If she will make a statement on the role of development banks in her Department's policies. [111173]

The Government are a major shareholder in, and work closely with, all the key multilateral development banks—the World Bank, the Asian Development bank, the Inter-American Development bank, the African Development bank, the Caribbean Development bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. I am the United Kingdom governor of the development banks, and an alternate governor of the EBRD. UK representatives sit on the boards of all the banks, which have the capacity to contribute significantly to development. The regional banks have special authority in their regions. Since May 1997, we have worked to ensure that all the development banks focus their efforts on achieving international poverty eradication targets.

I thank the right hon. Lady for that reply. The state of the road network in Mozambique has significantly impaired relief and rescue efforts. However, a 30—month programme for rehabilitation of Mozambique's roads is due for appraisal by the African Development bank at the end of May. What can the Department for International Development do to pressure banks to develop infrastructure in countries prone to natural disasters?

The African Development bank went through a bad phase of overlending and inefficiency, but has become much more efficient under the leadership of President Kabbaj. I believe that the public sector should contribute to road building where private finance cannot work. In Mozambique, that idea applies largely to rural roads, which make a difference if people are to improve their livelihoods by getting their crops to market or to get their children to school.

It is greatly to the Government's credit that we can talk more widely about organisations in which we are major shareholders. Particularly welcome is the Asian Development bank's recent commitment to the eradication of poverty as one of its major purposes. Does my right hon. Friend welcome that commitment, and does she hope that other bodies will follow suit?

I do, indeed, and I admire the leadership given to the Asian Development bank by President Chino. My hon. Friend's point is similar to that made by the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne): we need feasibility studies and regulatory systems that will bring private sector investment into major infrastructure, and we need to use the development banks to strengthen social sectors and focus on poverty. President Chino has done that effectively, and I am very impressed.

I am sure that the Secretary of State will agree that the African Development bank can play a vital role in the eventual reconstruction of Mozambique. Does she agree, however, that the clear priority today is to save the lives of the 100,000 people stranded in trees, on roofs and on high ground in a fellow Commonwealth country? I thank the right hon. Lady for what her Department has already done, but is it not obvious that too few helicopters are flying in Mozambique? Why will she not combine forces with the Ministry of Defence, charter heavy-lift aircraft and fly a batch of British helicopters and pilots to Mozambique before it is too late?

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's praise for my officials, who are working enormously hard. I fear that the situation in Mozambique is terrible, and that it is going to get much worse. Another cyclone is on the way, another river is about to overflow, and Caborra Basso must be allowed to overflow if it is not to put more people at risk.

I am sure that the whole House welcomes what the Secretary of State says, but our responsibility is to do all that we can today. If it takes two days to fly helicopters down there from Europe, surely the sooner we get them flying, saving lives and distributing food, the better. It was obvious from the response on Monday that co-operation between her Department and the Ministry of Defence is not all that it might be. Will she make it a key priority to co-operate with the Ministry of Defence and get more helicopters working to save lives today?

I am sorry, but the hon. Gentleman is misinformed. There is absolutely no problem about co-operation with the Ministry of Defence. He may remember that, when Hurricane Mitch struck, we happened to have a British ship full of helicopters in the area. We have to be opportunistic in emergencies and make use of what is available as rapidly as possible. Even if people manage to cling on to their trees, they will not have water and food unless we get to them. We are talking about human lives that need to be saved very quickly. I have no preference for any source, and that is my instruction to my officials.

My understanding is that the Royal Air Force has hired an Antonov, which is on its way carrying helicopters that will be deployed within 48 hours. Is that correct?

I hope that my hon. Friend is right, but I have not heard that, and I think that I would have if it were the case.

What steps she is taking to encourage the promotion of education on development issues in schools. [111174]

In the White Paper we said that all children in the United Kingdom should be educated about development issues so that they can understand the key global issues that will shape their lives, so our Department has participated in curriculum reviews throughout the UK and secured enhanced opportunities for development issues to be included in the mainstream curriculum. We are working to ensure that teachers have the back-up to achieve that.

That is extremely welcome. The Minister obviously understands the huge value in helping young people to understand the enormity of events such as those in Mozambique by learning about the everyday life of people in developing countries. Will he celebrate with me the work that is going on in schools throughout the country? May I renew my invitation to him and the Secretary of State to visit Ansford community school in my constituency, which is doing outstanding, and now nationally recognised, work with Zambia?

I certainly hope that one of us can take up that offer. We really enjoy visiting schools. I went to Holy Cross school in Croy in Lanarkshire, where the children had been studying Victorian times in history. When they read about child labour, they suddenly realised that the same thing is happening in our world today, and we need to do something about it.

Perhaps Mr. Pike can do better than that for me.

Is it not most encouraging that the two things about which young people most often write to Members of Parliament are the environment and international development? Does not that show that there is a great future for our young people and that education in those areas is already working?

I agree. When I visit schools I am greatly encouraged by the depth of knowledge and understanding of such issues, but we are not complacent: we inherited a budget of £750,000 for development education, and next year it will be £5 million.

Will the Minister consider how his Department can encourage schemes whereby the increasing number of young people who have a gap year after school can visit third world countries and contribute directly to development there?

Yes, I am certainly happy to look at that—we look at all sorts of things. I have met with my hon. Friend the Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith), who is the Scottish Education Minister, and with Martin McGuinness when he was the Minister responsible in Northern Ireland, and I intend to meet Welsh Ministers. We shall discuss all those opportunities for school and post-school activities.

When she last met her EU counterparts to discuss the issue of poverty reduction. [111175]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last discussed poverty elimination with her EU counterparts at the Development Council in November, at which she introduced a specific agenda item on improving the poverty focus of European Commission aid. I, too, met Ministers at the informal Development Council in Lisbon in January. I assure my hon. Friend that we are working to improve the contribution of EC development programmes to the international poverty eradication strategy.

I thank my hon. Friend for that good news. Does he agree that it is vital that the EU speak with one voice? The Government have a clear strategy on poverty alleviation. Anything we do to pull countries along with us is to be welcomed.

I agree. We are spending more than 70 per cent. of our development assistance in the poorest countries of the world. The EC did the same in 1987, but by 1997, the proportion was down to 54 per cent. That trend must be reversed. We are pleased that, at our suggestion, the Commission is to make proposals on improving the poverty focus. We expect the paper to be produced later this month. We believe that it should include a target of at least 70 per cent. of expenditure going to the poorest countries in the world.

Will the Minister make it clear to his EU counterparts that the eradication of poverty is not furthered by corruption, military adventurism overseas, or the expropriation of private agricultural holdings, as is happening in Zimbabwe? Will he ensure that there is a moral dimension to the EU's aid programme?

I agree with all the hon. Gentleman's points. We are especially concerned about Zimbabwe's proposals on land acquisition. We are in favour of land reform in that country and would encourage proper land reform. On his other points, the hon. Gentleman and I spent a couple of hours this morning in European Standing Committee B, discussing them in detail. I am sure that he knows that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, the Government as a whole and I are all committed to improving the poverty focus of the European Commission's programme.

Is my hon. Friend aware that Poul Nielson, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, visited Mozambique yesterday? Is he also aware that, at lunchtime, Glenys Kinnock criticised the EU's lack of speed in delivering assistance to Mozambique? Given the excellent response of his Department, will he join me in appealing to the EU to give as much aid, in every sense, as it can, while remembering the greater need for long-term development?

I understand that the EU has already pledged 1 billion—[Interruption]—sorry, I almost increased the figure substantially; the EU has pledged 1 million euro for humanitarian assistance in Mozambique and is considering ways in which that sum can be increased. Contrary to the words of the Opposition, my hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that the British Government are taking a lead in providing humanitarian assistance in Mozambique. I hope that other European countries will follow our example.

Last month, the Commission representative in London confirmed to me that aid programmes in Africa will show more cases of irregularity and fraud, that corruption is endemic, and that, when money is given directly to Governments, it is difficult to ensure that it is well spent. Despite that, last year, the Minister gave almost £1 billion of aid directly to foreign Governments, whereas only half that sum was delivered through non-governmental organisations, such as the British Council, the programmes of which have been slashed by his Department. Will he now admit that his policy has misfired and adopt the policies advocated by the Opposition to increase the use of NGOs and reinstate the British Council, which can deliver aid far more effectively than most Governments?

I am not sure how that question relates to the one on the Order Paper, but I can assure the hon. Lady, as I did in Committee this morning, that we are determined to ensure that the EU has procedures to prevent fraud and, if it does occur, to root it out. This morning, I gave the hon. Lady the example of the Côte d'Ivoire, where fraud was discovered and the money paid back. We do ensure that that takes place. Under the Labour Government, the delivery of assistance by the EU has improved year by year, and we aim to ensure that that progress continues.

If she will make a statement on the action taken by her Department to ensure that debt relief is linked with poverty eradication. [111176]

The Government contributed a paper to last year's review of the heavily indebted poor countries initiative, a copy of which is in the Library. We argued that, to qualify for debt relief, countries should develop a national poverty reduction strategy. The strategy should set out the Government's policies and actions to tackle poverty, and demonstrate how all resources will be allocated, including those arising from debt relief. Governments should consult their public and the international financial institutions in formulating the strategy, so that it commands broad-based support. I strongly support this approach, which was agreed at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in September, and is now being implemented. In this way, debt relief will help to achieve a stronger commitment to policies to reduce poverty.

Given the number of natural disasters, particularly that in Mozambique, what practical steps have been taken to help to restructure and rebuild those economies that have been affected; and can my right hon. Friend give some examples of poverty relief schemes?

Debt relief on its own cannot help countries to restructure their economies. It can remove the hangover of debt that prevents Governments from using their money well, and we can give such countries further support to help them to manage their economies better. In Mozambique, we have a crisis and we need to save lives, but there will be a massive reconstruction effort. The reduction of poverty requires good macro-economic management to attract domestic and inward investment to help the economy to grow; children need to be educated and basic health care needs should be met. The poverty reduction strategies that are developing alongside debt relief will help to achieve such policies.

Under the HIPC2 initiative, Mozambique was due to qualify for more debt relief this year, but that would only have reduced its debt service bill to $62 million a year, which would still have been more than its total spending on health and education. That fact, combined with the destruction of its infrastructure due to the floods, means that it will be years before Mozambique ever reaches the level that it was at even two weeks ago. Will the right hon. Lady reassure the House that she will press the international community to strengthen long-term aid for Mozambique and press for immediate 100 per cent. debt cancellation?

As we said on Monday, Mozambique has been a star reformer since the end of the civil war, and that is admirable for one of the poorest countries on earth. The present crisis is a tragedy because it has been driving its economy forward. However, at the moment, it has big reserves because its Government's capacity to spend is so weak. We must get it through this crisis. Yes, it must have its full debt relief and the debt overhang must be removed. As the hon. Lady knows, Britain is committed to 100 per cent. debt relief, for which Mozambique has qualified. It will repay no more money to the UK, and yesterday the Chancellor pressed other Governments to do the same. After the immediate crisis in Mozambique, the big job will be to help with the reconstruction when it will draw down on many of its reserves, but it will need more support.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the rapid response of sending two plane loads of small boats to Mozambique. Does she agree that, while, of course, corruption must be rooted out for the good of those who suffer poverty, it can far too easily be used as an excuse by those mean people who do not want to give money to good causes and simply refuse to cough up?

I agree that we must find ways of helping. In countries with grave corruption we should not allow the poor who are the victims of that to become victims twice over by denying them help from the international community. The poor pay the price for corruption in the loss of economic development and by having to pay bribes for basic services. We must root out corruption to obtain faster development and eradicate poverty, and the international community is now, at last, addressing that.

Last week, when the International Development Committee visited Malawi—one of the poorest countries—the Finance Minister told us that with HIPC, for which the country does not yet qualify, it would receive a reduction in capital repayments and interest on its indebtedness of only $30 million. Therefore, the reduction per year would be from $120 million to $90 million, which is insufficient. Is the right hon. Lady satisfied that HIPC is generous enough and that, when there are savings, those will be concentrated on poverty reduction in the spheres of health and education?

It is my view that the enhanced HIPC, which will cancel $100 billion of debt—the highly indebted poor countries have $145 billion of debt—is about right. Countries have to be responsible about their borrowing, but HIPC will reduce it to reasonable proportions. Malawi is a desperately poor country, which inherited limited capacity from a dictatorship. The United Kingdom has a large and growing programme. My view is that HIPC2 is the right balance. Beyond that, we should help countries to get their debt down to manageable proportions and to drive forward by borrowing wisely and receiving aid, not focusing on ever-increasing amounts of debt relief. HIPC is about right and we should speed up implementation.

What assessment she has made of the progress made by UK non-governmental organisations funded by her Department in rebuilding the education system in Kosovo. [111177]

Our main support to education in Kosovo has been through the United Nations children fund—UNICEF. We made £2 million available to UNICEF as soon as the refugees had begun to return, most of which was allocated to educational support. That helped UNICEF to get 75 per cent. of school-age children back in school by 1 November 1999—the figure is now 85 per cent.—which is a considerable achievement given the widespread destruction of buildings and the fact that, from 1990 on when the Albanian language was banned in schools, the state school system crumbled. We also provided £600,000 to KFOR to support emergency repairs to school buildings.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that encouraging response. I also pay tribute to the work that she has done along with UNICEF. Does she agree that, in the sort of environment that exists in Kosovo, education is essential? It gives the children stability and teaches them the value of tolerance, which will be essential for the rebuilding of the various communities in the region.

I agree. Many people who comment on Kosovo have now forgotten the build-up. For 10 years before the conflict, Albanian teachers were expelled from schools, the children could not speak their language in schools and they did not have a normal education system within which Serb and Albanian children met. Now, it is difficult because of the bitterness. We are trying to reconstruct a normal school system within which children will learn to treat each other as equals. That is important.

Is the Secretary of State aware that of the 300,000 school children in education in Kosovo, fewer than 0.3 per cent. are of Serbian extraction, which demonstrates that almost all Serbian families with children to protect have left the province? That shows that the product of our policy there will be an ethnically pure Kosovo of Albanians only.

I agree that those matters are a worry, but no one should be surprised. Ten years of persecution of Albanian-speaking people before the conflict and all the killing have led to bitterness. It is crucial that we stand up for the principle of equal treatment, as KFOR is doing. We are inching forward, but the situation is bad because the seeds of bitterness and hatred have been sown for 10 years and, sadly, it takes time to put that right. We are doing our very best.

In welcoming the excellent work of UNICEF in Kosovo, will my right hon. Friend also warmly welcome the launch today of its Growing Up Alone Campaign, which, in the next 18 months, aims to improve dramatically the lot of children throughout the world who face the problems of poverty, war and AIDS-HIV?

We welcome the campaign. We work strongly with UNICEF in trying to develop policies that reach all children, not only some children, and that is the way in which UNICEF is moving. That campaign is focusing, for example, on child soldiers and AIDS orphans—children who have no one to protect them. We should be particularly responsible for them.

If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 1 March.

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.

I endorse the Prime Minister's comments on Mr. and Mrs. Colvin. I am sure that all hon. Members associate themselves with those comments.

First, I share my hon. Friend's concerns. However, it is important that we should try to establish the facts. There are indeed legitimate concerns: in particular, we need to know how such charges might impact on pensioners and lower-income customers, and what assessment has been made of the impact on small rural communities, where there may be only one cashpoint. We shall also be receiving shortly Don Cruickshank's report on banking efficiency and competition, which examines some of those issues.

I thank the Prime Minister on behalf of the Opposition for his kind remarks on last week's tragedy and the death of Michael and Nichola Colvin. Michael Colvin was a fine Member of Parliament, and Nichola Colvin was a wonderful lady. The whole House is absolutely united on that.

clinical need is supposed to determine whether people are treated or not. If that is not happening, that is wrong.

The actual guidance that we issued—it is important that we repeat it—states:

clinical priority must be the main determinant of when patients are seen as outpatients or admitted as inpatients.

What seems to happen in practice under the Government's waiting list initiative is quite different. The chairman of the British Medical Association said:

The Government is obsessed with waiting list targets that distort clinical priorities to the detriment of patient care.

crisis in heart surgery was deepening,

I believe that the principal problem with waiting and heart disease and heart operations is the shortage of heart and cardiac specialists and specialist nurses. That is why we now have 400 extra cardiac specialists in training, which will deliver by 2005—of course it takes time to train them—a 50 per cent. increase. That is a significant increase.

Is it not a fact that priorities are distorted? Is it not time that the Prime Minister gave all the facts? I have here the briefing that the Department of Health sent to No. 10 for Prime Minister's questions a few weeks ago. [Interruption.] Labour Members should listen, because the Prime Minister does not read it out. Under the heading "No. 10 Briefing for PM Questions" its fact number one is:

At the end of September 1999 there were 264,000 more patients waiting over 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment than at the end of March 1997.

First, on cardiac services, the national service framework is being published on Monday. I have pointed out the number of extra cardiac surgeons in training. Nobody disputes that there are problems that need to be sorted out, but we are taking action to sort them out: the £21 billion extra investment, all the accident and emergency departments being renovated, 37 new hospitals—the largest capital programme ever—4,000 more nurses, 2,000 more doctors, a 60 per cent. increase in cancer specialists, NHS Direct, the new primary care groups, which handle three times the budget of the old two-tier fundholders, and half a million more operations. That is not to say that there are not still many other problems to be sorted out, but we are trying to sort them out. The difference is that we see those problems as a reason for action. The right hon. Gentleman sees them as an excuse for undermining the health service in principle.

I welcome the steps taken this week to boost volunteering, but will my right hon. Friend accept that, particularly in less prosperous areas such as South Yorkshire, the networks set up to support volunteering can be successful only if they are properly funded? Will he also assure me that employers will be encouraged to allow staff to do voluntary work without it affecting their pay or prospects?

We are already funding the millennium volunteers scheme. I want to see how we can do more to give opportunities to people who want to volunteer. I also entirely accept my hon. Friend's comment that employers can do more. A number of major companies intend to embrace the scheme to allow their staff to take a paid day off once a year to work in the voluntary sector. I intend to do that myself, both as an individual and as an employer, with people in Downing street and the Cabinet Office able to take a minimum of one day's paid leave a year to do voluntary work. I hope that many will take up that opportunity throughout the country.

I associate my colleagues and myself with the proper expressions of condolences to the Colvin family for the truly terrible experience that they have endured. I also take this opportunity to welcome back warmly my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones). We are all very pleased to see him restored to his parliamentary duties. He has told me of the case of his constituent, Mr. Bob Howes, who has suffered two heart attacks, yet he is still waiting an inordinate length of time for the cardiac treatment that he needs. Dr. Wilde's remarks have been well reported. Is it not a deplorable state of affairs, three years into a Labour Government, with all the expectations that were generated at the general election, that he is citing the fact that 10 of his patients have died who could have been saved had the medical procedures been available?

I welcome the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) back to the House of Commons, as we all do. I am delighted to see him back here.

Does it remain the Prime Minister's intention over five years to get health spending in this country up to European levels? If so, does he believe that the tax cut in April will assist that process? Does he not acknowledge that the pledge that he and his party were elected on was to save the NHS before cutting tax? Is it not the case that we are getting tax bribes from the Government instead of saving lives from the Government?

The £21 billion is extra money for the national health service. It is also infinitely more than the Liberal Democrats have ever promised. Indeed, we have already put more money into the health service than the Liberal Democrats promised. The plain fact of the matter is that yes, we can get additional money into the health service if we manage the economy properly. It is important that we do that, which is why we have pursued policies that have given us 800,000 extra jobs in the economy, that have given us the best record on inflation of any European country and that have managed to cure the appalling debt that we inherited from the Conservatives. If we followed the recipe set out by the Liberal Democrats, and spent and spent and spent without any idea of where the money came from, we would not be able to maintain the funding in the consistent way that the country needs.

Is the Prime Minister aware that I have never started a question by congratulating him? Is he further aware that I have to break the habit of a parliamentary lifetime due to the astonishing work being done by himself, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for International Development in combating world poverty? Given that Britain is spearheading the relief effort in Mozambique, and given the scale of that catastrophe, which I saw for myself a few days ago, will the Prime Minister or Members of his Government undertake to contact Heads of State in the European Union and, indeed, President Clinton, so that our allies take the lead that we have taken in saving lives around the world?

We are certainly in touch with our allies. I am sure that the whole House will be appalled by the terrible scenes in Mozambique. We have now found and chartered five more helicopters locally, making, I think, a total of nine. We are sending two large transport aircraft with 69 inflatable boats and motors, 39 self-inflating rafts and Land-Rovers, and there is a team of 30 expert volunteers going with this equipment. We are also sending more shelter material and sheeting. The United Kingdom has, in fact, already committed £4.2 million to help people in Mozambique. That is more than any other country, but it is what is necessary, and we hope that other countries will join in with the effort.

Could the Prime Minister confirm the rumour that is circulating in the House that the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) is resigning as Labour's candidate for London mayor?

No, I cannot.

The Prime Minister will be aware that more than 1.5 million people in this country suffer from diabetes. It is the main cause of blindness in the under-65s, and half of lower limb amputations are because of diabetes. Does the Prime Minister share my view that the decision today to make pen needles free on prescription will benefit the 400,000 diabetics who inject insulin and will continue our battle against a condition that kills, maims and blinds?

I pay tribute to the work that my hon. Friend has done as secretary of the all-party group on diabetes. This is an issue, as he says, that affects more than 1 million people. We take the burden of diabetes very seriously. I am therefore delighted that from today, people who treat their diabetes with insulin will be able to get pen needles and reusable pens on prescription from their GP.

What would the Prime Minister say to my constituent, Mr. Thomas of Loughton, who faced the choice of either a long and dangerous—[Interruption.] I do not know what was funny about my constituent. It is a tragic case. What would the Prime Minister say to Mr. Thomas, who faced the choice of either a long and dangerous wait for a heart bypass operation or spending his life savings so that he could have the operation more quickly? At the same time, the health authority was carrying out many minor operations. Today, the Prime Minister has been glib with his statistics. Does not he realise that, in the real world, people like Mr. Thomas know that clinical priorities are being distorted just to make the Prime Minister's waiting list statistics look better?

Obviously, I do not know the individual case of the hon. Lady's constituent. As I have said, the only way to deal with these matters is to deal with the root of the problem—insufficient specialists and insufficient specialist nurses to carry out those operations. I hope that she will agree that what is necessary in the health service is additional investment. I hope, therefore, that she will also agree that any political party that had the policy of cutting taxes before anything else would have the wrong priority for the country. The one group of people who cannot say that they would do more for people in the health service are the Conservative party.

I am sure that my right hon. Friend is aware of the massive hospital building programme that has gone on since he came to office. In fact, he has given the go-ahead for 37 new hospitals at a cost of £3 billion. Is he aware that the first hospital to be completed will be the new Cumberland infirmary in my constituency? We waited 20 years for that hospital under the previous, Conservative Government. Will he join me in congratulating all the staff involved in the construction and design of the building? I understand that it will be delivered 13 weeks early and on budget; that is probably a first for the NHS. Does he agree that that is another example of the Government delivering for the NHS?

I know that my hon. Friend campaigned for many years for that hospital. It is worth pointing out that, although about £30 million was spent on consultancy fees under the previous Government, not a single hospital was built under the private finance initiative. This is the first acute private finance hospital to be completed; it is on time and on budget. It will provide a state-of-the-art hospital with more than 400 beds for the people of Carlisle and the surrounding area. However, we know that in many other parts of the country the same thing is wanted. We shall get there and deliver them their hospitals too.

Which of the Labour candidates for mayor of London supports the Government's policy on the tube?

The right hon. Gentleman should allow me to run the Labour party and he can run the Conservative party.

This is a question about the Government's policy. Which of the Labour candidates for mayor of London supports the Government's policy on the tube?

The policy on the tube has been well set out and is, in fact, supported; it is the policy that will be carried through. I repeat that I will take care of running the Labour party and the right hon. Gentleman can run the Conservative party.

So the answer is that there is no Labour candidate who supports the Government's policy on the tube. Was not it all summed up by the Labour spokesman? He said:

Basically, Frank can say what he likes about the tube, but the policy is the policy.

Of course, Frank's going to be his own man.

What the right hon. Gentleman says about the policy is nonsense. The real difference is between the Labour party, which supports a public-private partnership, and the Conservative party, which will privatise the whole tube system. People know, if they vote for the Conservative candidate, that the same privatisation that happened with the railways will happen with the tube. That is not the case with us.

I have just returned from being a patient who received excellent care and attention in two NHS hospitals, so I have to pay tribute to the hard-working staff—both medical and non-medical—of ward 9B of Aberdeen royal infirmary and of ward 10 of Woodend hospital. Will my right hon. Friend promise me that he will do everything in his power to ensure that all NHS patients get the excellent care that I received? Will he also continue the Government's policy of making sure that there are above inflation increases in the wages of all NHS staff?

We will certainly do that. First, in relation to NHS staff, we have now got the large starting pay increase for new nurses and that has resulted in a 25 per cent. increase in the numbers taking nursing degrees. Of course, the number of nurses in training was cut before we came to office under the previous Government. Secondly, the almost 8 per cent. increase for grade E nurses will mean that more than 60,000 of them will get a decent pay increase. I can tell my hon. Friend that 4,500 extra nurses have come back to the health service since we began our recruitment campaign.

Will the Prime Minister say why council tax payers should have to pay more to house the nation's asylum seekers?

In fact, we provide help to local authorities that face the pressures of asylum seekers and we are trying to make sure that, in circumstances where they face additional costs, we do what we can.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of Beach Radio, a local radio station that serves the far eastern part of East Anglia, including my constituency? If he had been able to listen to Beach Radio yesterday, he would have heard our local hospital, the James Paget hospital, announce that it had just taken on 20 new nurses. In the millennium period the hospital said that it was managing extremely well, it is on course to meet its waiting list reduction targets at the end of this month and it is having a £700,000 refit of its accident and emergency service. Is that not proof on the ground that the NHS is being rebuilt, unlike under the Conservative party, which would just privatise it?

Of course that is precisely what the Conservatives intend to do. They want to force all people who have conditions that are not serious or life threatening to go for treatment outside the national health service. That is absolutely wrong and we will not go down that path at all.

In the spirit of good will, will the right hon. Gentleman join me in congratulating my right hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Sir E. Heath) on being elected to the House for the first time 50 years ago and serving his constituency since then? I know that my right hon. Friend will be as concerned as I am that in the past two and a half years the number of operational officers in the Metropolitan police has been reduced by 793. What hope is there that in the next two and a half years the trend will be reversed, let alone the number increased? Before the right hon. Gentleman answers, I remind him that under the previous Government, Metropolitan police numbers went up from just under 22,000 to more than 28,000.

I understand that from March 1992 the figure fell by 2,000. As a result of the additional money that is now being put into the crime fighting fund, we can start to recruit extra officers. I am delighted to join the hon. Gentleman in congratulating the right hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Sir E. Heath). He has been not only an outstanding politician and leader in this country, but an outstanding parliamentarian. The whole House is delighted to welcome him here today and to pay tribute to him.

Is the Prime Minister aware that the viewing figures for the ITN news at 11 pm are much lower than they were when the news was at 10 pm? Will he join me in calling on ITN to review its decision and to put the news back to 10 pm, to restore the national institution that we all loved?

I share my hon. Friend's views on that issue, and I know that the Culture, Media and Sport Committee will take evidence on it later this week. Although this is obviously a matter for the Independent Television Commission, I liked "News at Ten" and I had concerns about the likely consequences of moving it, as did many Members, and I am afraid that those concerns have been largely borne out by what has happened since. "News at Ten" had developed an important place in our national life, and I fear that the decision to move it eroded that position, so I very much hope that ITN will think again.

I thank the Prime Minister for his kind words about Stockport council's crime and disorder fight. Will he instruct the Home Secretary to make available the £335,000 required to implement the strategy to which he gave great praise?

I am taking urgent instructions from the Home Secretary, but I think that a bid has gone in to the relevant fund that finances those projects. Far be it from me to admit that I did not know the answer, but I shall certainly look into the matter and write to the hon. Gentleman about it.

With a cheque.

I shall not say that the cheque is in the post. I shall say simply that the decision is with the Home Secretary.

Is the Prime Minister aware that it is now a year since the royal commission on long-term care policy, which was chaired by Sir Stewart Sutherland, reported its conclusions and recommendations? Since the problems addressed by that report are still very much with us and are a matter of urgency, will my right hon. Friend give an indication of the Government's response to the report's recommendations?

The Government's deliberations on the report have taken some time, because of its importance. Also, there are obvious cost implications that must be examined and worked through. My hon. Friend will be able to see the results fairly shortly. We are well aware that it is a major issue that must be considered in the context of the health service as a whole.

When the Prime Minister last answered questions, he informed the House that there had been a fall in the number of midwives under the previous Government. The Health Minister subsequently confirmed that actually the figures increased by 7,760. In the past, there would have been four occasions when Back Benchers could have challenged the Prime Minister on that inaccuracy. Will he clarify the situation now?

I understand that during the previous Parliament, the number of midwives did fall. If that is wrong, I am happy to correct it. There has undoubtedly been a 79 per cent. increase in the numbers registering for midwifery as a result of the changes introduced by the Government. That is in addition to the additional numbers of nurses now registering for nursing degrees and the extra nurses in the health service. There can be no dispute about the overall direction. When we came to office, we inherited a situation where the number of nurses in training was cut, and we are now putting extra resources into the health service.