| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Policy Co-ordination
9. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Department's co-ordination of policies as between Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the English regions.[6503]
Mr. Freeman: The Government's policies are designed to benefit all parts of the United Kingdom.
Mr. O'Brien: Is the Minister aware that in Yorkshire, due to pit closures and the loss of jobs and job opportunities, there is a serious lack of inward investment into my constituency and the Wakefield region? Is he further aware that as a result of the Government's policies the Yorkshire mining museum is under serious threat of closure, which would be a terrible disappointment to many of the mining communities, which would lose their culture? The imbalance between some regions is a serious problem. Will the Minister investigate the position in the Wakefield region, where inward investment is needed, and consider preserving the cultures and folklore of our communities?
Mr. Freeman: There has been a tremendous increase in the flow of inward investment into the whole of the United Kingdom. There have, of course, been some very notable investments, particularly in the north-east and I was pleased to visit the rail freight terminal in the hon. Gentleman's constituency--or very close to his constituency--a year or two ago. On the specific question about the Yorkshire mining museum, I was unaware of that project. I will certainly look into the matter and, with the help of my right hon. Friends, write to the hon. Gentleman about it.
Mr. Dunn: As the question refers to the "English regions", does it not provide an opportunity for the
9 Dec 1996 : Column 9
Minister to condemn completely the policy of regional government--which may well involve my constituency being governed from Guildford or Reading or, worse still, being taken into a revitalised Greater London council--[Hon. Members: "Hear, hear."]--which would be a nightmare for the people of north-east Kent?
Mr. Freeman: I am grateful to my hon. Friend as he has pointed out quite clearly the difference between the two parties. Not only have the Opposition promised a dozen or more referendums during any Parliament in which they happen to form the Government, but Labour is a party of regulation and not deregulation--which would mean new layers of government, not only in other parts of the United Kingdom, but in the English regions.
10. Mr. Winnick: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what ministerial visits he has made to discuss the co-ordination and presentation of recent Government policy.[6504]
Mr. Winnick: As the Tory parliamentary party is now in a state of open civil war, is it not perfectly understandable that such visits are not taking place? Is it not unfortunate that the poor old Chancellor is being targeted and witch hunted, day in and day out, by so many of his party colleagues? Bearing in mind what was said last Friday by the hon. Member for Hendon, North (Sir J. Gorst), is not the solution to give the British people a break and to have an early general election?
Mr. Willetts: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is presiding over an economic recovery, which means that, for the fifth successive year, our economy is growing more rapidly than the French or the German economies. As for visits, all I can say is that, yesterday, the BBC visited Huntingdon, and it was a very successful visit indeed.
Mr. Steen: Should not the Minister have visited Brussels? Had he done so, he could have said something about the waste management strategy and the fire regulations, which would put an additional £2 billion on to the price of running British industry. Should he not say something about that to the Commission in Brussels?
Mr. Willetts: My hon. Friend has a formidable record of campaigning on deregulation. On the fire regulations, I can assure him that, after the lengthy process of consultation that has been undertaken, they will not impose any significant extra burden on British business. No final decisions have yet been taken on waste packaging.
Mr. Derek Foster: In his capacity as co-ordinator of Government policy, the Minister will be aware that clause 3 of the civil service code--introduced on 1 January 1996 by the Government, with all-party support--states that Ministers have
- "the duty not to use public resources for party political purposes".
9 Dec 1996 : Column 10
over Labour's expenditure plans? Why has none of those questions been answered? What have the Government to hide? Is it that the Minister for open government, once again, is protecting the Chief Secretary--fellow of All Souls and master of sophistry?
Mr. Willetts: The costings exercise was conducted entirely in accordance with the rules on propriety in the use of civil servants. If a Minister asks a factual question of a civil servant, a civil servant should answer it. The Opposition are so sensitive about this matter because the Chief Secretary identified 89 Labour spending pledges--costing £30 billion.
Millennium Exhibition
11. Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has to report on the private sector aspect of the financing of the millennium exhibition.[6506]
The Deputy Prime Minister: Good progress has been made in obtaining sponsorship beyond the core of original supporters, and leading UK companies have pledged support. Discussions with sponsors and potential sponsors are continuing.
Dr. Goodson-Wickes: Does my right hon. Friend nevertheless share my amazement that some companies--British and international--seem incapable of realising the opportunities offered by the millennium exhibition both per se and, less altruistically, in relation to the benefits that would accrue from their supporting it? In addition to the admirable efforts being made by him, will my right hon. Friend ensure that his colleagues' contacts with successful companies are harnessed so that the exhibition is the success that it deserves to be?
The Deputy Prime Minister: I am most grateful to my hon. Friend. I am sure that the House realises the enormous opportunity for Britain in staking a claim to be the centre of world attention at the new millennium, and Greenwich could not be a more fitting home for that. A significant number of our leading companies have decided to support the festival, and many others are considering the situation. As the plans unfold, I have no doubt that the faith that has been shown in the project will increasingly be justified.
Mr. Raynsford: The Deputy Prime Minister will know of the widespread support and enthusiasm felt in Greenwich and, indeed, throughout south-east London for the success of this most important venture. However, he will be aware of some press coverage suggesting that there may be difficulties in achieving a balanced budget. Is he able to inform the House whether, to his knowledge, Millennium Central will be in a position to present a balanced budget to the Millennium Commission later this week? If not, what further steps will he be taking to ensure that the project can be brought in on time and within budget?
The Deputy Prime Minister: The House will realise that it is an enormous project of huge significance to the immediate beneficiaries--the Greenwich community--but also one which has necessarily had to unfold in a
9 Dec 1996 : Column 11
complex arrangement involving many different public and private sector organisations. The Millennium Commission will be considering the position this week. I very much hope that it will be able to make a favourable judgment, but it will have to take into account a range of submissions put to it by many organisations.
Mr. Jessel: Is my right hon. Friend aware that many of us strongly support the millennium exhibition, which is of great national importance and will confer tremendous benefit, but that at the same time many of my constituents hope that matching finance will not be found for 10 pinnacles along the River Thames between Kew and Hampton Court, called millennium markers, which would be hideous monstrosities that hardly anybody wants and which were not adequately consulted on by the local authorities concerned, namely Richmond, Hounslow and Kingston? I hope that matching finance will not be found and that that idea will be dropped.
The Deputy Prime Minister: As always, I will bear in mind very carefully what my hon. Friend has to say. However, I must point out that the focus of attention at this juncture in history is on the festival itself.
Government Departments (Co-ordination)
12. Mr. Grocott: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent review he has undertaken of his Department's effectiveness in the co-ordination of Government Departments.[6508]
Mr. Willetts: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister keeps this under continual review.
Mr. Grocott: On the co-ordination of policy on Europe, is it still the Deputy Prime Minister's position--a position that he explained repeatedly over the weekend, apparently without even blinking--that on Europe the Government are "one big happy family" and that any suggestion to the contrary is just malicious rumour drummed up by the press? To reassure those of us who are sceptical about that explanation, may we have one or two examples of warm messages of support for the Chancellor's position from the Secretary of State for Social Security, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Home Secretary?
Mr. Willetts: The weekend was illuminated by public remarks from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Social Security, and they were all entirely in harmony with one another. If we are going to play this game of political happy families, it is the Opposition whose divisions on Europe should be investigated.
Mr. Nigel Evans: Perhaps my hon. Friend could persuade other Ministers to travel around the country a little more and co-ordinate their actions as they present Government policy, talking to employers and employees about the dreadful prospects for the country should the Labour party ever be elected to Government--dreadful prospects on issues such as the minimum wage, the social chapter, regulation and bureaucracy and, of course,
9 Dec 1996 : Column 12
Europe. With their comrades in arms, the Liberal Democrats, a Labour Government would sell out Britain's sovereign powers to the ever-burgeoning Brussels.
Mr. Willetts: My hon. Friend is right. Unemployment stands at 4 million in Germany and at 3 million in France, but it is down to 2 million here because of the success of our policies. For reasons that we cannot fathom, the Labour party seems to imagine that imposing the social costs and regulations that exist on the continent would enable us to improve our performance. That would just give us the levels of unemployment that countries on the continent suffer. The electorate will have to decide which party can best fight for Britain's interests in Europe at the Amsterdam European Council next June.
| Next Section
| Index | Home Page |