South London (Hansard, 17 October 1991)

§ Q2. Mr. Simon Hughes
To ask the Prime Minister when he will make his next official visit to south London.

§ Mr. MacGregor
I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made an official visit to south London in September and intends to do so again in the future.

§ Mr. Hughes
When the Prime Minister or other Cabinet Ministers next come to south London, will they say whether they agree with the comment of the Archbishop of Canterbury, made half an hour ago in Church house, that the inner cities of Britain suffer from severe and divisive inequalities and severe deprivation? If they accept that that is the case, is it Government policy to increase the gap between the richest and the poorest, as has happened over the past 12 years, or will Government policy change under the new Prime Minister, so that the gap between the well off and the poorest will narrow in the years to come?

§ Mr. MacGregor
I understand that the Archbishop also paid tribute to the Government's inner cities programme, which has been substantial—

§ Mr. Simon Hughes
indicated assent.

§ Mr. MacGregor
The hon. Gentleman acknowledges that now, but he forgot to include it in his supplementary question. The inner cities programme and many others, including the urban initiative, have greatly improved the prospects for all our inner cities. There are many examples of that. One of the things from which inner cities suffer is Labour councils.

§ Mr. Brazier
Does my right hon. Friend agree that an improvement in the teaching of economic history in our schools—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. This question is about inner London.

§ Mr. Brazier
I should have said inner London schools, Mr. Speaker. Does my right hon. Friend agree that every child in inner London should be taught that every Labour Government, without exception, have increased unemployment?

§ Mr. MacGregor
My hon. Friend is right. Labour Governments have increased unemployment, increased waiting lists in hospitals and hugely increased the public sector borrowing requirement to the level to which my right hon. and learned Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury referred. As my right hon. and learned Friend said, if the PSBR were at the level that was reached under the Labour Government, it would be about £50 billion.