asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of supplying heroin or the possession of heroin with intention to supply in each of the years 1982 to 1985; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of drug-related offences during the most recent period of 12 months for which figures are available, compared with the number for the previous 12 months.

The available information relates to persons found guilty of or cautioned for offences involving controlled drugs. The total numbers found guilty or cautioned for such offences in the United Kingdom in the years 1982 to 1984 were 20,300 in 1982, 23,300 in 1983 and 25,000 in 1984. Within those totals, the numbers who were found guilty of supplying. or of possession with intent to supply, heroin were 210 in 1982, 260 in 1983 and 570 in 1984. Corresponding figures for 1985 are not yet available.

As convictions largely depend upon the importation of drugs, will the Minister assure the House that, while the Government are rightly considering precautions against the importation of rabies through the Channel tunnel, they will also seriously consider the level of precautions to be taken against the importation of drugs through the tunnel? Will the Government be prepared to come to the House in due course and make a statement about the level of security against the importation of drugs?

That is a fair point. Work on the matter is already in hand. There is no reason to think that security for the Channel tunnel will pose any greater difficulties than in the case of the other methods of getting into the United Kingdom. However, that is a matter worthy of consideration and it will receive it.

Does the Minister realise that most of the people convicted of supplying heroin are addicts and that the police have success only when they catch a dealer who is rich, ostensibly respectable, and is not an addict? The real problem is that the drug squads in London do not have enough manpower to follow the leads up to the higher levels of supply. What is the point of banning overtime for policemen when one is trying to stamp out the serious drug trade in London? Will there be any change in manning procedures for drug squads?

The Metropolitan police drug squad has already been increased in size, and authority has been given for a further 50 officers to be recruited. Mainstream officers are also engaged in work on drugs. It is no longer left solely to drug squads. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, the strength of the Metropolitan police has increased by about 4,800 officers while the Government have been in office. When one adds to that the creation and increased resources of the national drugs intelligence unit and the creation in regional crime squads of designated drugs wings, involving an increase of 20 per cent. in the strength of regional crime squads, I think we are taking the steps that the hon. Gentleman wants. Perhaps he will appreciate that in due course.

Does my hon. Friend agree that, although the importation and possession of heroin is a great problem, there is an equally serious, if not worse, problem looming up behind it and threatening to overtake it—the possession and importation of cocaine? Will he assure the House that every step will be taken to ensure that that traffic is stamped on as quickly and severely as possible?

Yes. I know that my hon. and learned Friend has had the same experience as me in seeing what is happening in America. An additional squad has been formed in Customs to deal with investigations into cocaine. We and others have warned about the problems of cocaine and the dangers that the United States experience reveals. So far, I am happy to say, there has been no sign of the great explosion in cocaine that some predicted. The seizure figure by Customs of 73 kilos in 1983 and of 79 kilos in 1985 does not show a great increase. But we are not complacent about the matter.

Has the Minister contacted his hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State north of the border about the fact that, after public houses, council houses are being used to push drugs, which is causing a great nuisance, particularly in my constituency and, no doubt, in council estates throughout the country, to tenants who want a quiet life? Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to advise local authorities on what action should be taken?

The hon. Gentleman made an effective speech on that point two nights ago. I know that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland is aware of what he said. He sits on the committee that I chair. The hon. Gentleman's point is important and will be treated as such by my colleagues in the Scottish Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the increase in the number of crimes for the most recent period of 12 months for which figures are available over the preceding 12 months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state, for the most recent 12 months for which figures are available, the number of victims of crimes of violence compared with the number in the 12 months ended March 1979.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the crime figures for 1985.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage increase in crimes of violence against the person in the 12 months ended September 1985; and if he will give similar figures for the 12 months ended March 1979.

In the 12 months to September 1985 the total number of notifiable offences recorded by the police increased by 5 per cent. Figures for the whole of 1985 will be available in March. The number of offences of violence against the person recorded by the police in the 12 months to September 1985 was 119,400 compared with 88,100 for the 12 months ending 31 March 1979. In percentage terms, the number of offences of violence against the person increased by 6 per cent. during the 12 months to September 1985, compared with an increase of 7 per cent. during the 12 months to March 1979. Information on victims is collected regularly only in relation to homicides.

Do not those figures clearly show the dismal failure of the policies of the Government, who went to the nation promising that they would improve law and order in Britain? Has the Home Secretary taken notice of the petition deposited in the House yesterday on behalf of Chief Inspector Brian Woollard, who has been making inquiries into corruption in London, and makes an allegation that there has been interference by freemasonry? As he has already referred to the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister, what action is the right hon. Gentleman prepared to take?

As the hon. Gentleman certainly knows, recorded crime has been rising at a roughly steady rate for 30 years now. The difference between Conservatives and the Opposition parties is that we have a strategy for dealing with that problem, and Opposition Members have only slogans and divisions. I shall look carefully into the point about freemasonry, which does not arise from this question.

does the Secretary of State agree that women are suffering far more under this Government from massive increases in crimes of violence and fear of violence? What will he do about that dreadful situation?

I have already tackled that, as the hon. Lady knows, by increasing the penalties for attempted rape. The Metropolitan police in particular, as well as other police forces, have been devoting a great deal of attention, with our encouragement, to handling with greater sensitivity the crimes to which the hon. Lady refers. I think that that is beginning to have an effect.

To what extent does the Home Secretary accept that the Government's own policies contribute to those appalling crime figures? Are the Government responsible in any way for the record increase in crime?

If the hon. Gentleman had listened to my earlier answer, he would have heard that the rate of increase in recorded crime has been roughly steady for 30 years now, so his question does not arise. Neither we nor the country will take seriously criticisms on that point from the Labour party, which left our police forces in tatters when it left office, with morale at rock bottom. That Labour party still includes in its ranks people who base their activities on a desire to undermine the police and separate the police from the community.

Are not the police complacent about crimes of violence in some parts of the country? Is the Home Secretary aware of a case in my constituency where the home of an elderly couple was broken into? The couple were savagely beaten by the attacker. They suffered bruises and were badly injured. One of them was briefly hospitalised. The charge that was brought was one of actual bodily harm—a minor charge. The police gave bail without referring the matter to the court, and when I tackled the police about the case I was told that the chap had been given bail because of the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Is that not a disgrace, and will the Home Secretary hold the fullest possible inquiries into that case in the county of Cumbria?

It is open to the hon. Gentleman or to his consituents to make a complaint against the police if they feel that they have mishandled that case. In my discussions and visits I have not found among the police any complacency towards crime, especially the attrocious kind of crime that the hon. Gentleman described.

Given that there is a great deal of auto-crime in London, will my right hon. Friend say whether motor manuacturers could be encouraged to introduce into new cars extra measures to prevent such crime?

Yes, indeed. That was one of the fruits of my right hon. Friend's seminar at 10 Downing street the other day, when it was agreed that there should be a new British standard which would cover the security of cars. My hon. Friend is correct. The rate of auto-crime is extremely high. It is worth pointing out that 60 per cent. of the offences take place against unlocked cars.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the public think that some of the sentences imposed for the most bestial crimes of violence, compared to those for crimes against property, bear no relation to reality? Is he aware also that some of our courts seem to the public to be utterly out of touch with reality?

Hear, hear.

I note what my hon. Friend says, and that he has some support from the Benches behind me. It is not for Parliament to lay down how courts should sentence, but to provide them with adequate maximum sentences. That we are doing. As my hon. Friend will be aware, we tried in the last Session to include in the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 a provision which would have helped allay public anxiety about lenient sentences. Unfortunately, that provision was thrown out in another place. We are still considering how to revive that subject.

In the light of the serious crime figures, and as the Thames valley has the worst police-to-population ratio of any force except Norfolk, will my right hon. Friend guarantee today that he will seriously consider the Thames valley chief constable's request for 200 extra officers as soon a possible?

We have, and there is good news on its way to my hon. Friend.

Does the Home Secretary realise that in the relatively short time that the exchanges on this question have taken place there will have been a serious assault, a robbery and several burglaries? How does the Secretary of State reconcile that unpalatable fact, and the dramatic increase in the number of offences that have occurred since the Government came into office, with the Prime Minister's assertion that it is the Government's duty to protect its citizens from crime?

The hon. Gentleman knows about this subject. He knows better than to put that kind of jejune question. We have a coherent and defensible strategy, of which on the whole I believe that the country understands and approves, to deal with crime. It would be substantially more effective if it enjoyed the support from the Opposition that it deserves.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the electorate is becoming increasingly exasperated by the Labour party's attitude towards this matter? At a time of rising crime, surely they should support the Government's policy of putting more police on the streets and more resources into policing rather than criticise and undermine the constabulary, which is the hallmark of what the Opposition Front Bench says?

That is the point which, in my less eloquent way, I was trying to make.

The Home Secretary spoke about the Government's strategy against crime. Is he aware that, in a war, a general whose strategy resulted in ever more casualties and ever more defeats would be court martialled, if not put up before a firing squad? Will he please explain why, after seven years of this Prime Minister, and after all the hot air and the public relations gimmicks, crime is now worse than it has ever been in the country's modern history?

Prime Ministers, of whatever party, neither create nor abolish crime. I read in the correspondence columns of The Guardian that the Opposition are fumbling their way towards a policy on law and order. Might I suggest that they start by putting their own house in order?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to seek to amend the laws and regulations relating to the ownership and use of air weapons; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to do so at present. The controls on air weapons are already strict, and most owners use them safely and responsibly. Nevertheless, we will keep the situation under review.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police concerning air weapons has increased year after year, and that there is plenty of evidence of increasing misuse of air weapons, especially by young people? Is it not time that the Government reviewed the complicated legislation on the matter, which relates to four age groups, and at least considered raising the age limit for the possession or ownership of such weapons? Will they require people to notify their local police station that they have such weapons, thus avoiding the bureaucracy of the certification system?

I fully understand my hon. Friend's anxiety about any increase in crime involving weapons that can cause serious injury, if not fatality. I hope, however, that he will be modestly encouraged by the fact that the rate of notifiable offences involving air weapons increased by 1·2 per cent. in 1984 as compared with 1983. I am not satisfied with that, but the problem is not so much lack of legislation as making greater efforts to enforce existing legislation. I accept the need for greater effort in the areas of greater need.

Does the Minister agree that there are responsible clubs which could control the use of air weapons, and any other weapons, but that some recorded incidents are not necessarily criminal? Bus drivers are sometimes sniped at. That happens in many cities and could be extremely dangerous. The Minister said that the number of offences increased by only 1·2 per cent., but there is much evidence, if the Government are prepared to seek it out, to show that there is a growing tendency towards the misuse of air rifles in such a way as could cause serious injury. Will the Minister institute a survey?

The hon. Gentleman must have misunderstood me. I quite accept the need to control and reduce the number of recorded offences involving air weapons. The hon. Gentleman is right in saying that many sections of the population are at risk. We must increase information and training available through clubs to ensure that young people, many of whom acquire these weapons through their parents, are correctly instructed in their use.

Does my hon. Friend agree that what I have drawn to his attention in correspondence and have had drawn to my attention by a constitutent—the possibility of buying air guns, crossbows and revolvers through catalogues available to the general public without restriction—is clearly wrong and should be considered with the greatest possible urgency in the interests of doing something about this increasing problem?

I agree that there is a problem that may require consideration.

Is the Minister really surprised that the Opposition and his Back Benchers, some of whom went to see him about the matter more than a year ago, believe that the Government's policy on law and order has failed? Crimes of violence and other offences of that type are increasing faster under this Government than they did under any other. The Government have done nothing to clamp down on the availability of weapons such as crossbows, air weapons, guns and others. Will the Minister now act on our recommendations to him a year ago and set up some form of committee to consider the availability of guns and the corresponding availability of guns that are then required by the police? The matter is far too serious to be left any longer.

The hon. Gentleman will recall that offences involving firearms were increasing at the rate of 49 per cent. in the year that Labour left office, while 20 per cent. is the current figure. Substantial actions have been taken to restrain the availability and the misuse of firearms. The question relates to air weapons. I accept that more must be done to restrict the availability of air weapons and to ensure that persons can be trained in handling them.

Does my hon. Friend accept that the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher aroused strong feelings, which overwhelmingly—

Order. The question is about air guns.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the operations of the special branches of the police forces in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I am satisfied that the chief officers of forces in England and Wales take sensible measures to ensure that the operations of their special branches are carried out properly and effectively, having regard to the provisions of the Home Office guidelines on the work of a special branch issued on 19 December 1984. I pay tribute to the dedication and resourcefulness of our special branch officers.

It comes as no surprise that the right hon. Gentleman is satisfied. Is it not interesting that while the Home Secretary and the Conservative majority on the Select Committee were satisfied that all was well with the special branch, abuses occur which come to light, such as the vetting of the BBC? Does that not demonstrate that on matters of civil liberties — I am not discussing the excellent work undertaken by the special branch against terrorism—there are abuses that should be put right?

The hon. Gentleman had his go at the Select Committee, but he did not persuade its members that his analysis was right. I have no objection to the hon. Gentleman keeping an eye out for possible abuses and drawing them to the attention of the House, but he has not proved his point today.

Will my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that he will pay personal attention to all the reports and statements that have been forthcoming, which state that the rank and file in the Tottenham area are disturbed by the events leading up to the riot and by what happened at the riot?

Yes. Partly with that in mind, this week I invited the London executive committee of the Police Federation to come and see me, as the police authority concerned, not specifically to deal with Tottenham, but to discuss its point of view about the policing of London.

Is the Home Secretary aware of the great resentment of police officers at special branch officers going to other police divisions without informing the head of the police division that they are visiting the area? That causes much resentment in the police divisions. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, like the flying squad officers, special branch officers wander round the country without prior notice, thus offending many local police officers? They can easily be identified, because most special branch officers have large moustaches and wear carnations.

I do not believe that moustaches on officers are a widespread complaint. However, if the hon. Member has a specific example that he would like to put to me, let him do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to improve the emergency broadcasting system.

The main improvements involve the strengthening of installations at certain BBC transmitters and the extension of the wartime broadcasting service to include its local radio stations.

Does my right hon. Friend accept the urgency of the need to press ahead with improving communications between local authorities and local communities, especially now that it is generally accepted that civil defence personnel and facilities can be used for all major hazards, including civil hazards?

My hon. Friend is right. We are pressing ahead and will push the matter through as fast as possible. My hon. Friend will be aware of a private Member's Bill on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent inquiries he has made into possible links between violence depicted on television and violent behaviour by young people.

The Home Office research unit published a review of the research on this subject in 1977. Work is in hand to update the review, and will be published later in the year.

In view of that statement, will the Secretary of State consider publishing a consultative document which can be discussed publicly, as there is great anxiety about the issue?

There is no doubt from my postbag, especially from letters that I receive from right hon. and hon. Members, that substantial anxiety exists. The Home Office receives about 20 letters a day on the matter. That is why I took an initiative just before Christmas. I am to some extent reassured by what the broadcasting authorities have said and done since then. The House will have a chance to go further into the subject on Friday.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the public as a whole are sick and tired of the amount of violence shown on television? If the broadcasting authorities are unable or unwilling to deal with that problem, surely the Government must step in at once.

Parliament has given the broadcasting authorities — the IBA and BBC governors — in the charter and in Broadcasting Act 1981 clear and specific duties which it has not given to the Government. Most hon. Members would agree that that is right, but it is perfectly reasonable that the public, including the House, should keep a close and watchful eye on how the broadcasting authorities perform those responsibilities, and draw their own conclusions.

Is the Secretary of State aware that the BBC is currently discussing the updating of its guidelines about portraying scenes of violence? Will he consider making that document available for the Adjournment debate so that the House can discuss the matter and see whether there is a distinction between television violence which is vicarious and prevents the acting out of violence, and television violence which encourages violence? There is evidence on both sides of the question.

I accept that. I welcome what I have been told about the BBC's intentions, to which the hon. Gentleman referred. The House will have an opportunity on Friday, and perhaps thereafter, to express its views more clearly on the subject.

Has my right hon. Friend noticed that not only the BBC, but ITV, has this week announced plans to reduce the amount of violence shown on television programmes? Is that attempt to self-regulate the industry not extremely welcome and long overdue?

It is extremely welcome.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will invite the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to reconsider the amount of compensation paid to rape victims.

The board is responsible for reviewing the general level of awards in recognition of changes in the levels of civil damages, and carries out such review s when it considers them necessary. It would not be right for my right hon. Friend to intervene in that process.

My question does not ask the Home Secretary to intervene in the reviews. It asks him to invite the board to reconsider the amounts paid to rape victims. Will the Minister please answer the question? While he is at it, will he consider whether it is reasonable to invite the board to take account of the long-term psychological damage which is imposed by rape and to seek information from organisations working with rape victims?

The right hon. Gentleman asks Ministers to intervene, which would be unprecedented in the 20 years that the board has been in operation. In January 1984 the board assembled a panel of 41 judges and senior lawyers who were invited to give an opinion on what should be the starting figure—I stress the starting figure—for rape awards, upon which additional awards could be made in particularly bad cases. It was only after consideration by that panel, including several women lawyers, that the present level of awards was set. It would not be right for the Home Secretary to intervene in this quasi-judicial exercise.

Does my hon. Friend agree that this is an important but tiny strand in the whole vexed question of compensation payments made in a variety of different ways for a variety of different reasons? Does he also agree that there are serious dangers in following too readily the path followed in America towards high compensation payments in other areas, which simply attract litigation of all kinds?

The purpose of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is to make awards on behalf of the community to people who have been damaged by crimes of violence. I am happy to say that under this Government the level of awards made last year had risen to £35 million from £13 million in the last year of the Labour Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information on the incidence of crime he derives from the general household survey.

Information from the general household survey is used to assess the true incidence of burglaries and thefts in dwellings. For example, comparison of burglary figures with general household survey and British crime survey figures suggests that in 1972, 45 per cent. of burglary offences were reported to the police. In 1983, nearly 80 per cent. of such offences were reported. This may be a result of greater confidence in the police, or insurance demands.

rose— [Interruption.]

Order. We have more than 10 minutes of Question Time to go.

Despite the figures that the Minister has quoted, he must be aware that household survey figures seriously underestimate the real incidence of crime, which is up 40 per cent. from 1979, at the time of the outgoing Labour Government. Surely the Minister is also aware of the correlation between rising crime and unemployment, especially in inner city areas. Will he tell the House what measures he will take to improve matters, and what measures the Government intend to take to remedy the underlying causes of crime by bringing jobs back to the inner cities?

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is prepared to risk his academic reputation by making spurious claims of the kind that he has just advanced. The general household survey and the British crime survey show the existence of the dark figure of crime, that is, crimes which for many years have not been reported. The surveys also show that in certain sensitive crimes, like burglary, the proportion being reported has increased, suggesting that the kind of simplistic comparisons between reported crimes in one year and another made by the Opposition are superficial and not worthy of the breath it takes to utter them.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the chief constable of Northamptonshire has said that he will have difficulty in following up minor crimes if his resources are not increased? Will my hon. Friend confirm that it is the duty of the police to investigate every crime that is reported?

It is certainly the duty of the police to investigate every crime. The level of resources that they devote to each crime is a matter for local decision. We are reviewing the strengths of all police forces. There is provision for an increase of 1,000 police officers and civilians in 1986–87, and that is on top of the 13,000 increase in police officers and civilians that has taken place in England and Wales since 1979. I shall ensure that the claims of my hon. Friend's county force are not overlooked.

However one looks at the figures, it is clear that in six years of Conservative Government the crime rate has increased by 1 million a year. The Government have no excuse for that.

I appreciate the Labour party's desperation to win some spoils from law and order. It is depressing that during two Question Times in a row the Opposition should parrot this stuff. I suspect that they would be better occupied taking up the Home Secretary's challenge to devise a policy, rather than leave it to the editorial writers of the Guardian to do it for them.

In relation to the questions that have been asked this afternoon about obscenity on television—

Order. I am afraid we are past that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the numbers and percentage of serving police officers from ethnic minorities.

On 30 November 1985, 753 police officers —0·62 per cent. of the total police strength in England and Wales—were members of the ethnic minorities.

Will the Minister tell the House how many policemen have been recruited from the ethnic minority into the graduate training scheme? Given that that scheme will be used for the high ranking officers of the future, do the Government intend to try to attract more people from the black and ethnic minority groups?

I cannot give the hon. Gentleman the figure now, but I shall write to him about it. It is most important that the question should be on the Order Paper. I do not think that any of us underestimates the importance of the matter. We should bend our efforts towards attracting more members of the ethnic minority into the police.

Can my hon. and learned Friend reassure the House that in police recruitment aptitude and ability will continue to be the paramount considerations?

That is absolutely right. I am glad that my hon. Friend has mentioned that point. In the Scarman report it was made plain that it would not be right to lower educational standards, nor would it be right to have quotas and give the impression that there are second-class policemen. We cannot deal with the problem in that way.

What exactly is the Minister doing to encourage more people from the ethnic groups to join the police?

For a number of years there has been an annual advertising campaign, directed not so much at those who will join the force but at the opinion formers so that they may preach the gospel that the police service offers a good career. Most important of all, the police should continue to take steps to gain the confidence of the ethnic minority communities, and, of course, hon. Members and others should build up the confidence of local communities in the police and avoid denigrating them. It is that sort of behaviour, all too prevalent on the Left, which destroys so many of our efforts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with prison staffing levels and recruitment; and if he will make a statement.

We are satisfied that prison staffing levels and recruitment are sufficient to meet the general requirements of the prison service. Prison officer numbers at over 18,500 are higher than ever before, and represent an increase of around 17 per cent. since 1979.

I thank my hon. Friend for his reply. In view of the Government's excellent prison building programme, is he satisfied that there is sufficient and adequate provision for the recruitment of further prison officers to staff the enhanced prison accommodation?

We took a decision late last year to increase the numbers that could be recruited in the present financial year. I assure my hon. Friend that the matter is kept under constant review.

Will the Minister consider the reply that he has just given to the House? Will he confirm that he has had constant representations from the Prison Officers Association about the inadequacy of staffing in prisons, such as Winson Green in Birmingham, which leads to both convicted prisoners and those on remand being locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day?

I acknowledge that, despite the Government embarking on the largest increase in expenditure on the prison system this century, problems still remain. One is that the increase in the number of prisoners means that we are still below the authorised staffing levels in some prisons. I accept that that has unfortunate consequences in some establishments, including Winson Green. We shall continue to do what we can to tackle the problems.

Does my hon. Friend accept that morale is an important factor in recruitment and in the retention of prison officers already in post? Will he therefore order an immediate investigation into the scurrilous attack made on Monday in the Daily Mirror against prison officers at Rudgate prison in my constituency, so that their good name may be cleared quickly?

The individual who made those allegations was himself a former prison officer dismissed from the service for dishonesty, so he obviously has an interest in saying such things. We have no reason to think that any of the allegations are true, but the matter is being investigated, as my hon. Friend wishes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days' training per year is given to police officers on the use of firearms.

The Association of Chief Police Officers, in consultation with the Home Office, has recommended to all chief officers of police in England and Wales that the basic training course for firearms officers should last a minimum of 10 working days, and should be followed by regular refresher training four times a year for two consecutive days on each occasion. Once they have qualified as authorised firearms officers, some officers undergo additional specialist firearms training; the length of such courses varies according to the type of weapon involved and the duties likely to be undertaken.

Does the Home Secretary agree that this training rightly takes up a considerable amount of time and is extremely expensive? Is it not therefore essential that police officers should be armed on only the absolute minimum of occasions?—[Interruption.]

I had some difficulty in hearing the hon. Member—[Interruption.]

Order.

—but I take his point. It is worth while telling the House that the number of firearms issued to the police in 1984—the last year for which I have figures—is down on 1983 by more than 16 per cent.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

This morning I presided at a meeeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to attend a reception in honour of the Prime Minister of Israel and shall later preside at a dinner for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Before the Prime Minister loses another member of her Cabinet to the Brittangate scandal, will she send a message to Mr. Rupert Murdoch of News International, one of the millionaire owners of Britain's undemocratic press, that he is not a first world war general filling the trenches outside his Wapping plant with rolls of barbed wire — [Interruption.] — and that industrial serfdom, where the workers become the property of the masters, should have disappeared from this country centuries ago?

He is, in fact, trying to get rid of restrictive practices which should have been got rid of years ago, as they affect the future of some of Britain's most distinguished newspapers.

The parents of Yvonne Fletcher, who live in my constituency, have understandably been very upset by the decision to allow the return of a member of the Libyan People's Bureau to this country, and indeed, to Wiltshire. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that this will not be looked on as a precedent for other members of the bureau?

I believe that the case is unique. My hon. Friend will be aware of the circumstances, which are that Mr. Ben Rahba applied for a visa to re-enter the United Kingdom in order to rejoin his English wife and children. The application was rejected by the Home Office because of his presence in the bureau at the time of the shooting. Mr. Ben Rahba exercised his right of appeal, and the adjudicator found in his favour.

Will the Prime Minister tell us whether she is currently maintaining her Government's policy of allowing the pound to find its own level?

I have no change to announce in interest rates, if that is what the right hon. Gentleman means.

The question that I asked was very plain. I hope that, on reflection, the Prime Minister will find it in herself to respond to that question, because the whole country is interested. Could she then tell us if her policy, to which she is not prepared to make an addition today, is going to continue, and, if so, for how long?

The exchange rate is one of the factors that one looks at in continuing the policy of having as top priority the reduction of inflation.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is highly desirable to persuade our partners in the European fighter aircraft project that this should be a European programme, bearing in mind the health of our defence industries, especially Ferranti, the largest private employer in Edinburgh?

When the European fighter aircraft project gets under way we shall have a radar competition later this year. When that competition is held, I am sure that Ferranti, which has an excellent product, will be a very strong contender.

The Prime Minister, having lost control of her Cabinet, has now also lost control of the economy. Is she aware that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is now widely thought to be in favour of joining the European monetary system? If interest rates rise, as many fear will happen tomorrow, will she make it clear to the House that this will be accompanied by a decision to join the EMS?

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will first get control over his own small party before he criticises others.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that if pension funds were forced to invest in a national investment bank under the control of a Labour Government, that would inevitably lead to investment in loss-making undertakings, which would jeopardise the pensions of millions of people who are in occupational pension schemes?

Yes. We must ensure that that never happens.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

If interest rates rise, will not the Prime Minister be ashamed of the fact that this country will have the highest interest rates of any developed industrialised country, except Italy, and that that will mean that mortgages will rise, which will have a devastating effect upon those with the lowest incomes? What will she say to those poor people who believed the Tory propaganda about a property-owning democracy?

It is not propaganda. We are gradually bringing about a far wider spread of house ownership and of share ownership than ever took place under previous Governments. Rises in interest rates are unwelcome. The Government have pledged themselves to take whatever action is necessary to keep down inflation. The markets have been unsettled this week as the price of oil has fallen, but the Bank of England has maintained its current dealing rates.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of Dr. Andrey Sakharov's banishment to Gorki? The whole House—I venture to think without exception — condemns unequivocally the holding of prisoners of conscience anywhere in the world, either without trial or on the basis of trumped up charges. Will my right hon. Friend, at the earliest opportunity, make representations to Mr. Gorbachev about the case of Dr. Sakharov?

I agree with my hon. Friend that we should have special memory for Dr. Sakharov's fantastic efforts to try to get some liberty in the Soviet Union. We condemn this kind of action wherever it occurs, and we admire Dr. Sakharov's moves for liberty.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Does the Prime Minister agree that the present spate of massive takeover bids is bound, in the long run, to lead to even greater redundancies in this country and will put even more pressure upon smaller businesses to improve the economy of the country? Will the Prime Minister encourage her Ministers positively to discriminate in favour of the smaller businesses in this country, which are so beleaguered by high interest rates, increasing council rates and all the other charges?

I agree with the hon. Gentleman's proposition that in order to increase wealth creation, and in particular job creation, we need to pay particular regard to the policies that affect small businesses. We try to do just that. The numbers of small businesses are increasing. The numbers of self-employed are also increasing. That is good news.

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that earlier this week she raised with President Mitterrand, either in English or in French, the very serious crisis in the tin industry? If so, can she say whether there has been a favourable response towards a settlement of this deep crisis?

I am very much aware of my hon. Friend's particular interest in this problem. I raised the subject of the crisis in the tin market. I believe that there is now an increasing amount of co-operation among the European nations.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Does the Prime Minister agree with her hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) that the chief pressure for high rates in the shire counties this year is the Government's policy on the rate support grant?

No. There was a decision this year to move towards giving more money to the inner cities, and I am afraid that did cause great trouble with the shire counties. We are urged in the House constantly to give more attention to the inner cities, and we find it a bit hard to be criticised for doing what we have been urged to do.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that all the teachers unions, except the National Union of Teachers, seem to be willing to try to find an accommodation through ACAS? Is it not high time that the NUT started to put the pupils' interests first?

Yes, and I hope and believe that it is. I should like to pay tribute to those many teachers who have stayed at their posts honourably and conscientiously and borne the heat and burden of the strike action of those who have not.

Did the right hon. Lady impress upon Mr. Peres the essential need for Israel to accept the validity of the PLO in any negotiations towards a peace treaty in the middle east? Will she try to make him understand that, if he does not use the moderate influence of Chairman Arafat, he, or his successor, will have to face a much less moderate and more radical leadership of the Palestinians?

The hon. Gentleman knows the position, and it has not changed. Mr. Peres is in favour of direct negotiations between Israel and the Jordanian-Palestinian delegation within the framework of an international conference. I do not think that there is any question of accepting the PLO until it accepts resolutions 242 and 388, renounces violence, and accepts the right of Israel to exist.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is much interest in the talks that she had yesterday with Mr. Peres, in which one would hope that she did not adopt the belligerent attitude of the hon. Member for Warley, East (Mr. Faulds)? Is she able to tell the House of any advance made or of any solutions put forward in regard to the middle east situation?

I am afraid that I cannot suddenly come out with new solutions. One knows this particular aspect of world politics very well and the difficulty of finding a lasting solution which will give peace and security to all states in the region. The talks which I had with Mr. Peres were not only enjoyable but very interesting and constructive. I hope to visit Israel later this year.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Does the Prime Minister think that her current placing in the opinion polls is a reflection of the way that people feel about the way she runs the country?

I think that there is only one answer to that—no. I hope that we shall go forward to the next election and win for the third time with an even larger majority.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

Despite the recent pressures on the sterling exchange rate, will my right hon. Friend reaffirm her commitment to lower interest rates in the long term and lower income tax for the people of this country? Will she ignore totally the Opposition Front Bench, whose economic policy would bring this country to absolute ruin?

I gladly support the last aspect of my hon. Friend's question. We would all like lower interest rates, but there are other things, like the level of inflation, at which we have to look as well. We would all like lower taxes, and that means being very careful in budgeting for public expenditure. With regard to keeping industry competitive, it is vital that any wage increases should go hand in hand with productivity increases.

Will the Prime Minister find time to discuss with the Minister for Health the cataclysmic drop in the morale of nurses as a result of the implications of the Griffiths report? Is she aware that the disillusionment of nursing officers is creating a crisis in the Health Service? Will she meet representatives of the Royal College of Nursing at the earliest opportunity?

As I said during Question Time on Tuesday, I visited a large hospital last Friday. I did not find the situation as the hon. Gentleman reports it. I found good morale, and some nurses have the opportunity to apply for the jobs of managers.

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 23 January.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave some moments ago.

The two best things about the Channel tunnel project are that thousands of jobs—

Order. The hon. Gentleman must ask a question.

I am about to ask my question, Mr. Speaker. The two good things are the thousands of jobs that it will create and the fact that it will involve no expenditure of public funds. Will my right hon. Friend now look around and find similar projects for the application of those two principles?

My hon. Friend puts his finger on a most important point. Six and a half years ago it would have been unthinkable that we could agree a Channel tunnel scheme and have it privately funded. II is enormously exciting that we have done so, and we should look round for other similar projects.