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Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1987.

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Photo of Mr Tam Dalyell Mr Tam Dalyell , Linlithgow 12:00, 14 July 1987

asked the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library a transcript of the television interview on Sunday 7 June with Mr. David Frost in which she referred to the Westland crisis.

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

I understand that a copy of the transcript is available in the Library.

Photo of Mr Tam Dalyell Mr Tam Dalyell , Linlithgow

Will the Prime Minister make just one reference to the "many times" when she has said that she knew what she had done as an explanation of why she said that she might not be Prime Minister at 6 o'clock that evening?

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

I have repeatedly told the hon. Gentleman that I have nothing to add. He knows full well that I am here and that I am intending to stay.

Photo of Mr Michael Latham Mr Michael Latham , Rutland and Melton

Did not that television interview, and others over the next two or three days, help to produce an extremely satisfactory result four days later?

Photo of Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn , Islington North

Will the Prime Minister take an opportunity today—[Interruption.]

Photo of Mr Bernard Weatherill Mr Bernard Weatherill , Croydon North East

Order. The hon. Gentleman has clearly not read the Order Paper. Supplementaries must relate to the main question.

Photo of Tony Blair Tony Blair , Sedgefield

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 July.

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

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

Photo of Tony Blair Tony Blair , Sedgefield

Whatever the original purpose of the Government's case against Mr. Wright, now that the book has been published in the United States, is widely read and distributed in every major European capital bar one. and is no doubt available for scrutiny by the Kremlin, why should Britain suffer a unique ban on this book? Is it the nation's security, or the Prime Minister's stubbornness?

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

As I have said many times, Mr. Wright, as a former member of the security services. owes a lifelong duty of confidentiality to the Crown. Most people accept that. Some people wish to undermine it. May I make it clear that this point is essential to the effectiveness of the security service. Some people wish to undermine the security service. On this side of the House, we wish to uphold it.

Photo of Mr Harry Greenway Mr Harry Greenway , Ealing North

asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 July.

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

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

Photo of Mr Harry Greenway Mr Harry Greenway , Ealing North

Further to the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth), is my right hon. Friend aware that last year 24,000 teachers left the National Union of Teachers and that thousands of other teachers refused to heed its call to strike—all in the interests of children's education? Does she know that parents as well as a large number of teachers are wholeheartedly behind a no-strike deal for teachers, and will she put on all the pressure that she can to achieve such a deal in our schools?

Photo of Mrs Margaret Thatcher Mrs Margaret Thatcher The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

Parents are grateful to those teachers—there are many of them—who refused to go on strike because they put children's education first. I believe that the majority of teachers would welcome a no-strike agreement.