Engagements

HC Deb 21 June 1988 vol 135 cc963-8

Q1. Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Wakeham)

I have been asked to reply.

My right hon. Friend is in Toronto for an economic summit meeting. N

Mr. Livingstone

Will the Leader of the House take time today to consider the grave security implications arising from three letters by Airey Neave to a former active officer in MI5, recruiting that officer to do freelance work for the Conservative party, updating disinformation and propaganda exercises against the Labour Government? Will he set up an inquiry to consider how it was that Airey Neave knew that this individual had been working for MI5, how he knew how to contact him, and how he was aware of the existence of that black propaganda exercise if he was not involved in it?

Mr. Wakeham

The hon. Gentleman is obsessed with this subject. I have nothing to add to the many answers that have been given on the subject already.

Q2. Mrs. Maureen Hicks

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mrs. Hicks

Will my right hon. Friend convey to our right hon. Friend the Prime Minister our congratulations on the leading role that she has taken in the economic summit on the important subjects of the world economy, drugs, and terrorism? Does he agree that under her stewardship Britain is now recognised as a world leader and not the sick man of Europe, as we were known under the Labour Administration?

Mr. Wakeham

It is clear that under the Prime Minister and this Government Britain plays a leading role in world affairs. The value of the sound and sensible policies that we have pursued has been recognised throughout the world. Only on the Opposition Benches do hon. Members; cling to out-dated and unworkable policies.

Mr. Kinnock

Do the consequences of the policies of which the right hon. Gentleman was speaking include the revised estimate for the balance of payments deficit for the first quarter and the anticipated £10 billion deficit for this year, despite massive oil revenues?

Mr. Wakeham

The 1987 current deficit is less than half of 1 per cent. of the GDP, compared with 3 to 4 per cent. during the mid-1970s. The cumulative surplus of £211 billion from 1980 to 1987 compares with a deficit of over £5 billion from 1975 to 1979.

Mr. Kinnock

It would only be confirming with the right hon. Gentleman's customary fairness to set the massive oil revenues against the figure that he now produces. As he cannot be content with the possibility of a £10 billion balance of payments deficit and a £20 billion trade deficit, will he tell us what the Government intend to do to close those gaps?

Mr. Wakeham

The economy has come through major fluctuations in the price of oil without crisis and, because of our sound economic policies, the prospects remain excellent. The stock of United Kingdom overseas assets at the end of 1987 were provisionally estimated at £90 billion, or 21 per cent. of GDP. Our invisible surpluses are the largest in the world.

Mr. Aitken

On a rather more important security matter, will my right hon. Friend find time today to go down to GCHQ and find the Government's top code breakers and cryptologists and ask them to provide an English translation of the incomprehensible gibberish that appeard in this morning's Independent, under the headline "Labour's defence policy: Neil Kinnock explains"?

Mr. Wakeham

I have the greatest admiration for the effectiveness of our security system, but I do not believe that the people concerned could understand the gibberish coming from the Labour party.

Q3. Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mrs. Michie

Will the right hon. Gentleman take this opportunity to distance himself and the Government from the statement that was made in another place last week suggesting that lotteries should be produced as an inducement to people to pay their poll tax early, in a lump sum? Does he agree that such a blatant bribe will be anathema to many people, and that in Scotland it is nothing more than a bribe, or, at best, a gimmick that would in the end benefit only the well off?

Mr. Wakeham

I am not one of those who are very enthusiastic about lotteries. I believe that the community charge introduced in Scotland is a much fairer tax than we have had before and will be seen to be a much better basis of paying for local government than heretofore.

Q4. Mr. Hanley

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Hanley

Further to the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, South (Mr. Aitken), will my right hon. Friend do all he can tonight to secure the successful passage of the motion relating to financial assistance to Opposition parties, because I, and no doubt the whole House, need good research from the Labour party so that it can explain the differences between its defence policy at the general election, last week, this week and no doubt next week?

Mr. Wakeham

I agree with my hon. Friend, but he has set an ambitious target in seeking to follow all the variations in policy proposed by the Labour party. I fear that even the significant increase in financial assistance to Opposition parties which I have proposed and which I hope my hon. Friends will support would not be sufficient to enable them to explain all their policies.

Q5. Ms. Armstrong

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave some moments ago.

Ms. Armstrong

Will the Leader of the House ask his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister how she reconciles the policies of two of her Ministers? One of them has urged a smoking ban on all teachers to ensure that at least half the children who might take up smoking will not do so, and the other is accepting money from British-American Tobacco for the establishment of a school when the chairman of that company says he would expect that the school would not have in it any anti-smoking campaigns.

Mr. Wakeham

The Government's policy on smoking is well known. Health warnings are clearly given, with the support of the Government. British-American Tobacco is a company with a wide range of interests, and the Government welcome its support for education.

Mr. Rathbone

In the light of the Government's magnificent lead in tackling international drug trafficking, will my right hon. Friend tell the House how the Government plan to support the international day of action against drug misuse and illicit trafficking, which was approved by all members of the United Nations last November and will take place on Monday?

Mr. Wakeham

The Government attach high priority to international co-operation against drug misuse. The international day of action against drug misuse has been re-scheduled for Monday 27 June. The Government's anti-drug strategy is kept under review by a ministerial group on drug misuse, and it will meet on that day to take stock of progress and to make plans for future action.

Q7. Mr. Janner

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Janner

When the Prime Minister returns from her journey abroad, will the right hon. Gentleman please refer to her for her personal attention the plight of children with special needs who are being educated in special schools throughout the country? Will he especially ask her to look into the reason why, with the cuts in the Health Service and the mix-up in the Department of Education and Science, thousands are unable to walk or to use their facilities as they cannot get the physiotherapy that they need? Since April thousands more have lost the free school meals that they should have. Why are these resources being taken away from the children who need them most?

Mr. Wakeham

The Government have provided substantially more funds for the disabled and for education than in the past. It is up to local authorities to decide how best to spend their resources.

Q9. Mr. Kirkhope

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Kirkhope

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is very encouraging to hear the words of Mr. Hammond, the leader of the EETPU, extolling modern work practices? Does he also agree that it is rather depressing that the Trades Union Congress and leading unions do not appear to share Mr. Hammond's views?

Mr. Wakeham

I am certain that among the millions of our citizens who are members of trades unions many want to see Britain prosper, work practices improve and outdated practices disappear. It is a pity that some trade union leaders do not seem to reflect the views of their members. Mr. Hammond is reflecting his members' views.

Q10. Mr. Haynes

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Haynes

Will the Leader of the House be honest with the House and the people about supporting the private Member's Bill concerning ports in Yorkshire? Will he admit that it is related to the privatisation of the electricity industry? Why do the Government not be honest about the thing and let people know?

Mr. Wakeham

Private Bills come before the House under the general direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means. The Government's position on the Bill will be made clear in the speech made by the Minister in the debate, and I look forward to listening to it.

Q12. Mr. Fatchett

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Wakeham

I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some monents ago.

Mr. Fatchett

Last night the Government intended that the House should debate regulations that would increase the price of concessionary television licences for old-age pensioners from 5p to £5 and reduce the number of old-age pensioners who could qualify for such licences. How do the Government justify such a mean attack on old-age pensioners?

Mr. Wakeham

I have agreed through the usual channels that the order that was unfortunately lost last night will be retabled on the Order Paper to enable the hon. Gentleman and others to make their points on another occasion. The point at issue was that the original arrangemens, which had worked for a long time, fell foul of some legal decisions, and the Government propose to put forward what they believe to be an equitable solution in a difficult area.