§ Q3. Mr. Ronnie CampbellTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 January. [6370]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. CampbellSince the Prime Minister's majority is getting smaller and smaller, will he stop the privatisation of the railways, which is costing taxpayers £1 billion, stop the back-door privatisation of the health service, and certainly not go ahead with the privatisation of the Post Office? Will he resign now, call a general election and take his little creeps with him?
§ The Prime MinisterThe answer to the hon. Gentleman's question is of course no. I am rather surprised to hear that question from him. Unless I misremember, it was the hon. Gentleman who, not very long ago, said that the Labour leadership
got it into their heads that Labour is unelectable unless it goes down this social democratic road. That is rubbish".The right hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) would claim that that is exactly the road that they are going down. On that basis, and considering what the hon. Gentleman just said, he ought not to want an election.
§ Q4. Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 January. [6371]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave some moments ago.
§ Mr. AlexanderIn view of the healthy economic statistics that my right hon. Friend gave the House a moment ago, especially the fact that inflation is now at its lowest level for 50 years, is it not abundantly clear to all independent observers that Britain is a success story? Will he confirm to the House and the country that he has no 18 intention of putting all that at risk by coming forward with the sort of half-baked ideas that we had from the midday sun in Singapore recently?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend is entirely correct about the success that the country now has, which is recognised in almost every country in the world with, perhaps, the solitary exception of this one. I think it is becoming increasingly apparent that we have success. We have provided the basis to turn our country into the most enterprising country in Europe. We are now in a position to return to a tax-cutting agenda and to give people more choice, more opportunity and genuine ownership—a genuine stake in this society. That is the way in which we believe it is right to proceed, and will proceed.
§ Q5. Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 9 January. [6372]
§ The Prime MinisterI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave some moments ago.
§ Mrs. KennedyDoes the Prime Minister agree with the Secretary of State for Defence that there is no place in the modern Conservative party for those who believe in closer ties with Europe?
§ The Prime MinisterSadly for the hon. Lady, that is not what my right hon. Friend said.
§ Mr. HargreavesIn view of the number of questions asked by hon. Members on both sides of the Chamber during recent Defence questions, will my right hon. Friend take time to speak with the Secretary of State for Defence on the subject of the forthcoming order of ambulances for the Army?
§ The Prime MinisterNothing has yet been decided on the subject of the order of ambulances for the Army. I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement, who answered questions this afternoon, will report the views of the House to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.