PMQT Written Answers – 6 February 1996
Below is the text of the written answers relating to Prime Minister’s Question Time from 6th February 1996.
PRIME MINISTER:
Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will publish the current list of parliamentary private secretaries and the Ministers to whom each is attached.
The Prime Minister: A comprehensive list is as follows:
Parliamentary private secretaries (as at 5 February 1996)
Minister Secretary
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Minister for Agriculture Mr. D. Hogg) Mr. G. Clifton-Brown
Minister of State (Mr. T. Baldry) Mr. N. Evans
Defence
Secretary of State (Mr. M. Portillo) Mr. D. Amess
Ministers of State (Mr. N. Soames and Mr. J. Arbuthnot) Mr. N. Hawkins
Cabinet Office
Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. M. Heseltine) and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. R. Freeman) Mr. S. Coe
Education and Employment
Secretary of State (Mrs. G. Shephard) Mr. A. Coombs
Ministers of State (Mr. E. Forth and Lord Henley) Mr. J. Whittingdale
Environment
Secretary of State (Mr. J. Gummer) Mr. D. French
Ministers of State (Mr. D. Curry, Lord Ferrers, Robert Jones) Mr. M. Banks
Foreign Office
Secretary of State (Mr. M. Rifkind) Mr. H. Bellingham
Ministers of State (Mr. D. Davis, Mr. J. Hanley, Sir N. Bonsor) Mr. P. Atkinson
Health
Secretary of State (Mr. S. Dorrell) Mr. D. Faber
Minister of State (Mr. G. Malone) Mr. N. Waterson
Home Office
Secretary of State (Mr. M. Howard) Mr. D. Lidington
Ministers of State (Mr. D. Maclean, Baroness Blatch Mr. D. Evennett
Minister of State (Miss A. Widdecombe) Dr. R. Spink
Law Officers Department
Attorney-General (Sir N. Lyell) and Solicitor-General (Sir D. Spencer) Mr. E. Garnier
Minister without Portfolio (Mr. B. Mawhinney) Mr. A. Duncan
National Heritage
Secretary of State (Mrs. V. Bottomley) Mr. P. Ainsworth
Minister of State (Mr. I. Sproat) Mr. A. Robathan
Northern Ireland Office
Secretary of State (Sir P. Mayhew) Mr. J. Cran
Ministers of State (Sir J. Wheeler and Mr. M. Ancram) Mr. H. Elletson
Prime Minister Mr. J. Ward
The Lord McColl
Privy Council Office
Lord President and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. T. Newton) Mr. J. Couchman
Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords (The Viscount Cranborne) Mr. J. Sykes
Scottish Office
Secretary of State (Mr. M. Forsyth) The Hon. B. Jenkin
Social Security
Secretary of State (Mr. P. Lilley) Mr. P. Merchant
Ministers of State (Lord MacKay and Mr. A. Burt) Mr. D. Congdon
Trade and Industry
President of the Board (Mr. I. Lang) Mr. S. Coombs
Minister of State (Mr. T. Eggar) Mr. P. Luff
Ministers of State (Lord Fraser, Mr. A. Nelson) Mr. T. Devlin
Transport
Secretary of State (Sir G. Young) Dr. C. Goodson-Wicks
Minister of State (Mr. J. Watts) Mr. T. Dicks
Treasury
Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. K. Clarke) Mr. P. Butler
Chief Secretary (Mr. W. Waldergrave) Mr. M. Robinson
Welsh Office
Secretary of State (Mr. W. Hague) Ms J. Lait
Nolan Committee
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will refer to the Nolan Committee the issue of the financial links of people who are being considered for appointment as ambassadors.
The Prime Minister: There is no need to do so. This is already covered by the terms of reference.
Local Authorities (Equity Portfolios)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 1 February Official Report, column 1121, on the purchase by local authorities of shares in privatised companies, what duties are owed by councils and their advisers to council tax payers which constrain their ability to build very unbalanced portfolios, with special reference excluding certain classes of equities.
The Prime Minister: Local authorities are free to invest their funds how they choose, subject to their general duty of prudence and other matters set out in professional guidance issued by the accounting bodies. Where authorities place their general funds in investments which are not approved under regulations, receipts from the disposal of those investments are treated as capital receipts. Local authorities’ use of capital receipts is controlled through the capital finance system.
Libya (Sanctions)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 46, what factors led to Her Majesty’s Government being unable to estimate the cost to British trade of sanctions against Libya; and if he will make it his policy to implement structures to allow such estimates to be made in situations where sanctions are imposed in the future.
The Prime Minister: It is not possible to distinguish which elements in the overall fall in British exports to Libya over the past five years are attributable to the UN sanctions and which other factors such as the decline of the Libyan economy and lower oil prices.
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 6 February.
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 6 February.
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.