On the ball
Sir: Your admirable political correspondent, Mr Ferdinand Mount, writes (11 February): 'It is incredible, for example, that Conservative MPs. . . should have waited for six months or more before launching an all-out attack on the government's blacklist of firms that have broken the pay limits.'
It is perfectly true that the debate on 7 February took place a little over six months after the start of Stage 3 on 1 August. But the fact is that, during the first four months, only one firm was blacklisted for a breach of the Stage 3 guidelines (see Hansard, 9 December); and even as late as 26 January the number of firms blacklisted for breaches of Stage 3 was still in single figures (see, again, Hansard for that date). However, it soon became clear that the numbers were growing fast (twenty-three firms at the latest count), and the Shadow Cabinet accordingly decided, the very next week, to devote its next Supply Day to a major debate qn this most important issue.
I hope this helps to put in perspective Mr Mount's criticism of the Opposition's timing. Nigel Lawson House of Commons London S.W.1
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