§ Q.1 Mr. Hirstasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I was present at Victoria station to meet President 818 von Weizsacker of the Federal Republic of Germany at the start of his state visit to this country. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a state banquet at Buckingham palace in honour of the President of Germany.
§ Mr. HirstHas my right hon. Friend found time since her return from The Hague to read a major policy speech by the Secretary of State for Energy, in which he predicted that the world faces a severe energy crisis and shortage if nuclear power is discontinued? Does she agree that he iis right to stress the importance of vigorous action by the international community to secure the highest standards of safety, design and operation of nuclear power? Will she contrast his responsible lead with the foolishness of the Opposition, who believe that nuclear power may be dangerous and would take 30 years to phase it out?
§ The Prime MinisterI read that most excellent speech and commend it to all who have not read it, and those who have read it to read it again. It set out an excellent basis for nuclear policy. It pointed out the importance of nuclear power, and I should have thought that right hon. and hon. Members would welcome it. It was a source of energy pioneered in this country and, rather than denigrate it, we should develop it.
§ Mr. SoleyAs the Prime Minister was understandably moved when she visited the memorial to the holocaust in Israel, and bearing in mind that those terrible events came about as a result of one racial group trying to dominate another, when will she stop trying to appease the South. African Government?
§ The Prime MinisterThe last part of the question does not follow from the first. May I make it clear that this country believes in defending its freedom, and I wish that the Labour party would do the same.
Q2. Mr. John Mark Taylorasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. TaylorWill my right hon. Friend find time during her busy day to reflect on wIlether she knows of any examples of countries securing their objectives by imposing sanctions? If she cannot, does she believe that the Leader of the Opposition might be able to do so?
§ The Prime MinisterI know of no country where sanctions have been effective as an instrument to bring about internal change. That is the point in this case. Sanctions have never brought about internal change.
§ Mr. BeithCould a Government Minister be in a weaker position than to know when he negotiates with a foreign Government that his Government back home have not the political will to take action when he returns empty-handed? Is that not the lesson? That was the position in which Chamberlain put himself when he went to Munich.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government do not believe in general economic sanctions; the Labour Government did not believe in general economic sanctions when they were in power; the European Community does not believe in general economic sanctions; the leader of the SDP does not believe in general economic sanctions; the deputy 819 leader of the Labour party does not believe in general economic sanctions. The hon. Gentleman and the Leader of the Opposition are isolated if they do.
§ Mr. RathboneWill my right hon. Friend spare a moment during her busy day to consider something that many people do believe in — the launch of community radio in Britain? Will she accept that many people are disappointed by the postponement of that launch, which is the essence of radio broadcasting success elsewhere?
§ The Prime MinisterAs my hon. Friend is aware, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary made a statement about that. His decision was right and I believe that it will be generally supported.
§ Mr. KinnockOn the day on which the Royal College of Physicians has published further conclusive evidence of the strong links between poverty, illness and early death, will the Prime Minister give us an undertaking that, in order not to add further to the pressures on the poor, she will accept the defeats inflicted on her Social Security Bill in the House of Lords?
§ The Prime MinisterI accept that in some cases the report on health and community medicine said that experience in Britain has not been as good as in other Western countries, although it has been a jolly sight better than it was under Labour. In other areas we are ahead. For example, the British figure for infant mortality, while not as good as a number of countries, is still better than that of Germany, the United States, Belgium and Austria, and life expectancy at birth in Britain is higher than that in France, Belgium, Germany and the United States. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will read the whole report.
Events in the other place are matters for consideration later.
§ Mr. KinnockThat is an interesting answer, Mr. Speaker, but is the right hon. Lady aware that the number of people—old people, families and disabled people—in poverty has doubled under her Government? Does she realise that if she does not accept the changes to the Bill, 4 million people will be pushed deeper into poverty and placed under greater pressure as a result of the measures of her Government? Will she accept that if that occurs they will not only suffer greater poverty but greater risk of ill-health and early death? Is that what the family party wants?
§ The Prime MinisterThe record of the Government on health, pensions and supplementary benefit is excellent. The right hon. Gentleman knows full well that if he defines poverty as being equal to supplementary benefit, every time that supplementary benefit is increased in real terms, which the Government have done, those in poverty increase. If we wanted technically to reduce the numbers in poverty we would put down the level of supplementary benefit to where it was under the Labour Government.
§ Q3. Mr. Butterfillasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. ButterfillWhen my right hon. Friend meets the President of the Federal German Republic, will she express to him the horror and the sympathy of this House at the news that 12 of his compatriots were brutally murdered by East German border guards the other day? Will she 820 express to him our regret that the Soviet Union continues to deploy 17 divisions in East Germany, propping up a puppet regime so repugnant to its own people that they are prepared to die to get away from it?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have read the reports of the tragic incident to which my hon. Friend refers, but we are not in a position to confirm or deny it, for obvious reasons. It reminds us of our duty to maintain the four-power status of Berlin, and, in particular, the freedom of West Berlin— a duty which we shall honour. I am sure that we all look forward to hearing the address of the President of the Federal Republic tomorrow.
§ Mr. Ernie RossOn a day when men of 90 years of age are demonstrating in another part of the world the futility of a war that should never have taken place, will the right hon. Lady give a guarantee to the House that our presidency of the European Council will be used to ensure that peace is extended throughout Europe and the rest of the world?
§ The Prime MinisterI am certain that my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary, who will be President of the Foreign Affairs Council, will carry out the job with great distinction.
§ Mr. AlexanderWill my right hon. Friend consider, in the course of the day, adding to the respect and affection in which she is widely held in the country —[Interruption]—by recommending to those with authority in these matters that the royal wedding day should be declared a public holiday?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. We are acting in accordance with precedent in not declaring the day a public holiday, but I am sure that it will he a very happy day for everyone.
§ Q5. Mr. Wallaceasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. WallaceI am sure that the Prime Minister is aware that over £4 billion a year is spent on housing benefit, but is she aware that some private landlords are claiming, as direct payment of housing benefit, sums in excess of what would have been adjudicated a fair rent? Does the right hon. Lady not accept that that is a fraud on the taxpayer? Does she not think that, where public money is involved, all rents should be registered?
§ The Prime MinisterIf excessive sums are claimed for housing benefit, or through supplementary benefit, the matter should be referred to the appropriate authorities, which will deal with it.
§ Q6. Mr. Chopeasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. ChopeWill my right hon. Friend take time today to give a warm welcome to the national launch of the job restart scheme, which is the most far-reaching and imaginative scheme of its kind in Europe?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. The job restart scheme has been generally welcomed by all who are interested in 821 trying to help the long-term unemployed find a job. The pilot schemes were very successful, and the scheme has now been extended to the whole country. I believe that most people will welcome its operation and that it will help most people who have hitherto been unemployed.
§ Q7. Mr. James Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. HamiltonHas the right hon. Lady taken time to study the System Three poll report that was carried out in Scotland, which states that one person in four in Scotland is bitterly opposed to the administration of the Health Service in Scotland? Is the right hon. Lady aware that one in three people have stated quite categorically that they disagree with the privatising of the ancillary services? Will she now align her Government with the people of Scotland, who are bitterly opposed to her Administration and have voted solidly against the Tory Government in Scotland?
§ The Prime MinisterMore is spent per person on the Health Service in Scotland than is spent south of the border. I believe that far more is spent under this Government and that there is far better patient service in Scotland, more doctors and more nurses, than under the previous Administration. I believe that in general most people in Scotland are very grateful for the Health Service.
§ Q8. Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. LathamWould we need all these difficult decisions on defence spending if untold billions of pounds had not been wasted over the years by the Ministry of Defence on weapons systems on which there is hopeless overspending and which then do not work? Will my right hon. Friend read the reports of the Public Accounts Committee and ensure that the fullest possible backing is given to Mr. Peter Levene in giving the whole sleepy system a jolly good shake-up?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend is aware of the enormous increases in expenditure on defence under the present Government. I agree with him that it is absolutely vital to secure effective expenditure on those resources and 822 in particular to have regard to competition in procurement. I will pass on my hon. Friend's excellent message.
§ Q9. Mr. Wigleyasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 1 July.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. WigleyIn view of the Prime Minister's belief that she should enter negotiations about disarmament from a position of strength, why is she willing for her Government to enter negotiations with the South African Government from a position of weakness, without any threat of sanctions whatsoever? Will the Prime Minister tell the House when she is going to stop appeasing apartheid?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is a little confused. We are not talking about a battle in defence with South Africa—[HON. MEMBERS: "We are."]
§ Mr. Douglas HoggReverting to the question of South Africa, would the Prime Minister accept that, while there is very considerable support for the Foreign Secretary on his mission, if the South African Government fail to introduce major concessions as a result of that mission we would look to Her Majesty's Government to introduce additional measures as a mark of our great disapproval of what is going on in South Africa?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend is aware that we have already introduced some measures first, as a result of an earlier Community meeting and then as a result of a Commonwealth meeting. I am sure that he will join me in saying that we hope that my right hon. and learned Friend's mission as the President of the Twelve in Europe will meet with success. Then we can reconsider the position.
§ Mr. Allen McKayWhile the Prime Minister is talking about the record, would she like to put on record and comment on the fact that the rules of guidance delivered to social security officers have deprived miners' widows and miners who are sick and injured of £2 to £3 a week, as the concessionary coal allowance must now be considered in rent rebates?
§ The Prime MinisterAs I said when the matter first came up, I am not aware of any changes in the instructions that have been given by the Government to those officers. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, if there is any dispute it can be taken to an appeal tribunal, of which I am sure his constituents will avail themselves.