Pitmeddan
Q1. Mr. McQuarrie
asked the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit the village of Pitmeddan.
The Prime Minister (Mrs. Margaret Thatcher)
I have at present no plans to do so.
[column 1550]Mr. McQuarrie
While I regret that my right hon. Friend cannot visit Pitmeddan, where she would have been most welcome, may I ask her to assure the House that she will in no way trade away any of the farming or fishing interests in her determination to ensure that the overall payments made to the EEC are reduced?
The Prime Minister
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks. As he knows, we are proceeding with the EEC negotiations on the basis of the merit of each particular subject. I am very happy to assure him that we shall not accept any proposals either for farming or fishing that will be damaging to British interests.
Norfolk
Q2. Mr. Ralph Howell
asked the Prime Minister if she plans to visit North Norfolk.
The Prime Minister
I have at present no plans to do so.
Mr. Howell
May I assure my right hon. Friend that she will receive a very enthusiastic welcome when she visits Norfolk. While we, and practically the whole country, support her determination that the Government should not become involved in industrial disputes, will she give an assurance that she will stop the payment of any benefits to strikers? If the latest proposals, that there should be a deemed amount paid to strikers by the unions, were put into operation, will she confirm that instead of paying £6 million to strikes——
Mr. Speaker
Order. I remind the hon. Gentleman that I treat constituency questions as such. That was an open question, not a constituency question. May we move on?
The Prime Minister
As my hon. Friend knows, we made it clear in our manifesto that we believe that those who are prepared to infict hardship upon the community by going on strike should not expect automatically to be fully supported by that community. Work is under way to alter the supplementary benefits paid to strikers. It is proceeding well. It will mean fresh legislation, and I hope that we shall be in a position to make an announcement within the next few weeks.
[column 1551]PRIME MINISTER
(Engagements)
Q3. Mr. John Townend
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 13 March.
The Prime Minister
This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Later today I shall be leaving for a visit to Yorkshire and Humberside.
Mr. Townend
In view of the statements in today's press to the effect that France is taking a tougher line on the British contribution to the EEC budget, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend is aware that the public are becoming heartily sick of the French attitude to Britain, especially the continuing illegal discrimination against British lamb and Scotch whisky? Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that she will have the overwhelming support of both sides of the House, in addition to that of the public, in any retaliatory action that she deems necessary?
The Prime Minister
I have seen the reports to which my hon. Friend referred. Bearing in mind that France has always been resolute in defending her interests, she really cannot complain if we are equally resolute in defending our interests.
Mr. Dobson
Will the Prime Minister find time today to reconsider the vindictive action that she is taking against the British athletes who are working in the public sector, bearing in mind that the Olympic movement is the possession of the whole world, and that a boycott of the Moscow Games will do more damage to the Olympic movement and to young athletes throughout the world than it will to the entrenched geriatrics in the Kremlin?
The Prime Minister
The Olympic movement is one which should be founded and is founded, upon peace between different nations. The USSR has hardly observed that necessity for peace. For that reason we are advising athletes not to participate in the Moscow Olympic Games. Many other countries are taking the same action. With respect to the hon. Gentleman, it would not [column 1552]make sense to advise athletes not to go and then to give special leave to civil servants, over and above their annual leave, so that they could go. For that reason we shall not give special leave either to them or to Service personnel.
Mr. Rathbone
Will my right hon. Friend's meetings with other Ministers include one involving the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence in order to assure herself, and, perhaps thereafter, to reassure the House, that there is sufficient co-operation between those two important Departments with regard to civil defence?
The Prime Minister
I am very much aware that a number of hon. Members think that it is time to spend more money on civil defence and to have stronger civil defence forces. But as my hon. Friend knows, we must choose between priorities, and at the moment I can hold out no immediate hope. However, my right hon. Friends William Whitelawthe Home Secretary and Francis Pymthe Secretary of State for Defence and myself do meet from time to time to discuss the matter.
Mr. John Home Robertson
Following press reports that the Prime Minister has referred the AGR nuclear power station projects at Heysham and Torness in my constituency to the Think Tank, will she assure the House unequivocally that she does not intend to pull a fast one by siting cheap, dangerous and nasty PWR Harrisburg-type stations on those sites?
The Prime Minister
We are proposing to look at the capital programme in the light of the latest forecasts, and we must look at the capital programme because of the latest forecasts for the electricity industry. We shall look at the PWR, as we shall look at any other nuclear reactor, on the basis of safety. However, the programme is under reconsideration, and we are looking at the future of the two AGRs.
Tuc
Q4. Mr. Best
asked the Prime Minister when she expects next to meet the Trades Union Congress.
The Prime Minister
No dates have yet been arranged.
Mr. Best
When my right hon. Friend meets the TUC will she impress upon it [column 1553]the basic democratic right of every trade unionist to have a secret ballot? More-over, will she especially stress that point to trade unionists who belong to the ISTC, in view of the overwhelming evidence that members of that union want to get back to work following the board's latest offer?
The Prime Minister
As my hon. Friend knows, the BSC suggested that there should be a ballot of everyone who works for BSC. I am sure that many people believe that that is the right thing to do, in view of the fact that those who work for the corporation are now bearing the brunt of the hardship. We believe that many of them would like to express their views on whether or not to accept the offer.
Mr. Tinn
Will the Prime Minister study the anual report of ICI, particularly the section dealing with man-made fibres, as it highlights the current problems experienced by the industry arising from United States' competition, which is based not on any labour productivity advantage but on America's relatively low price of oil? In view of the price of our oil, is it not absurd that our industry should face that sort of competition? What action does she propose to take to ensure that British industry, particularly petrochemicals, will benefit from North Sea oil?
The Prime Minister
I am aware of the problem which the hon. Gentleman has raised, namely, that by underpricing on oil and gas, the United States gives a great advantage to any industry which either has those things as its main feed-stock or which uses a large amount of oil in producing the product. Of course, it was that which led my right hon. Friend John Nottthe Secretary of State for Trade to go to the Community to ask for some restrictions on the import of a certain amount of synthetic yarn. We do urge the Americans to bring their oil and gas up to world prices, because that is the only fundamental solution to the problem.
Mr. Gorst
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that she has not ruled out taking action against trade union funds if the present legislation does not prove to be effective?
The Prime Minister
It would be best if we tried to get the Employment Bill [column 1554]through first and to see whether that works. To date, the trade unions have honoured an injunction which the court granted against one of their members, and I hope that that will continue.
Mr. Wigley
Will the Prime Minister find an early opportunity to tell the TUC that the Government will stop sitting on the sidelines in the steel dispute and will take a positive initiative to achieve a solution, before the steel industry in this country is finally crucified?
The Prime Minister
If at the end of the day, the management and those who work in the industry cannot reach agreement on their differences, it does not augur well for the future of the steel industry. They must reach a settlement themselves, because it is the management and those who work in the industry who must run it in the future. They must take responsibility for it themselves.
Q5. Mr. Robert Atkins
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 13 March.
The Prime Minister
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier.
Mr. Atkins
Has my right hon. Friend had a chance to read reports in the daily press of the 178 per cent. rise in the rates of Stockton, which is Labour-controlled? Will she draw any conclusions about comparisons between Labour authorities and those careful authorities, such as Preston?
The Prime Minister
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins) on Preston's excellent record in holding its district rate at, I believe, 8p in the pound. That contrasts very favourably with Stockton, which I believe has put up its district rate by 178 per cent. I notice that that accords very similarly with the experience of authorities in Greater London, where the top 10 authorities which have put up their rates the most are Labour-controlled, and the bottom 10 which have put up their rates least are all Conservative-controlled.
Mr. Robert Sheldon
Has the Prime Minister noted the recent fluctuations in exchange rates? Does she recall that last autumn the Chancellor of the Exchequer talked about the benefits that would be obtained from a high level of [column 1555]the pound in world markets? What have those benefits been?
The Prime Minister
As the right hon. Gentleman knows, when the exchange rate is high, raw materials that are invoiced in dollars must come in at lower cost. That has been of considerable help to those industries which use raw materials and semi-fabricated components. Had they not had that help to counteract the high increase in wages, prices would be even higher.
Mr. Cormack
Will my right hon. Friend take some time today to reflect further on the strange attitude of the TUC towards secret ballots? Will she consider the possibility of putting our proposals on industrial reform to the nation in a referendum?
The Prime Minister
I believe that it is more and more widely felt that those who belong to trade unions, or those who are on strike, should have the right to say whether they wish to go on strike, or whether they wish to continue on strike. I believe that they should be able to do so by secret ballot. I think that view will become more widespread, because the secret ballot is already practised in some unions. As to industrial relations reform, I believe that the present Bill will go through, but I do not think [column 1556]that we shall need to refer that subject to a referendum.
Mr. Bidwell
Why, in view of the grave economic difficulties facing the nation, is the right hon. Lady so reluctant to meet the TUC? Did she notice that last Sunday there was the mightiest turnout in trade union history against the Government?
The Prime Minister
I assure the hon. Gentleman that I am not reluctant to meet the TUC. I have met it from time to time and I shall meet it again at NEDC. I am only too delighted to talk to the TUC, just as I talk to the CBI. I noticed that the turnout last Sunday was so very much less than had been expected.
Mr. Adley
Since the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Bidwell) is so keen—as we all are—that my right hon. Friend should talk to the TUC, may I ask her to make clear to Mr. Basnett, Mr. Evans, Mr. Scargill and others that she will do nothing to discourage them from marching or demonstrating? Does she not agree that such marches merely demonstrate to the British public the face of Britain's alternative Government?
The Prime Minister
People are fully at liberty to march or demonstrate as long as the police give their consent under the Public Order Act.