§ Q1. Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meeetings later today.
§ Mr. MaclennanIn considering the responses to the Government's proposals on student loans, will the Prime Minister acknowledge that the purpose of Government support for students should be to increase substantially the number of people in higher education in this country? As the proposals announced are based on a projection that there will be no increase in student numbers by 1996, will that not lay this country open to dangerous competition from other, better-educated industrialised democracies?
§ The Prime MinisterThe system of student grants and now of top-up loans is one of the most generous in the whole world. I am sure that most people appreciate that. Increasing numbers, and an increasing proportion of students, are going into higher education. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will welcome that. One of the purposes of yesterday's announcement is to help people who at present cannot go to university to take top-up loans so that they can take up places which might not otherwise be available to them.
§ Q2. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. ThurnhamIn congratulating President-elect George Bush on his victory, will my right hon. Friend thank him for the part that America has played in helping to ensure a record 43 years of peace in Europe? Will she offer him her continued staunch support for the future strength of the Alliance?
§ The Prime MinisterI gladly join my hon. Friend and most hon. Members in congratulating Vice-President George Bush on his splendid victory, which was a personal triumph for him. I also take the opportunity to thank the United States for being such a staunch ally in NATO and stationing some 330,000 troops in Europe. I hope that that contribution will continue, but I am the first to agree that Europe must be prepared to take a full part of the burden of the defence of Europe and to point out that this country does just that, as can be seen from the recent Autumn Statement.
§ Mr. KinnockWill the Prime Minister tell us why members of the Cabinet are afraid to debate the conduct and plans of the Chancellor of the Exchequer? What do they have to hide?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no question of being afraid to debate it. Indeed, I have noticed that on the 17 days this year when the Opposition could have chosen to debate economics they chose to do so on only two, so they cannot relish facing my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer very much.
§ Mr. KinnockIt must be obvious, even to the Prime Minister, that the Chancellor has woven a tangled web around himself. Why will she riot give him an opportunity to clear his name in the House?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Chancellor has built the best economy that this country has ever known, and everyone in the House has done very well out of it.
§ Mr. KinnockPerhaps the Prime Minister will now tell us whether she agrees with the Chancellor that only "a tiny minority" of pensioners have problems in making ends meet.
§ The Prime MinisterThe simple fact is that only 18 per cent. of pensioners are on income support. That is quite clearly a minority.
§ Sir George YoungWill my right hon. Friend confirm that one thing at least is now clear following the Chancellor's briefing of the press last Friday—that the Government are considering additional ways to help the less well-off pensioner?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, that is absolutely correct.
§ Q3. Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Prime Minster if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. MarshallWill the Prime Minister please explain to the House why, in most parts of Scotland, she is regarded as public enemy No. 1?
§ The Prime MinisterIf I might say so, Scotland has done very well by the policies that I have had the privilege to implement.
§ Mr. Ralph HowellAs every Labour Government have operated a means test for all our citizens, is not the Leader of the Opposition talking total humbug—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman must ask questions of the Prime Minister, not the Leader of the Opposition.
§ Mr. HowellWill my right hon. Friend give urgent consideration to producing one form from which a decision can be made on whether tax should be paid or benefits given to top-up inadequate income?
§ The Prime MinisterI would not be in favour of such a system, as it would lead to endless complexity. However, my hon. Friend is right to remind the House that the National Assistance Act started in 1948, having been introduced by a Labour Government, who followed it throughout all their time in Government. It is for means-tested benefits in addition to the fundamental basic state pension.
§ Q4. Mr. CohenTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. CohenWhat advice has the Prime Minister for President-elect Bush about tackling the US debt problem? Could it not spark off a serious international economic crisis? Would not one way to help be to spend less, not more, on armaments? Will the Prime Minister advise following that policy and not beat around the bush?
§ The Prime MinisterIn considering the budget deficit as a proportion of gross domestic product, I can only say that the American deficit is very much smaller than that which Labour had in this country during its time in office.
§ Q5. Mr. PatnickTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. PatnickDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the way to keep hooligans out of football grounds is through a national membership scheme? Will she call upon all football clubs to introduce and implement such a scheme as soon as possible?
§ The Prime MinisterYes. As my hon. Friend is aware, the Minister with responsibility for sport introduced a report yesterday. It is right to have national identity cards for those who attend football matches—
§ Mr. Home RobertsonIn England.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, in England. We do not expect it to apply to Scotland.
482 We are anxious, as are most people, that families return to watching football as a recreation and a family outing. We believe that that is the way to separate hooliganism from football.
§ Mr. CorbettHas the Prime Minister seen today's reported remarks of the Secretary of State for Health, accusing nurses at Birmingham children's hospital of not doing the work for which they are paid? Will she share my offence at such remarks and ask the Secretary of State to withdraw them, on the grounds that those nurses are dedicated and professional, are doing their job in difficult circumstances, and are doing exactly what they are paid for? Does she agree that the argument is about their grading?
§ The Prime MinisterI have not seen any such remarks by my right hon. and learned Friend. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, the structure of the grading was agreed between management and nurses, and the regions have applied it to about 440,000 nurses. For that purpose, an extra amount has been given by the taxpayer, such that the total extra amount is about £928 million. If any nurse is aggrieved by her grading, she can go to appeal under procedures agreed by management and unions.
§ Q6. Mr. HanleyTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. HanleyMy right hon. Friend will have noticed that it was announced yesterday that last year British companies, both large and small, gave over £1 billion to charity. Does that endorse her vision of a giving society and show that, if they are allowed greater control over a larger proportion of their money, people give wisely and generously?
§ The Prime MinisterYes. Both companies and individuals are giving very generously, and much more generously than they were able to give several years ago. One should like to thank companies not only for giving to charities but for the excellent work they are doing in inner cities and for the way in which many of them are taking a much greater interest in local schools, thus giving children a far greater interest in the future and a far greater prospect of obtaining the right jobs.
§ Q8. Mr. HoyleTo ask the Prime Minister is she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. HoyleWhy is the Prime Minister in favour of sanctions on trade with Poland but not in favour of sanctions on trade with South Africa? Is her advice to the black people of South Africa that they should live in Poland?
§ The Prime MinisterAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, there are certain sanctions on South Africa, which are operated through the United Nations and which we honour, and there are other certain small sanctions which we have agreed through the Commonwealth, which we also honour. My purpose is to ensure that we do everything that we can to help Poland come to an agreement with the International Monetary Fund as to 483 how best to conduct her industrial and financial affairs in future. We in this country will be the first to help to reschedule Poland's debts and to give extra help—[Interruption.] The hon. Gentleman might not like the long answer, but he does not like listening to sense.
§ Mr. WellsI am aware that the whole House will want to congratulate my right hon. Friend on digging her way through the rocks and quicksands that confronted her on her recent visit to Poland. Has her visit made it more possible for Polish people to choose a freer and better way of life?
§ The Prime MinisterI made it quite clear that I was grateful to General Jaruzelski for ensuring that I was able to go wheresoever I chose in Poland to see whomsoever I chose to see, to have discussions and talks, not only with Solidarity, but with many independent people, who were able to put their views to me. I was extremely grateful for that. One problem with Solidarity is that there is no other expression of opposition on an organised basis in Poland. Things will be much better when there is a visible focus for people to make their own views known, which will be of great value to the Government. The round table is perhaps the first attempt to try to secure such a forum.
§ Q9. Mr. FatchettTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 10 November.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. FatchettAs the Prime Minister of Westland, does the Prime Minister feel that she is the best person to judge the integrity of the Chancellor?
§ The Prime MinisterAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, Westland's future was determined by its commercial future. That was absolutely the right decision. We have one of the best Chancellors that this country has ever had.
§ Sir Anthony MeyerAs my right hon. Friend was unable to be in Paris yesterday to pay tribute to the memory of Monsieur Jean Monnet, will she take this opportunity to pay her tribute to the man of vision for his contributions to both the unity of Europe and the allied victory in the last war?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, I gladly pay tribute to Jean Monnet. I understand that there was a very moving ceremony yesterday in Paris. We were not able to go from here because, as my hon. Friend is aware, we had a state visit in this country.