HC Deb 06 February 1990 vol 166 cc755-7
Ql. Mr. Sean Hughes

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 February.

The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

This evening I shall attend a reception to commemorate the 150th anniversary of New Zealand's founding treaty.

Mr. Hughes

Will the Prime Minister explain which is the more effective way to enhance the security of this country? Is it by investment in a new short-range nuclear missile or by development aid to the economies of those very countries against which the missiles are targeted?

The Prime Minister

It is to keep a sure defence, both for the NATO area and for our out-of-area obligations. That means keeping good conventional forces, which also means keeping a nuclear deterrent, and reducing those conventional forces only in accordance with the CFE negotiations that are being conducted and in agreement with NATO.

Dr. Michael Clark

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 February.

The Prime Minister

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

Dr. Clark

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the high value of the green pound is adversely affecting farm incomes in a serious way? Does she agree that the green pound is an anachronism which should be abolished so that British farmers, like other British business men, can trade in the pound sterling?

The Prime Minister

I agree with my hon. Friend that the green pound system at present causes British farmers to receive lower prices than their competitors and that those lower prices must be eliminated by 1992 at the latest. We agree in the European Community that they should be eliminated and we also agree that progress should be made towards that objective in the forthcoming negotiations on farm prices.

Mr. Kinnock

Does the Prime Minister accept the conclusions of Her Majesty's inspectors who say that one third of Britain's schoolchildren are getting a raw deal? Does she consider that to be a damning indictment of her Government?

The Prime Minister

I have read the inspectors' report very carefully—[Interruption.] Paragraphs 3 and 4 give the overall picture and perhaps a better summing-up than that given by the right hon. Gentleman. They say: The overall picture is of a service in which most of what is done is of reasonable quality or better. That is a sound basis for improvement and change and should be recognised as such. Of course, they went on to say that a number of things were wrong and needed to be remedied—[Interruption.]—and they went on: Across schools and colleges around 70 to 80 per cent. of the work seen was judged to be satisfactory or better: roughly one-third of it at all levels was adjudged good or very good. That is not a profile of a service in great difficulty about its general standards of work.

Mr. Kinnock

Does the Prime Minister realise what she is really saying—that because on two thirds of cases things are not bad, it somehow justifies the fact that in one third of cases they are lousy? Does she recognise that the inspectors themselves—since the right hon. Lady wishes to quote from their report—say that the overarching picture must not hide the fact that there are serious problems and that in 30 per cent. of cases pupils are "getting a raw deal"? If she intends to try to get at the truth, why will she not go for the whole truth?

The Prime Minister

I have read out the general view and the words that I used were the inspectors', not mine.

Mr. Kinnock

It is in the report.

The Prime Minister

Yes, I have the report, too. I pointed out that some things still need to be done, although much is being done and improvements are being made under this Government. More is being spent on education per pupil than ever before; there are more teachers in proportion to pupils than ever before; the new national curriculum is warmly praised by the inspectorate; and there has just been a recommendation for teachers' pay which gives special help to those teachers whom we need, especially in the shortage subjects. It is a good report. It highlights things that need to be done. Those things are under way, including an extra £400 million capital support for further developments in schools.

Mr. Kinnock

The Prime Minister speaks of a good report. That shows how easily she is satisfied with the mistreatment of other people's children in education. She speaks of reforms. Which of her reforms will provide the maths teachers, the science teachers, the technology teachers and the language teachers where there are none or when, as the report says, they are inadequately trained? Which of her reforms—[Interruption.] Conservative Members do not even send their children to state schools. Which of her reforms will provide books in libraries where there are no books; equipment in laboratories where there is no equipment; raise the morale of the teaching force; and stop the buildings from crumbling? [Interruption.] Eighty-five per cent. of parents are concerned. Which of those reforms will stop the children of this generation being failed and their future being betrayed?

The Prime Minister

I am glad that the inspectors faced their task more calmly that the right hon. Gentleman—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. Let us settle down.

The Prime Minister

More money is being spent per pupil in real terms than ever before. There are more teachers in proportion to children that ever before. There is a good new teachers' pay settlement that will help to recruit those teachers that are in short supply in particular subjects. There is a new national curriculum, and the inspectors' report says: Across schools of all types, the implementation of the national curriculum is beginning to bring about specific and general improvement", The majority of the primary schools visited had suitable and reasonably well-maintained accommodation". Yes, of course there are still things to be done. There always will be, but it takes time—[Interruption.] Opposition Members ask questions in a very temperamental way and refuse to listen to the answers. The education service is in far better shape than it has ever been.

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