§ Q2. Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 December.
§ The Prime MinisterThis morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall today be having further meetings. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
§ Mr. BrownIn the course of his busy day, will the Prime Minister consider selling to me any of his personal possessions—one of his houses would be very nice—at 60 per cent. of the true market value? If he is not willing to do that with his personal possessions, why is he willing to do it with the nation's?
§ The Prime MinisterI have only one house, and I propose to stay there and keep it.
§ Mr. GregoryDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the denationalisation of the electricity industry has been a great success and, furthermore, will ensure that Britain develops as a real share-owning and property-owning democracy?
§ The Prime MinisterI entirely agree with my hon. Friend. The offer has been a huge success—clearly the most successful ever—and oversubscribed 10 times. It shows clearly that people are prepared and willing to become share owners in a share-owning democracy.
§ Mr. KinnockWill the right hon. Gentleman confirm that, as a result of the Government's underpricing of electricity shares, the British taxpayer stands to lose £3 billion or more?
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman has said something like that about each privatisation. Every privatisation has been a success. Is the right hon. Gentleman proposing to renationalise?
§ Mr. KinnockI will, as Prime Minister after the next general election—do not worry about that. [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. How can the Leader of the Opposition answer with such shouting going on?
§ Mr. KinnockSelling public assets for 40 per cent. less than they are worth is, by anyone's judgment, a national scandal. Today, with the electricity sale, the British people are being subjected to a national scandal and a great swindle by their own Government. Any Government who inflict that on their own people are guilty of infamous incompetence or great dishonesty, or both.
§ The Prime MinisterI reject absolutely the right hon. Gentleman's charge, and I repeat the question—will he renationalise?
§ Mr. KinnockWill the Prime Minister provide me and the British people with a justification for selling off a national asset for £3 billion less than it is worth and, in the course of that, showing the dishonesty of the Government and the willingness of the Government to swindle their own people?
§ The Prime MinisterThere are two points in' answer to the right hon. Gentleman. First, the share price absolutely reflects the aim of getting value for the taxpayer. Secondly, in view of what the right hon. Gentleman has said, what on earth was the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) saying when he made the prediction that we would not succeed in privatising the electricity industry?
§ Sir Fergus MontgomeryIs my right hon. Friend aware of the deep disappointment in the north-west that Manchester is not the venue for the Olympic games in 1996? Will he bear in mind that yesterday Manchester launched its bid to be the venue in the year 2000? As I expect that my right hon. Friend will still be Prime Minister at that time, may I have an assurance from him that the Government will totally support the British bid for the Olympics in 10 years' time?
§ The Prime MinisterNot only that—I look forward to attending them.
§ Q4. Mr. ArcherTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 December.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. ArcherReverting to the loss to the Exchequer from the mismanagement in marketing electricity shares, when 3,500 hospital beds are out of Commission because of underfunding in the health service, has the right hon. Gentleman reflected that if a local council had made a similar pig's ear of its affairs councillors would face personal surcharges? What sanction does he suggest for incompetence among Ministers?
§ The Prime MinisterIn my view, an offer that is oversubscribed 10 times is a success and not a pig's ear.
§ Q5. Mr. John MarshallTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 December.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. MarshallIs my right hon. Friend aware that the chairman of the Haemophilia Society is one of my constituents? Has my right hon. Friend read the 815 Adjournment debate that I initiated on 15 October, and when does he expect to be in a position to act on this deep human tragedy?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, South (Mr. Cormack) raised this problem the other day. I can now tell the House that the Government have been examining this matter and have been able to agree in principle to proposals been put forward by the plaintiffs' lawyers. Provided that the proposals are formally approved by individual plaintiffs —and, in the case of minors, by the courts—they should provide a basis for bringing the matter to an agreement successfully and soon. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will inform the House of the details. I am sure that hon. Members of all parties will welcome this development, as I do.
§ Q6. Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 December.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. TaylorWhen the Prime Minister was elected leader of the Conservative party, the House was aware that during his campaign he had referred to the difficulties facing teachers, and especially their low morale. As he is his own man, what does he intend to do to change policy and to increase morale among teachers?
§ The Prime MinisterI share the hon. Gentleman's view that morale in the teaching profession is immensely important. It depends on a whole range of factors—not only salaries, but on job opportunities, the quality and nature of education, and the opportunities for advance-ment within the profession. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is examining all these matters.
§ Q7. Mr. PaiceTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 December.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. PaiceReferring back to the earlier questions about electricity privatisation, is not it clear that the lesson from the many privatisation issues in the past few years is that what the public really want when they refer to "public ownership" are share certificates, property deeds and pensions with their own personal names on them? Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is true public ownership and that the accumulation of personal wealth which it creates will bode well for the economic future of this country?
§ The Prime MinisterI entirely agree with my hon. Friend. It is also a matter of some importance that the sale of the 12 discos will raise £8 billion.
§ Mr. SpearingHas the Prime Minister seen the document sent to the President of the European Council on Friday by President Mitterrand and Chancellor Kohl? Does he agree that it contains proposals for adding security, citizenship and foreign affairs to the competence of the European Communities, together with co-legislation of the Parliament and majority voting on all but a few issues? Does he further agree that that creates even 816 more centralism than exists at the moment, thus increasing the democratic deficit? As the documents were placed in the Library after the House had debated these matters last Thursday, will the right hon. Gentleman tell his colleagues in Rome next week that such matters and the way in which the President can introduce business at such late notice is unacceptable and only increases the democratic deficit?
§ The Prime MinisterI share the underlying concern that the hon. Gentleman has raised about the shortness of notice in such matters. In another sphere, I have raised this issue at ECOFIN on a number of occasions. Decisions taken in the Community should be preceded by proper examination, proper costings and proper consideration. I shall certainly make that point.