HC Deb 27 March 1984 vol 57 cc136-7
Ql. Mr. Terry Lewis

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 27 March.

The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also attended the memorial service for our late colleague Maurice Macmillan at St. Margaret 's, Westminster. In addition to my duties in the House] shall be having further meetings later today.

Mr. Lewis

The savage sentence meted out to Miss Tisdall contrasts sharply with the establishment—[HON.MEMBERS: "Question."]

Mr. Speaker

Order. I must stop the hon. Gentleman. He must be aware that this case is sub judice. Mrs. Knight.

Mr. Lewis

rose——

Mrs. Jill Knight

In between her engagements today, can my right hon. Friend spare a moment to consider whether it might—[Interruption.]

Mr. Lewis

rose——

Mr. Speaker

Order. In fairness, I shall give the hon. Gentleman another chance to complete his original question.

Mr. Lewis

rose

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman may complete his question in a moment. I have just called Mrs. Knight.

Mrs. Knight

In between her engagements today, will my right hon. Friend consider whether it might be possible to divert the attention of Mr. Arthur Scargill from the business of investing hundreds of millions of pounds' worth of funds to the best possible commercial advantage to the fact that the miners' strike will put people out of work if they are not careful?

The Prime Minister

I believe that my hon. Friend is referring to problems at certain foundries that are short of coke; Scunthorpe has not enough for steel making. Scunthorpe has made strenuous efforts to get its steel output up to a high quality and to sell it at a very competitive price. The jobs of some of those people would be at stake. They have worked extremely hard. It would be ironic if as a result of the strike people were made unemployed, as customers would go overseas for steel and the products of foundries, and their custom, would never return.

Mr. Terry Lewis

rose——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I ask the hon. Member for Worsley (Mr. Lewis) to take care in framing his supplementary question.

Mr. Lewis

Does the Prime Minister agree that the time has arrived when sentencing policy should be reviewed in terms of cases that affect national security compared with those that do not?

The Prime Minister

No, Sir. Sentencing is a matter for the courts. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that in certain cases we are proposing next year to introduce a right of appeal against a sentence, but it would not apply to the particular case. It would apply only where it was thought that a sentence was unduly low and would be guidance for the future.