§ Q4. Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 June.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. BellinghamDoes the Prime Minister share the widely felt concern about human rights in Romania? Does she agree that neither Britain nor the EEC should extend further assistance to Romania in the present circumstances, except of a purely humanitarian kind?
§ The Prime MinisterI share my hon. Friend's concern. After all that the Romanian people have been through, we were absolutely horrified to see on television a repetition of previous scenes and the violence being used by the miners. We were also very much concerned about the fate of some of the demonstrators who were arrested. We have invoked the Helsinki agreement to seek information from the Romanian Government about their fate. In the meantime, the European Community is quite right to refuse to sign a trade and co-operation agreement with Romania. Romania will not be invited to the ministerial meeting of the Group of 24 on 4 July to discuss aid to eastern Europe. We think that that is a proper response to the scenes that we saw and witnessed on television.
§ Mr. AshdownDoes the Prime Minister realise that, whatever the flaws—I suspect that they will be fatal—in the Chancellor's new proposals for competing currencies, it is nevertheless very welcome that her Cabinet colleagues, 1111 or at least some of them, have managed to lever her forward an inch or two on Europe? The Prime Minister has said that this is an evolutionary approach, An evolutionary approach must have an objective, Will the Prime Minister repeat to the House what she has said before: that she does not believe that Britain should, or will in her lifetime, join a single European currency or a central European bank?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that the proposals outlined by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer are the right way ahead: to build on the existing ecu. We have issued securities denominated in ecu. It meets the wish of many people to have a common currency. That is quite different from a single currency. The common currency would be the new ecu. It means that those who wish to use the new ecu in place of their own currency may do so. I do not believe that we shall. It also provides protection against inflation, Furthermore, it would not be an impediment to many east European countries that may wish to join us later, If, however, we tied ourselves up too closely and relinquished our monetary powers to a central authority, they would not wish to join; nor should we wish to relinquish the powers of this House.
§ Q5. Mr. IrvineTo ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 June.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. IrvineDoes my right hon. Friend agree that regional airports play a crucial role in stimulating growth 1112 in the areas that they serve? Will she therefore join me in expressing astonishment at the crass, blinkered and short-sighted attitude shown by the Labour-controlled Ipswich borough council, which is intent on closing down Ipswich airport even though no suitable alternative site has yet been found?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, the Government wish to see the maximum use of airports in the regions, to meet as much local demand as they can attract, Since 1981 we have given borrowing approval for more than £287 million—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder, The Prime Minister.
§ The Prime MinisterWe have given borrowing approval totalling over £287 million for the development of local authority airports and I hope that a new site can be found quickly for the airport to which my hon. Friend referred, I understand that discussions have already taken place between Suffolk county council and the Ministry of Defence—[Interruption.] Clearly Opposition Members are not in the least bit interested in the new airport for Ipswich—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder, This is taking up a lot of time and the Prime Minister is trying to answer the question.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Opposition are not interested, Mr. Speaker. Discussions have already taken place between Suffolk county council and the Ministry of Defence about the possible use of RAF Wattisham. We are interested in regional airports, but the Opposition are not.