HC Deb 12 July 1994 vol 246 cc827-8
Q4. Mr. David Atkinson

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 July.

The Prime Minister

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

Mr. Atkinson

Will my right hon. Friend accept the grateful thanks of my constituents and those of my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill) for last week's recommendation by the Local Government Commission that the borough of Bournemouth should return to unitary status after 20 years of county council control? Is not that a clear demonstration of Conservative commitment to strong local government, in complete contrast to the unwanted policies of remote regional government favoured by Labour and the Liberal Democrats?

The Prime Minister

I am sure that my hon. Friend will make his views known to the commissioners. We certainly wish to put decision making at the lowest possible level, so that it is close to the people who vote and pay local taxes; unlike other parties in the House, we do not want an extra layer of expensive regional government.

Q5. Mr. Barry Jones

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 July.

The Prime Minister

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Jones

Is the Prime Minister aware that 2,000 Airbus workers in my constituency are desperate for his Government to place orders for the future large aircraft? Bearing in mind the magnificent achievement of the Airbus project, can he tell us when British Airways might buy aircraft of the Airbus marque? Does he agree that aerospace is now the greatest industry in Britain, and that it requires more support and encouragement from his Government?

The Prime Minister

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me an indication of the question that he was going to ask on this specific subject.

As for the future large aircraft, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has received details from. British Aerospace, which he is now taking into account in assessing the options for replacement or refurbishment of the present Hercules flight.

I wholly appreciate the hon. Gentleman's concern to protect jobs in his constituency. Commercial decisions must be a matter for British Airways rather than for my right hon. and learned Friend, but the hon. Gentleman will know that Airbus has competed very successfully. It has attracted customers from airlines around the world, most recently winning a very significant order from Singapore Airlines. I have no doubt that the quality of the product means that that success will continue.

Q6. Mr. Evennett

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 July.

The Prime Minister

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

Mr. Evennett

I thank my right hon. Friend. During his busy schedule, will he find time to visit my constituency of Erith and Crayford and see at first hand the improving economic situation and, in particular, the improving job situation in Bexley? Furthermore, will he reaffirm his commitment to lower taxation when the time is right—[Laughter.] Opposition Members laugh because they do not like the truth. Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm his commitment to the fact that Conservative Members believe in lower taxation? Opposition Members want to spend more and tax more.

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend is entirely right about the improving economic circumstances, and about the need to bring unemployment down further. I am delighted that it is falling, although it clearly has a long way further to fall.

As for taxation, of course Labour Members dislike the prospect of lower taxation: they would like to get their hands on people's money and spend it. As the former hon. Member for Dagenham said before defecting back to New Zealand, I think the Labour party ought to accept that…we"— that is, the Labour party— will always be likely to have a higher tax burden than our opponents. That is undoubtedly true, and there is no instance in recent years of Labour Members' voting for a tax reduction.

Q7. Mr. Barnes

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 12 July.

The Prime Minister

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave some moments ago.

Mr. Barnes

We have seen the plunder of the water industry and the electricity industry by chief executives and others, who often came from public services. The chairman of the Post Office is now pressing for the privatisation and plunder of his own service. What has happened to standards in public life and to the notion of public service?

The Prime Minister

The Post Office management has said that it believes that the best way to protect jobs, to continue to improve services and to compete is for the Post Office to have the freedoms of the private sector. I understand that the hon. Gentleman is concerned only with the qualities of envy which activate the Labour party, but the fact is that the private sector provides a better service than the public sector; it is more efficient than the public sector; and, over years, it is less costly than the public sector.