§ Q4. Mr. WrayTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 April. [17593]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. WrayDoes the Prime Minister agree that my constituency has the worst unemployment figures, health record and infant mortality rate in Britain? Why is it costing £34 million to keep my constituents unemployed? Does not the Prime Minister agree that he and the Government have been a failure? When will he do something? Should he not resign?
§ The Prime MinisterLet me reassure the hon. Gentleman about unemployment in particular. Although he may not have noticed it in his constituency, during the period when I have been Prime Minister, unemployment in Glasgow, Provan has dropped by 28 per cent.
§ Mr. NichollsWill my right hon. Friend confirm that the Royal Navy will maintain its policy, which goes back some centuries, of curbing Spain's maritime pretensions, 17 and that the Royal Navy will go to the assistance of any British fishing boat that is prevented from going about its legal business by Spanish action?
§ The Prime MinisterI can confirm that for my hon. Friend. We believe in strict enforcement, and the fisheries protection vessels of the Royal Navy will ensure that rules and agreements are respected.
§ Q5. Mr. TurnerTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 April. [17594]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. TurnerWill the Prime Minister confirm that almost 800 candidates in the forthcoming elections are calling themselves Conservatives? Does he agree that it is understandable that they do not want to knock on doors as Conservatives in those elections? Will he confirm the rumour that he intends to stand as an independent in Huntingdon at the next general election?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure that that question was very carefully thought out, but I fear that there was a little problem in delivery at the beginning. I think that I know what the hon. Gentleman had in mind. He might have had in mind some Labour councils: for example, in Berwick Labour is fielding four candidates out of 28; in Craven, three out of 12; in Forest Heath, 17 out of 25. There are a large number of other illustrations that I might give the hon. Gentleman. Perhaps they have their concerns about Labour policy.
§ Q6. Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 April. [17595]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. WintertonIs my right hon. Friend aware that, in my opinion, his personal beliefs and instincts command the overwhelming support of the people of this country on such issues as the economy and taxation, the national health service, education and the European Community, including fishing? Will he assure me and the country today that his personal instincts will be translated into Government action and policy during the next 12 months?
§ The Prime MinisterI am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I am happy to give him that assurance. We have a 18 very clear agenda of core beliefs: prosperity for all, extending opportunities, common-sense, decent values, first-class public services, the lowest credible level of taxation, pride in our nation and protection of our interests, both at home and abroad. I assure my hon. Friend that that is our programme, not just for the next year but for the rest of this Parliament and the next Parliament.
§ Q7. Mr. PikeTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 April. [17596]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. PikeDoes the Prime Minister recognise that many former employees of the Bellings Group, which went bankrupt three years ago, lost a great deal as a result of abuses and fraud relating to that company's pension fund? Will he give an undertaking to those former employees that they will receive at least equal treatment to that given to members of the Maxwell pension fund?
§ The Prime MinisterThe scale of the Maxwell crisis and the large number of parties involved justified the exceptional action taken at that time by the Government. I do not think that we can necessarily adopt that model for general application. I understand that the independent trustee appointed to the Bellings pension fund is still continuing to pursue the recovery of assets missing from that fund. I think that we should better await the outcome of that investigation.
§ Q8. Mr. MarlowTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 April. [17598]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. MarlowDoes my right hon. Friend agree with me that the single most important factor affecting our children's education is whether our teachers, as a body, wish to be looked upon as a respected, ethical profession or a primeval Scargillite rump?
§ The Prime MinisterI am entirely happy to agree with my hon. Friend upon that proposition. Although a minority of teachers have let down the profession in which they serve, I believe that the majority of teachers will strongly disagree with their behaviour. I hope that they will show their disagreement within their teacher unions, as well as publicly.