THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED ON 24 JUNE 1996
THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES
OFFICIAL REPORT
IN THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
[WHICH OPENED 27 APRIL 1992]
FORTY-FIFTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
SIXTH SERIES
VOLUME 280
FOURTEENTH VOLUME OF SESSION 1995-96
House of Commons
Monday 24 June 1996
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[Madam Speaker in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Deregulation
1. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he had on deregulation during his recent visit to the far east.[32603]
The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Michael Heseltine): During my discussions with senior leaders in the far east, I emphasised the positive contribution of privatisation and deregulation to the competitiveness of the UK economy.
Mr. Marshall: Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is no mere coincidence that job opportunities have grown much more rapidly in the deregulated labour markets of the far east and north America than in continental Europe? Did he give the leaders of the economies of the far east an assurance that the Government would never adopt the job destruction measures that are inherent in the social chapter and the minimum wage?
The Deputy Prime Minister: I was able to go a little further than that because I was able to make it clear that
job creation is proceeding faster in Britain than in the rest of the European Union. One of the reasons for that is the combination of deregulation and privatisation.
Mr. Derek Foster: Since returning from the far east, what discussions has the Deputy Prime Minister held about deregulation and food safety? Does he have complete confidence in the Minister of Agriculture? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree with a junior Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that the Minister of Agriculture will be in his job for many months to come, or does he think that the Minister is a clapped-out old milker?
The Deputy Prime Minister: I can give the right hon. Gentleman a wholly positive answer to those questions because, unlike the shadow Cabinet, the members of the Government are on extremely good terms.
Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman: Does my right hon. Friend accept that I enormously appreciate the tremendous efforts that he has made to hack through the jungle of regulation? However, I received a communique from my chamber of commerce in Lancaster this morning which says that there is still too much regulation at local level. Regulations are being embroidered that should not be embroidered. Can he do something to prevent that leakage?
The Deputy Prime Minister: My hon. Friend raises one of the most important aspects of deregulation. A great deal of the concern about regulation relates to its implement-ation, and the varied practices of implementation, at local level. That is why she will share my pleasure that we have introduced an appeals system to give local businesses the possibility of redress in such cases.
Ministerial Visits
2. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many visits he has made to Wales since becoming Deputy Prime Minister to co-ordinate the work of his Department with the Welsh Office.[32604]
The Deputy Prime Minister: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I work closely together to ensure that Wales gains full benefit from the Government's policies.
Mr. Griffiths: I assume from that answer that the Deputy Prime Minister has not visited the Welsh Office once. Is that reluctance to visit Wales due to the Government's disastrous handling of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and its impact on the rural economy, to their pathetic response to the Sea Empress disaster or to his painful experience in Wales when he baled out of the Army to fight a by-election? Does he think that a visit would improve or worsen the fourth-party, lunatic fringe standing of his party in Wales?
The Deputy Prime Minister: On balance, I think that a visit by me to Wales would be a wholly desirable event. To show the ignorance upon which the hon. Gentleman's question is based, I might say that I visited Cardiff Arms park on 23 February to announce on behalf of the Millennium Commission the rebuilding of the stadium. On 15 March, I was back again in Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Llandrindod Wells to spread the good news of the transformation that the Government have made in the Welsh economy.
European Union (Policy Co-ordination)
4. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what are his responsibilities in respect of co-ordinating the policy of Her Majesty's Government with other Governments in the European Union.[32607]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Roger Freeman): Co-ordination of policy with our European partners is a matter for individual Ministers within their respective areas of responsibility, and overall for my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary.
Mr. Hughes: Individual Ministers may be on good terms with each other, but they are clearly responsible for causing the problem. In the past months, we have seen the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food getting into a huge hole, which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and his colleagues have had to dig him out of. What assurance can the right hon. Gentleman give the House that, in future, we shall have a sufficiently good relationship with our European colleagues that we do not become the pariahs of the European Union, to the disadvantage, not of Ministers of the Crown, but of the people of the United Kingdom?
Mr. Freeman: My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture is, at this moment, participating fully in the Agriculture Council. He has done a magnificent job in defending the interests of the British farming industry and he will continue to do so. In the past four weeks of our policy of non-co-operation--which has now come to an end--we have successfully focused the minds of Ministers and Governments in the European Union. We have now reached a successful conclusion in the sense that a framework document has been agreed that
will lead to an early lifting of the ban. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will be saying something further about the timetable at 3.30 pm.
Mr. Sykes: Do not the Germans, Spanish and Italians practise the same techniques all the time? When my right hon. Friend next goes to talk to other Governments in Europe, will he bring to their attention the dangerous provision of the 48-hour week and the fact that it was introduced into this country in a deceitful way? Will he take the same attitude towards that as he has towards beef?
Mr. Freeman: I can give my hon. Friend the assurance that, unlike the Opposition, we shall continue to fight for the national interests of the United Kingdom, which is not inconsistent with belonging to the European Union. Since the inception of the Common Market, which is now the European Union, this country has always fought for British interests, just as other countries have fought for their interests.
Mr. Mandelson: Will the right hon. Gentleman throw away the cryptic text prepared for him over the weekend that tried to dismiss the story as rubbish and answer a simple question of fact? Is there in existence a letter from the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Prime Minister criticising the Government's handling of the beef crisis and making a threat, veiled or otherwise, to resign from the Government?
Mr. Freeman: If ever there was an author of cryptic messages in party politics or Parliament, the hon. Gentleman must take the prize. The answer to the wholly erroneous newspaper story was, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, rubbish.
Government Departments (Efficiency)
5. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to increase competition between Government Departments in respect of increasing efficiency; if he will institute suitable rewards for the most successful; and if he will make a statement.[32608]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service (Mr. David Willetts): The Government will continue using competition to improve the efficiency of public services. The rewards, which will be for everyone to share, are better-quality and more cost-effective services for users and improved value for money for taxpayers.
Mr. Greenway: I thank my hon. Friend for his reply, which I warmly welcome. Would it not be nice to give Departments an incentive to improve in the way that they need to, can and will? What about a few sides of good British beef for those Departments that do really well?
Mr. Willetts: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that ingenious suggestion. Any ideas for improving the quality of public services, especially from Conservative Members, will be carefully considered.
Mr. Gunnell: If the Government are so committed to the efficiency of their Departments and believe that efficiency exists, why are the targets that have been set
for many Departments for the current year below the level of efficiency reached last year? Are the Government attempting to cook their own books?
Mr. Willetts: There is no question of cooking the books. Every year, we set targets that are credible and take account of the Department's performance in the previous year. We are always pressing for improvements on the previous year's performance.
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