HC Deb 17 October 1991 vol 196 cc437-40
Q3. Mr. Canavan

To ask the Prime Minister if the will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 October.

Mr. MacGregor

I have been asked to reply.

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

Mr. Canavan

Is the Leader of the House aware that the Minister of State with responsibility for health in Scotland is still hell-bent on pushing the Royal Scottish National hospital to opt out, despite opposition from the overwhelming majority of the staff, the local community and relatives of the mentally handicapped patients? Given the Prime Minister's fine words last week about the power to choose and the right to own, will the right hon. Gentleman defend the people's right to choose that their hospitals remain owned and administered by local health boards instead of self-governing trusts?

Mr. MacGregor

There is no doubt that self-governing trusts are already considerably improving the management of the hospitals concerned. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be considering the application to which the hon. Gentleman referred, as others, in the light of consultations.

Q4. Mr. Robert G. Hughes

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 October.

Mr. MacGregor

I have been asked to reply.

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

Mr. Hughes

Does my right hon. Friend agree with the chairman of Granada Television, who said yesterday that the Independent Television Commission had exercised its judgment in favour of quality? Does he recall that it was a Conservative Government who created ITV? Conservative Governments also created independent radio and Channel 4 in the teeth of opposition from the Labour party. Will not yesterday's decisions mean that the second rate and the incompetent will give way to those who are professional and entertaining? We could not expect the Labour party to begin to understand that.

Mr. MacGregor

My hon. Friend is right. Both choice and quality of television have increased under Conservative Administrations and there will soon be a fifth television channel. We have seen the birth of satellite and cable television, which has expanded the range of programmes that people watch. My hon. Friend is right, too, to suggest that in setting up the Channel 3 and Channel 4 licensing systems, the Government aim to achieve a balance between market forces and quality and to maintain quality. I believe that that is what is happening.

Mr. Cohen

When the Government did their U-turn on child benefit in the Budget and finally increased it after freezing it for several years, in a peculiar act of meanness they took £1 from the allowance of widows with dependent children. Will the Government recant on that act of meanness and give widows back their £1?

Mr. MacGregor

The hon. Gentleman knows that there has been a considerable increase in all social security benefits over the years. There has been a considerable increase also as a result of the targeting of priorities.

Q5. Mr. Robert Hicks

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 October.

Mr. MacGregor

I have been asked to reply.

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

Mr. Hicks

Does my right hon. Friend recognise the need to revise the arrangements for the payment of European regional development funds, with specific reference to additionality? Is he aware that many people in the regions that have been identified as in need of additional investment believe that we are unable to benefit from the additional resources? Of the £45 million allocated to Cornwall and Plymouth, it will be possible to take up only £27 million because of restrictive measures.

Mr. MacGregor

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has taken steps to resolve the problems arising from the specific targeting of aid at local level and I shall bring my hon. Friend's concern to his attention.

Dr. Reid

Given the Prime Minister's personal pledge to assist in the regeneration of Lanarkshire and the precedent that has now been set of political intervention in the decisions of British Rail, will the Leader of the House assure us that the Government will be using their influence to ensure that the new Eurofreight terminal in Scotland is sited at Mossend in Lanarkshire? If it is justifiable politically to intervene in the decisions of British Rail to protect political interests in the south, is not it equally justifiable to protect the economy and the regeneration of employment in Lanarkshire and Scotland?

Mr. MacGregor

The hon. Gentleman knows that I am familiar with Lancashire—[Interruption.] I am familiar with Lancashire because I have just been there, but I meant to say Lanarkshire, where I was born and brought up. The hon. Gentleman's specific point is not one with which I am familiar, so I shall draw it to the attention of the appropriate Minister.