§ Q1. Mr. Bidwellasked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.
§ The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Later this afternoon I shall be departing for a visit to Hungary.
§ Mr. BidwellWhen the Prime Minister travels to Hungary, will she bear in mind that from 11 am on Monday morning to 11 am on Tuesday morning the London Broadcasting Company invited the people of London to telephone their views on the Government's proposal to abolish the GLC? Is she aware that of 12,745 calls, 82 per cent. were opposed to the Government's proposals? Is the right hon. Lady further aware that a Harris poll showed conclusively that the people of London, including many Tories, are increasingly becoming opposed to the stupidity of the Government on this issue?
§ The Prime MinisterThe abolition of the GLC and the other metropolitan councils was a fundamental part of our manifesto on which we fought the election. The hon. Gentleman knows the result of that election.
§ Mr. KinnockAs the Prime Minister is travelling to Hungary this evening, while she is there will she discuss the right of people to belong to independent trade unions?
§ The Prime MinisterI doubt it, but if I did I should also discuss the right not to belong to one.
§ Mr. KinnockI am sure that would be fascinating, but in respect of the great problems that she leaves behind as she goes to Hungary, is it not true that the no-disruption agreement offered by the trade unions yesterday met every one of the four objectives which the right hon. Lady set 398 to guarantee continuity and security? Is it not clear that she could have obtained such agreements and secured us dependable safeguards if only she had had the common sense and common decency properly to consult the unions beforehand? Now that the right hon. Lady knows that such an offer is readily available, why does she not get on with such consultations, instead of pursuing her invent-an-alibi-a-day strategy, which is a demonstration not of strength but of considerable weakness?
§ The Prime MinisterI believe that the right course is to treat GCHQ like other intelligence agencies, and the Government's decision and the offer to the staff of GCHQ stand. If the unions, having heard the points that I have put to them, wish to meet me again, I am willing to do so.
§ Rev. Ian PaisleyWill the Prime Minister take time today to consult her colleague the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about the appalling state of the prisons in Northern Ireland and about the explosion that took place in one of them last night? Will she also consult him about the Prison Governors Association, which announced that, because of a direction from the Northern Ireland Office, certain well-known IRA criminals had to be given positions of responsibility in the prison regime?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend will do everything possible to improve the efficiency of the regimes in prisons. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will he the first to understand the very difficult task that prison officers have to carry out in those prisons and to welcome the way in which they carry it out.
§ Q2. Mr. Freudasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. FreudDoes the Prime Minster accept that the abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan councils will deprive the arts of £35 million of direct aid? Having rate-capped the local authorities and given no concessions to private sponsors of the arts, and bearing in mind her party's opposition to the setting up of joint councils, will the right hon. Lady tell the House how the metropolitan theatres, orchestras, art galleries and museums will manage?
§ The Prime MinisterI hope that some of the GLC's contributions to the arts will be taken on by the local councils. The Government are prepared to consider the financial consequences as far as central Government are concerned.
§ Mr. GorstWhy, at my right hon. Friend's meeting with the TUC yesterday, were the concessions offered by the TUC unacceptable? Are there any considerations other than the four already put forward by the Government at the back of my right hon Friend's mind or the minds of other Ministers in declining to accept those concessions?
§ The Prime MinisterAs my hon. Friend knows, provisions are specially made for intelligence agencies. They have applied for many years to avowed intelligence agencies. They also apply to the police force. We believe that those are the best provisions to apply to GCHQ.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursHas the Prime Minister seen the reply given by Mr. Winston Churchill on 25 February 399 1952, which is included in the memorandum by the secretary to the Cabinet on Ministers' private interests? It states:
It is a principle of public life that Ministers must so order their affairs that no conflict arises or appears to arise between their private interests and their public duties." — [Official Report, 25 February 1952; Vol. 496, c 702.]In the light of that statement by Mr. Winston Churchill, will the Prime Minister state clearly to the House whether there was a conflict between her private family interests and her public duties in the Omani university deal?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no question of conflict arising between my private interests and public duties. My public duty is to get contracts and work for Britain. I do not distinguish between British companies, and cannot do so.
§ Mr. FoxIs my right hon. Friend aware that at some polytechnics, including Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, certain subsidised courses are being run for shop stewards, the subject being to combat privatisation in the public sector? Is this—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman has as much right as anybody else to ask questions.
§ Mr. FoxIs it not a disgrace that the National Union of Public Employees and the education officers involved are using public money in that way, particularly as they are bringing in outside lecturers to sabotage Government policy?
§ The Prime MinisterI was not aware of the facts to which my hon. Friend draws attention. Of course I shall draw them to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. I think that many workers in industry would wholly disagree with combating privatisation; for example those in the National Freight Company, who, having had a management buyout, are doing very well indeed.
§ 3. Mr. Sean Hughesasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 2 February.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. HughesIn view of the increase in the unemployment figures announced today, will the Prime Minister say whether she agrees with Whitehall sources that there is no obvious explanation for the increase, or does she believe that unemployment is explicable?
§ The Prime MinisterUnemployment is explicable in the sense that one gets more jobs only when one has really competitive industry producing goods which other people may buy. Until then we shall not get more jobs. Today's unemployment figures are disappointing. They are for one month only. The answer that I have given is the only way to get unemployment down.
§ Mr. Cyril D. TownsendI agree with my right hon. Friend that the United Nations peacekeeping force has no part to play in the Falklands, but can she assure the House that the Government believe that it is in the interests of the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islanders, as well as the new liberal regime in Argentina, that there should be early talks on the resumption of trade and diplomatic links with Argentina?
§ The Prime MinisterWe believe that it is in the interests of this country, the people of Argentina, and the 400 people of the Falklands that we should establish better relations with Argentina. We wish to start with commercial relations. We have no intention at all of negotiating on sovereignty.