HC Deb 27 April 1987 vol 115 cc13-4
24. Mr. Winnick

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many official meetings he has had in the last month.

Mr. Tebbit

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Winnick

But what—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not think we have yet had that answer.

Mr. Tebbit

The hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) was not here to ask his Question No. 19; he must be out somewhere. The answer to the hon. Gentleman's question — this is one fewer than the previous answer—is 18.

Mr. Winnick

What amount of time can the right hon. Gentleman devote to meetings when he seems to be so busy intimidating and bullying the broadcasting authorities? Is it not true that a recent independent report that examined the BBC coverage of the American raids on Libya shows that there was no justification for the criticism levelled by the right hon. Gentleman? Is it too much to expect him to apologise?

Mr. Tebbit

The hon. Gentleman seems to be complaining that my productivity, like the productivity of most people in industry, is expanding greatly and that I work too hard. I have to tell him that I shall continue to behave in that way. As for his complaints about the BBC, my independent report on the BBC's coverage of the Libyan incident came to a very different conclusion. That conclusion was accepted by most independent observers. I thought that the hon. Gentleman was going to ask me about the fact that the BBC recently confessed that it was entirely wrong to omit from one of its news broadcasts an item of news favourable to the Government. The director general was kind enough to say that he was wrong. I accept that he was wrong and I hope that the BBC will improve its journalistic standards.

Sir Alex Fletcher

May I ask my right hon. Friend how many meetings he has had in the last month with the chairman of the party and whether agreement has been reached between both offices about the advice that should be given to the Prime Minister about the date of the next election?

Mr. Tebbit

The two of us have had a number of meetings, but fortunately I do not have to answer at the Dispatch Box for the advice that the chairman of the party will give to the Prime Minister. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is very well content that the Prime Minister will make her own decision in her own time. I know that right hon. and hon. Members opposite are eager to have a general election—[Interruption.]—although I suspect not quite as eager as some others.