§ Q1. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to pay an official visit to Bury.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. John Major)I shall be making further visits to many parts of the country and hope to include my hon. Friend's constituency among them.
§ Mr. SumbergIs my right hon. Friend aware that at tonight's annual general meeting of the Bury, South Conservative association we shall celebrate our recent victories in the local and general elections and welcome my right hon. Friend's recent speech on the citizens charter to the Adam Smith Institute, in which he made it absolutely clear that in the battle between the Goliaths, who want greater state intervention, and the Davids, who want greater individual freedom, he backs the Davids every time?
§ The Prime MinisterI wish that I could be with my hon. Friend this evening for his celebrations. The people of Bury, South made a wise choice, and they certainly did in the general election. My hon. Friend is right: I want to see a change in attitude in many areas of public services. We need public services that meet what the public want, not what the so-called experts tell them they should have.
§ Q2. Mr. Austin-WalkerTo ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to pay an official visit to Woolwich.
§ The Prime MinisterI will be making further visits to many parts of the country and hope to include different parts of London among them.
§ Mr. Austin-WalkerDoes the Prime Minister share the enthusiasm of the President of the Board of Trade for the economic regeneration of the east Thames corridor? Does he share the views of previous Secretaries of State for Transport that the Jubilee line is essential for that economic regeneration and that it can be achieved at far less cost to the Exchequer than building the east London river crossing and without the environmental damage that would ensue from the road?
§ The Prime MinisterI hope that in due course we shall be able to proceed with the Jubilee line, but we shall wish to see the private sector contribution that we previously set as the sum necessary to ensure that we can proceed. Providing we can achieve that, I hope that we will be able to proceed with the Jubilee line. Economic regeneration is welcome everywhere.