County Palatine (Visit) (Hansard, 18 November 1985)

§ 22. Mr. Silvester
asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will next visit the county palatine.

§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Norman Tebbit)
On 29 and 30 November next, when I visit Manchester and Blackpool.

§ Mr. Silvester
When my right hon. Friend goes to the county palatine, will he make sure that he draws attention to the suffering that is now being imposed on some of the residents of the palatinate as a result of the cruel activities of Liverpool city council?

§ Mr. Tebbit
It is quite likely that on my next visit, or even before it, I may comment upon the follies of those who have been actively destroying the city of Liverpool by their activities on the city council. No doubt I shall be able to quote from the words of the Leader of the Opposition and the many leaders of trade unions who have condemned extreme Left wingers in the Labour party in Liverpool.

§ Mr. Robert Sheldon
At the same time, will the right hon. Gentleman look at the whole of the county of Greater Manchester and take note of the fact that over the past six years unemployment there has increased from around 5 per cent. to something nearer 14 per cent.? That matter greatly concerns the residents of the area.

§ Mr. Tebbit
I understand that concern. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, Her Majesty's Government have been active in many ways in seeking to combat the problems, of unemployment. As he knows, the average level of unemployment has risen under every Government since the end of the war. These are deep-rooted problems and I know that he, like me, will take some comfort from the fact that at the moment this country is generating more new jobs than the rest of Europe put together.