. Friend agree that to televise the proceedings of the House would be a thoroughly bad thing?
§ Mr. BiffenThat is a matter for individual judgment. No doubt when, in due course, we have had the opportunity to assess an experiment in another place, we shall have a chance to convert the matter from a generalised observation to a specific vote.
§ Q3. Mr. Willie Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. HamiltonReverting to the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition, I wonder whether the Leader of the House accepts that the Prime Minister, as the First Lord of the Treasury, must have approved that salary of £95,000, while at the same time she was lecturing workers to the effect that the only way that they can get jobs was by accepting lower wages. Will the right hon. Gentleman tell her, when she comes back from world junketing at the taxpayers' expense, that the natives are getting increasingly restive and angry at the overt corruption and incompetence of her Government?
§ Mr. BiffenOf course my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister approved the appointment and salary to which the hon. Gentleman refers. Doubtless, in making her judgment, she took account of the fact that Mr. Levene 547 was earning a great deal more in the private sector. The hon. Gentleman referred to the corruption of the Government—
§ Mr. HamiltonHear, hear.
§ Mr. BiffenHe now re-emphasises that. That language falls easily from the hon. Gentleman's lips, but I must tell him that it is more likely to consolidate support for the Conservative party than anything else.
§ Q4. Mr. Brintonasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. BrintonDoes my right hon. Friend agree that after the festive season those of us who are lucky enough will have to pay a little attention to our weight? Does he also agree that we might be healthier if, after Christmas, the Government pay a little more attention to reducing the total of public expenditure instead of finding new ways to tax us?
§ Mr. BiffenI am sure that the Government will be happy to turn their energies in that direction, and I am very hopeful that they will be fully supported by those on the Benches behind me.
§ Mr. Alex CarlileBearing in mind the need for care on the sensitive issue of former civil servants transferring to public companies, will the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether it was part of the deal that Frank Cooper, former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence, should become chairman of Mr. Peter Levene's former company?
§ Mr. BiffenIt was not part of the deal.
§ Mr. PikeDoes the Leader of the House recognise the severe concern of householders throughout the country at the announcement of his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment this week which has made it virtually impossible for many councils to meet the requirements for improvement and repair grants? Indeed, many councils in the year ahead will not even be able to meet the commitment for mandatory grants. Will he give the assurance that the Cabinet will reconsider this and make more money available so that councils can meet the urgent requirements for housing needs?
§ Mr. BiffenThis matter was debated considerably yesterday. The factors which the hon. Gentleman mentioned were undoubtedly uppermost in the minds of those who took part in the vote that concluded that debate. I do not believe that this subject is likely to be reopened, but all these matters are subjects of continuing political concern.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. AmessFollowing the most reasonable rate limitation settlement placed upon Basildon district council, does my right hon. Friend agree that the council will still be able to provide excellent services, but should stop wasting ratepayers' money on propaganda exercises such as the recent advertisements placed in The House Magazine?
§ Mr. BiffenI am sure that my hon. Friend is in a good position to judge what can be done by Basildon council in the context of rate limitation, and I am most encouraged by his view.
§ Mr. HumeIs the Leader of the House aware of a recent inquest decision in Northern Ireland which found that an innocent housewife had been killed by a plastic bullet? Is he further aware that an investigation by an inspector of the RUC found that the police evidence to that inquest was completely false and that evidence given under oath that is completely false is called perjury? Will he ask his right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General why he will not reopen this case?
§ Mr. BiffenClearly I cannot comment on the facts of the case, but I shall undertake the hon. Gentleman's requests.
§ Q9. Mr. Leighasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. LeighWhat deep cultural service to the nation is provided by a pop station such as BBC Radio 1 which should prevent it for ever more from being financed by advertising?
§ Mr. BiffenMy hon. Friend makes an interesting point which will be undoubtedly be included in the wider debate about the BBC licence fee, which the House will consider after the recess.
§ Mr. Tony BanksWhen the Leader of the House next sees his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, will he ask her to drop her personal veto against Miss Sarah Keays being included on the Conservative party list of approved candidates? Such a veto is a discrimination against both women and single-parent families.
§ Mr. BiffenThat really tells us more about the hon. Gentleman than it does about the Conservative candidates' list.
§ Q10. Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. MacKayWill my right hon. Friend take the opportunity to put into perspective the week's events, both here in Westminster and abroad, and point out to the House that the most historic event has been the signing in Peking? That has led to an improvement in Anglo-Chinese relationships, and will also lead to increased trade with China.
§ Mr. BiffenMy hon. Friend makes a fair point. As our future foreign policy will increasingly be related to influence, as opposed to actual executive power, there is no doubt that our relationship with the Far East will turn considerably on the future role and status of Hong Kong.
§ Q16. Mr. Tony Banksasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
549 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. BanksWhen the Leader of the House sees his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, will he ask her to come to the Dispatch Box and condemn picket line violence by the police?
§ Mr. BiffenThat is the most obvious and plain wife-beating question that I have ever heard asked. I have no intention of responding.
§ Q17. Mr. Thurnhamasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 20 December.
§ Mr. BiffenI have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. ThurnhamWill my right hon. Friend ask the Prime Minister if she has full confidence that the BBC can give a good service to the public and advertise?
§ Mr. BiffenI shall certainly pass on that point to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, but I suggest to my hon. Friend that these are arguments that are awaiting the debate, which will come reasonably soon.
§ Mr. SpeakerDirectly arising out of questions?
§ Mr RymanI wonder whether you will give the House some guidance on the following point, Mr. Speaker, which arose during questions to the Home Secretary? One of the Ministers answering them, who is not on the Front Bench now, was the Minister of State, the hon. and learned Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Waddington). He repeatedly gave inordinate and repetitious answers which took so long that it prevented other hon. Members who had legitimate supplementary questions to ask from being called. Will you consider that practice and condemn it when it arises again?
§ Mr. SpeakerI must say to the hon. Member that I made mention of that at the time. That was why I allowed a rather larger number of supplementary questions from Back Benchers on that question.
§ Ms. Clare ShortOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The same Minister of State, Home Office who is no longer on the Front Bench, in my view abused his position at the Dispatch Box to give a very distorted account of the case of one of my constituents where there is a small—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. This is an attempt to continue Question Time. The hon. Lady made that point during Question Time on a point of order and I cannot take it again now.