1093
Oral Answers
14 MARCH 1991
f. Cryer: While the Prime Minister tries to control the warring factions in the Tory party over the poll tax, will he bear in mind the fact that he could bring immediate relief to the millions of people who are groaning under this vicious poll tax-especially those who have been thrown on the dole queue by his economic policies-by restoring Government grants to local authorities to their 1978-79 level under Labour? At the same time, he would get rid of the political corruption that gives an extra £64 a head to Tory-controlled Wandsworth, while low-paid areas like Bradford are left without.
The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman is on shaky ground if he wants to discuss local government, given the attitude of Labour local authorities. If he really wants to see how money is wasted and badly handled, he should go to Lambeth.
Mr. Brazier: Does my right hon. Friend agree that, under the principle of accountability, it is long overdue that we should introduce into the House a Question Time for the Leader of the Opposition, so that we could ask what his policies are?
Mr. Speaker: Order. I think that that is a matter for the Select Committee on Procedure.
Q3. Mr. Wigley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March.
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Wigley: Is the Prime Minister aware that the people of Wales want not only an early end to the poll tax, but something done about the iniquitous level of water charges? Since privatisation, there has been a 45 per cent. increase in Welsh water charges, and the average bill of £195 compares to £137 in Severn-Trent, which gets its water from Wales? When will he start an inquiry into the monopoly profiteering in the water industry?
The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman is right to say that charges have risen sharply under Welsh Water— [HON. MEMBERS: "it is absurd profiteering." It is not absurd profiteering but the unprecedented £1.8 million. investment programme which is necessary to improve water and sewerage and bring them up to a standard that the people of Wales would wish to have.
Q4. Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March.
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Amess: Is my right hon. Friend aware of the "buy British goods from Basildon" campaign that was introduced recently by myself and our local European Member of Parliament, Patricia Rawlings? Does my right hon. Friend agree that such local initiatives can make a useful contribution to reducing the trade deficit? Socialist Opposition Members should follow our lead in backing rather than bashing Britain.
The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend, as ever, is very inventive, and I am grateful to him for drawing that campaign to my attention. The key to reducing the trade gap is for British industry to produce goods that people want to buy at competitive prices, which is increasingly the aim of British industry. Many British companies already
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do just that, and I hope that more people will buy British. It is time that the Opposition supported British companies and stopped knocking Britain whenever they can.
Q5. Mr. Ernie Ross: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March.
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Ross: Has the Prime Minister had a chance to study the proposal that Prime Minister Mulroney made for some form of arms control initiative? Before the Prime Minister's meeting with President Bush in Bermuda on Sunday, will he immediately impose a moratorium on arms sales, particularly to the middle east? Will he assure President Bush that the whole country would support an immediate control on the sale and export of arms?
The Prime Minister: We have to look at the export of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons, in particular to the middle east. I expect that we shall take up that matter at the United Nations and elsewhere.
Q6. Dr. Twinn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March.
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Dr. Twinn: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the London borough of Haringey has set a community charge £171 higher than neighbouring Conservative Enfield? Does he share the sense of joy of 20,000 of my constituents and of my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Portillo), who heard yesterday that the local Boundary Commission will not transfer four wards into Haringey? Will he join my hon. Friend and me in congratulating our constituents who fought hard with us to stop the daft idea?
The Prime Minister: I am unsurprised to hear from my hon. Friend about the level of charge in Haringey. It is, after all, a Labour authority. Perhaps, if Haringey gets a Conservative authority, it will, as in so many other places, get a far lower charge.
Q7. Mr. Fearn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March.
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.
Mr. Fearn: Is the Prime Minister aware that the figures for housing waiting lists are now at a crisis level, especially in the north-west? Will he institute a crash building programme in local government which would help local government, the people in need and, indeed, the construction industry, which is on its knees?
The Prime Minister: The hon. Gentleman will know of the estate action programme and the dramatic increase in the funding to many housing associations. I fear that a significant part of the problem is the large number of local authority dwellings that remain unlet with no apparent effort to let them.
Mr. Sims: Is my right hon. Friend aware that, at a time when pressure had to be gently exerted on certain Governments to make a financial contribution to the costs of the Gulf operation, the Government and people of
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