915
Oral Answers
30 NOVEMBER 1993
150,000 businesses have gone bankrupt? As he continues to draw a full salary, can we assume that, whatever else is in the Chancellor's Budget, there will be no reference to performance-related pay?
The Prime Minister: I can confirm a lot to the hon. Gentleman. I can confirm that when I became Prime Minister inflation was 9.7 per cent. and is now at 1.4 per cent., interest rates were 14 per cent. and are now 5.5 per cent., unemployment was rising and is now falling, the economy has been in recession and is now growing, and 137,000 people have come off the unemployment register total this year.
I can also confirm that last month alone nearly 500,000 people came off the register. The hon. Gentleman can name no other country in the western world currently in that position.
Q7. Mr. Sims: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list
his official engagements for Tuesday 30 November.
Oral Answers
916
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave some moments ago.
I
Mr. Sims: Is my right hon. Friend aware of the concern in all parts of the House about too easy access to pornography produced on computers? Does he join me in welcoming the announcement last week by the Home Secretary of measures to curb these activities, which can be so harmful, especially to children?
The Prime Minister: I am aware of the concern expressed by my hon. Friend, and I strongly share it. Parents feel particularly revolted by pornography involving children. The measures that my right hon. and learned Friend has announced will be included in the criminal justice Bill in this Session. They will make it quite clear to the pornographers that we are determined to defeat them, and we intend to crack down especially hard on the appalling trade in child pornography.