§ Q1. Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 November 1986.
§ The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had 1079 meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
§ Mr. HughesHas the Prime Minister had time today to reflect on the seven and a half years of her premiership, and especially on the statement made during the 1979 election that her Government's first task would be to create jobs for our economy? In 1983 the Government said that their greatest task was to create a prosperous economy providing jobs for our people. Can she therefore explain how, in this capital city, unemployment has increased from 2.9 per cent. to 9.4 per cent., with 400,000 people now out of work in London alone? Is there not one answer to that—cruel failure?
§ The Prime MinisterSince 1983, 1 million net new jobs have been created, which has brought hope to 1 million more people. The hon. Gentleman asked why that has not had a greater effect on the unemployment register. There are three reasons for that: first, unit wage costs are still rising faster than elsewhere; secondly, the continued increase in the population of working age due to the baby boom of the 1960s; and, thirdly, continued reduction in overmanning in manufacturing industry.
§ Mr. WallerAt this time, when we remember the sacrifices made by our service people in two world wars, will my right hon. Friend look into the actions of those local authorities which, amazingly, have specifically banned those in receipt of service and police pensions from seeking employment with them? Is she aware that the Labour-controlled Bradford council has specifically excluded service pensioners from seeking a job with it? Is that not a slap in the face for all those who have served their country with distinction?
§ The Prime MinisterI saw that report and I hope that all local education authorities will use the very good teachers who are available and who have served in the forces, especially for subjects such as mathematics and physics. I urge all local authorities to exploit any potential source of good quality teachers. They will find those teachers among people who have served in the armed forces.
§ Mr. KinnockDoes the Prime Minister recall telling me on Tuesday that it was for the governors of the BBC to reply to the attacks made by her right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster? Now that those governors have convincingly rebutted 39 out of the 40 charges made by her right hon. Friend, does she agree with the governors or with her right hon. Friend?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is for the governors to answer the complaints. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will recognise that freedom of speech involves the freedom to make complaints — a freedom which he uses every Tuesday and Thursday.
§ Mr. KinnockThe BBC has made no attempt to make an incursion into the freedom of speech of any member of the Government. The reverse is certainly not the case. That effort at coercion is so blatant and obvious. Is the Prime Minister accepting the claims of her right hon. Friend, or is she rejecting them? Is she on his side or on the side of the independence of the BBC?
§ The Prime MinisterThe BBC exists because of a charter, a licence and an agreement. That is not embodied 1080 in statute at all. Therefore, the governors have a special duty to see that that charter, that licence and that agreement are upheld. People are free to make complaints, and they do. It is up to the governors to answer them. In this instance, the governors have made a reply. It is not for me to judge between them.
§ Mr. KinnockThe country will conclude that the governors of the BBC have discharged their duty to freedom, which is more than can be said for the Prime Minister.
§ The Prime MinisterBearing in mind that it was the right hon. Gentleman's Labour authorities that tried to restrict the circulation of free newspapers, he is hardly in a position, when he supports that censorship, to make complaints himself.
§ Mr. SpeedWill my right hon. Friend find time in between her official engagements today to congratulate Mrs. Jo Hawkes, who was the alliance parliamentary candidate in Ashford at the last election, who today joined the Conservative party?
§ The Prime MinisterI gladly do so. She is welcome, and I wish her well in her future career.
Mr. James CallaghanIn view of the Prime Minister's difficulties in answering questions from my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition, may I ask how much longer she intends to allow the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to go on making a fool of the Government?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Callaghan) joins his right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition in making effective use of freedom of speech, which is freedom also to make complaints. I hope that he is not himself trying to stem that freedom by making any suggestion that the BBC has anything other than a duty to uphold the terms of the charter, the licence and the agreement.
§ Mr. Michael McNair-WilsonDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the best way for the BBC to allay suspicions of bias and distortion is not for it to sit as judge and jury in such matters, but for it to be answerable, as other television companies might be made answerable, to an independent broadcasting council, to which aggrieved parties could make representations?
§ The Prime MinisterThe difference between the BBC and other television companies, and some of the independent broadcasting companies, is that the other companies are bound by statute passed by the House. The BBC is not bound in any way, which is why complaints have to be made to the governors. I understand that it would be very difficult to take that charter or licence or agreement to court, which imposes on the governors special duties and responsibilities.
§ Q2. Mr. Loydenasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. LoydenWill the Prime Minister now accept that the questionnaire from the Department of Employment to the unemployed is unnecessary and, indeed, is seen by many in the informed sections of the benefit system as a vicious attack on the unemployed? Will the right hon. 1081 Lady now advise the Secretary of State to withdraw this obnoxious document, so that those who have a right to benefit can claim it?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. As I said to the House when the same question came up last week, the test of availability for work was confirmed by the Labour Government in the Social Security Act 1975. The hon. Gentleman now therefore wishes to disregard that Act, which was brought in by his own Labour Government.
§ Q3. Mr. Sternasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. SternIn the course of her busy day, will my right hon. Friend find time to consider an inquiry into the use by education authorities of section 11 money, which is provided for the teaching of English to members of ethnic communities, in view of the apparent use of that money by authorities such as Brent, and possibly Avon, for the promotion of black racism?
§ The Prime MinisterI am aware that two cases have been reported, and the Home Secretary has asked Brent for further information about the use to which it is now proposing to put section 11 grants. He has made it clear that no grant will be paid unless he is satisfied by the reply. The Avon multicultural education centre is also the subject of inquiry by the Home Office, with particular reference to the eligibility for section 11 grant of certain posts there.
§ Mr. SteelIn the wake of the controversy between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the BBC, will the Prime Minister undertake to clarify to all her colleagues the distinction between public interest and party interest? Is she aware, for example, that another of her hon. Friends has been writing to business men in his constituency offering direct access to Government Ministers at a fee of £35 payable to his Conservative association, and, further, claiming it, outrageously, to be a legitimate business expense? Will the Prime Minister recognise that there is a need to draw a clear distinction between the interests of good government and the interests of her party?
§ The Prime MinisterIf the right hon. Gentleman has any complaints to make, I am sure that he will make them to the proper authorities. With regard to Government and party, as the right hon. Gentleman is aware, I am responsible for answering from the Dispatch Box for Government. He equally knows that I am not responsible for answering for party. Although I have done so on the BBC matter, it is not strictly within my course of duty from the Dispatch Box.
§ Mr. ConwayBearing in mind my right hon. Friend's responsibility as First Lord of the Treasury for financing the armed forces, may I ask whether she has had time to read this week's survey showing that the majority of young people in Britain would welcome an opportunity to participate in a form of national service? In view of the highly successful expansion of the Territorial Army, will my right hon. Friend introduce a Royal Commission to examine how the young people of Great Britain can serve their country?
§ The Prime MinisterI saw that report, but our armed forces are based on the existence of voluntary professional 1082 armed forces and we do not have any plans at the moment to change that. There are a number of youth training places which can be served in the armed forces and those, I think, are earnestly sought after. I said that at the moment we have no plans to change that. It would, of course, be extremely expensive to alter the whole nature of our armed forces, which I do not wish to do.
§ Q5. Mr. Foulkesasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. FoulkesCan the Prime Minister explain what circumstances have changed since June to justify our ambassador at the United Nations attacking the Nicaraguans for using the judgment of the world court, which the Foreign Office welcomed when it was promulgated in June? Is this the too-high price that we have to pay for American support over Syria?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is talking nonsense in the latter part of his question. Although we had no legal objection to the resolution, we were not prepared to support the attempt by Nicaragua to exploit a legal judgment for its own—[Interruption.] —political ends. The Government in Nicaragua are increasingly repressive in their methods and in recent months have taken action—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The Prime Minister is entitled to a hearing.
§ The Prime MinisterIn recent months the Government of Nicaragua have taken action to close the Church radio station and newspaper. They also continue to intervene to promote subversion outside their borders, thus threatening the stability of the region.
§ Mr. HoltReverting to the BBC, does my right hon. Friend recall, before the current episode blew up with the BBC, the Ian Curteis play? Is she aware that it was specifically banned from being broadcast, on the direct instructions of the director-general, because it showed the Government and my right hon. Friend in a good light?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure that if my hon. Friend has that complaint he can make it to the appropriate authorities.
§ Q6. Mr. Snapeasked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. SnapeWill the Prime Minister speak to her right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) today and ask him to moderate his intemperate attacks on the BBC? Is she aware that her hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) makes almost nightly appearances on the media? Will the Prime Minister ask her hon. Friend to do two things; first, ensure that a red warning triangle is exhibited, and secondly, curb her appearances before I start believing that the BBC is biased against the Conservative party?
§ The Prime MinisterI am delighted that the hon. Gentleman and so many other Opposition Members have so few complaints about the economy that they can concentrate on the sort of trivia that has been raised during this Question Time.