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Dr. Brian Iddon (Bolton, South-East): Last week, the all-party parliamentary drugs misuse group published the result of its investigations into dual diagnosis, the linkage between mental illness and the misuse of drugs, which reminds me to ask my right hon. Friend when the UK anti-drugs co-ordinator's annual report is likely to be published, and whether it is intended to have an annual debate on his consideration of the misuse of drugs, which began last July.
Mrs. Beckett: I cannot tell my hon. Friend offhand when the co-ordinator's report is likely to be published, but I shall ask for inquiries to be made and the answer to be given to him. I understand and sympathise with his request for an annual debate on the report, but he will know that hon. Members wish to discuss so many issues annually that the occupier of my post is always reluctant to give such an undertaking. However, I recognise my hon. Friend's concern and will draw it to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.
Mr. Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): Will the right hon. Lady consider the early-day motion, tabled earlier this week and signed by hon. Members from all the main parties in the House, expressing regret at the Prime Minister's decision not to grant a public holiday on 4 August to celebrate the 100th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother? That is perceived by many to be a somewhat petty decision, and it would give great pleasure if the Government were strong enough to reverse it.
Mrs. Beckett: I shall certainly draw the hon. Gentleman's remarks to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. The hon. Gentleman will know that a great many celebrations of the Queen Mother's 100th birthday are being undertaken, not least the presentation of an address from the House, which will be led by Madam Speaker. I understand the hon. Gentleman's argument, but, although it is an important anniversary, which will be very much marked in the country, the provision of a public holiday at a time when most people are on holiday anyway, while welcome, might be felt by many to be not as great a mark of affection as it might usually be taken to be.
Mr. David Chaytor (Bury, North): Ninety-three per cent. of young people are educated in state schools, and 66 per cent. of the top A-level grades are attained by young people in state schools, yet only 50 per cent. of Oxbridge places are filled by them. In view of that, and of the recently published research by the Sutton Trust, will my right hon. Friend find time to hold a debate on the wider issue of equality of opportunity and access to Britain's leading universities?
Mrs. Beckett: My hon. Friend makes an important point. I understand from remarks that I heard recently by the Minister for Education and Employment that the disturbing statistics that my hon. Friend cites are
replicated in applications. As my hon. Friend knows, it has been suggested that the figures result from fewer applications. However, applications show the same pattern. I therefore share my hon. Friend's view that the position does not reflect a correct balance in judging between people who have the right qualifications. However, although the issue is topical, I cannot undertake to find time for a special debate on it in the near future.
Mr. Peter Brooke (Cities of London and Westminster): Does the Leader of the House believe that the comparative attendance at business questions reflects good Opposition morale, poor Government morale, or both?
Mrs. Beckett: I do not think that it has anything to do directly with morale. My distinguished predecessor, Lord Biffen, described business questions as the occasion on which an hon. Member can deliver the speech that he has been nurturing in his bosom all week and been unable to get out. I welcome great attendance at business questions, which is an opportunity for Opposition Members to raise any issue that they wish, with a time limit that is at the discretion of Madam Speaker.
On morale, I do not know how often the right hon. Gentleman has attended Opposition day debates recently, but the turnout on the Opposition Benches has not been high. That says more about morale than today's attendance at business questions.
Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West): In a written answer to me in column 586W of Tuesday's Hansard, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart), reveals information that clearly shows that the change in Government policy on the private sector, which was announced this morning, was not a genuine change. For the past three years, the Government have been doing what they state that they have not been doing. The answer states that information was placed in the Library on Tuesday afternoon. Despite my agitation, and all the Government's spinning on the "Today" programme this morning, the information did not reach the Library until 10.45 this morning. That is disgraceful. Will the Government make a statement about their new policy on the private sector, and apologise about the misleading information in the written answer?
Mrs. Beckett: Of course I deplore it if the hon. Gentleman was told incorrectly that information had been placed in the Library. I shall ensure that that is taken up with the relevant Department. [Interruption.] I accept that the hon. Gentleman says that the information is in the Library now, but that it was not there when it should have been.
The hon. Gentleman claims that the written answer shows that the policy has not been changed, but that perhaps it is being developed in respect of standards. That is exactly what I said a little while ago.
Mr. James Gray (North Wiltshire): The public are increasingly worried about the explosion of spin doctoring over substance and the politicisation of the civil service. Both are a product of the many special advisers that the Government now employ. Is that because Ministers are of poorer quality and therefore need more advice, or because
the spin doctors are of poorer quality and we must have more of them? Whatever the answer, will the Leader of the House arrange for the Minister for the Cabinet Office to accept Lord Neill's invitation to come here soon to answer questions about the report and recommendations that he made as long ago as February?
Mrs. Beckett: Both the former and the current Cabinet Secretary have rejected with contumely the notion that some 70 or so political advisers can politicise a civil service of thousands.
Secondly, the hon. Gentleman alleges that everything is spin over substance. It is my observation and direct experience that journalists and the Conservative party want to talk about spin while Ministers want to talk about delivering. I shall give three simple examples. This week, 30,000 more applications for teacher training have been announced, but hardly reported. Tomorrow, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will open the Carlisle hospital--the first of the new hospitals to be built. People had been waiting for that hospital to be built under the previous Government since about 1987. Yesterday, unemployment returned to the level that it last reached in February 1980. It was above that level for all the years of the Government whom he supported--during which I understand he was a special adviser--whereas it has taken us three years to get it back to that level. We want those issues to be discussed, and it is a pity that they are not reported instead of the comments of the Conservative party, which are frankly not very exciting.
Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West): The Leader of the House will be aware that, owing to lengthening NHS waiting lists over the past three years, some 150,000 people have been forced to pay for private operations out of their own savings without having the benefit of health insurance to cover the cost.
In the light of that, is not it particularly welcome that the Government are now looking into ways of funding the cost of those operations for people who think that they deserve treatment at the expense of the national health service? That would be welcome to my constituent Mr. James Hickson, a pensioner who had to pay out of his life savings for a private operation because the NHS waiting list was so long.
I welcome moves that will mean shorter waits for people who are in pain and suffering. It is time the Government were prepared to allow that to be debated on the Floor of the House, so that those of us who want to urge them on in their intelligent moves to encourage private sector health care have an opportunity to do so.
Mrs. Beckett: Of course I sympathise with the hon. Gentleman's constituent in those circumstances. The Government are determined to ensure that, if the private sector is used to ease any pressures on the health service, it is done applying the right standards. As I understand the policy enunciated by the shadow Secretary of State for Health, under a Conservative Government anyone who needed an operation such as a hip replacement would be forced to do precisely the same as the hon. Gentleman's constituent.
Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover): Is my right hon. Friend aware that during questions to the Department of
Trade and Industry, five Tories sought to intervene, and during business questions another six Tories have already intervened? Could I accordingly give it the spin: "Horror, shock, Tories abandon market forces"?
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