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Byers, Stephen

Callaghan, Jim

Campbell, Mrs Anne (C'bridge)

Campbell, Ronnie (Blyth V)

Campbell-Savours, D. N.

Chisholm, Malcolm

Clapham, Michael

Clark, Dr David (South Shields)

Clwyd, Mrs Ann

Corbyn, Jeremy

Corston, Ms Jean

Cox, Tom

Cunningham, Jim (Covy SE)

Dafis, Cynog

Dalyell, Tam

Davies, Bryan (Oldham C'tral)

Davies, Ron (Caerphilly)

Denham, John

Dixon, Don

Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth

Eastham, Ken

Foulkes, George

Fyfe, Maria

Gerrard, Neil

Gordon, Mildred

Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S)

Hanson, David

Hardy, Peter

Hoey, Kate

Hogg, Norman (Cumbernauld)

Howarth, George (Knowsley N)

Illsley, Eric

Jackson, Helen (Shef'ld, H)

Jamieson, David

Jones, Barry (Alyn and D'side)

Jones, Lynne (B'ham S O)

Jones, Nigel (Cheltenham)

Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald

Livingstone, Ken

Loyden, Eddie

Lynne, Ms Liz

Mackinlay, Andrew

McMaster, Gordon

McWilliam, John

Maddock, Mrs Diana

Mahon, Alice

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Morgan, Rhodri

Morley, Elliot

Morris, Rt Hon A. (Wy'nshawe)

Mullin, Chris

O'Hara, Edward

Pope, Greg

Powell, Ray (Ogmore)

Rendel, David

Salmond, Alex

Sheldon, Rt Hon Robert

Simpson, Alan

Skinner, Dennis

Smith, Llew (Blaenau Gwent)

Steel, Rt Hon Sir David

Strang, Dr. Gavin

Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

Wigley, Dafydd

Wilson, Brian

Winnick, David

Wise, Audrey

Young, David (Bolton SE)

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. Paul Flynn and

Mr. Harry Barnes.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House, at its rising to-morrow, do adjourn until Monday 17th October.

Mr. Rhodri Morgan (Cardiff, West) : On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I wish to draw to your attention something important that has happened today following the laying before the House some hours ago of the accounts of the Welsh Development Agency. They stated, without reference to the House, that all loans and grants from the WDA and the Development Board for Rural Wales to small and medium-sized firms have been suspended forthwith. I draw it to your attention, Madam Speaker, because on 7 July the Secretary of State for Wales made a statement on the legality of grants and loans from the DBRW and the WDA but did not mention the fact that they had been suspended. Without reference to the House, it has been decided that, for at least 10 months, small and medium-sized firms in Wales are to receive no grants or loans.

Madam Speaker : That is not a point of order for me. I can rule only on the procedure of the House, and on our Standing Orders. The hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) appears to have an argument with the Government, but it is not a matter for the Speaker of the House.

Mr. Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon) : On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I believe that this is a point of order, although it arises from the same matter, because it relates to the fact that we are about to adjourn for the summer recess. The accounts were put in the Journal Office only today, and will not be available to hon. Members until tomorrow, by which time it will be too late to do anything about a matter of considerable importance, not only to rural

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Column 367

Wales--because of the development of rural initiative, venture and enterprise grants--but to those concerned with the industrial valleys grants. Companies will be left in limbo for three months or longer, so that is a matter of considerable concern. Through you, Madam Speaker, may I invite a Minister to come to the House tomorrow morning to address the issue ?

Madam Speaker : If any Minister wishes to make a statement on the matter, and to give information to the House, the House will be here tomorrow morning and I shall be in the Chair to hear any such statement.

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Column 368

Orders of the Day

CONSOLIDATED FUND (APPROPRIATION) BILL --

Order for Second Reading read.

Question , That the Bill be now read a Second time, put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 54 (Consolidated Fund Bills), and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Question , That the Bill be now read the Third time, put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time, and passed.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DOCUMENTS --

Madam Speaker : With permission, I shall put together the motions relating to European Community documents.

Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 102(9) (European Standing Committees).

Local Government Elections

--

That this House takes note of European Community Document No. 5744/94, relating to local government elections ; welcomes the principle expressed in that document that the laws of Member States should apply as far as possible ; and endorses the main policy objectives of the Government as expressed in paragraph 22 of the Explanatory Memorandum submitted by the Home Office on 22nd April 1994, in particular the Government's view expressed in paragraph 11 of the Memorandum that proposals for the attestation of non-national candidates at local government elections by their home Member State are unworkable in the United Kingdom, and the view expressed in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum that the provisions of the Directive should be reviewable.

Trans-European Transport Networks

--

That this House takes note of European Community Document No. 7073/94, relating to the development of trans-European transport networks ; and endorses the Government's proposed approach to negotiations on the proposal in the Council.-- [Mr. Wells.] Question agreed to .

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Column 369

Privileges

7.10 pm

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Tony Newton) : I beg to move,

That Mr. Attorney General, Mr. David Alton, Mr. Tony Benn, Sir Marcus Fox, Sir Peter Hordern, Mr. Doug Hoyle, Dame Jill Knight, Mr. Bill Michie, Sir David Mitchell, Mr. Alfred Morris, Mr. John Morris, Mr. Tony Newton, Sir Cranley Onslow, Sir Giles Shaw, Mr. Peter Shore, Sir James Spicer, and Mr. Alan Williams be members of the Committee of Privileges.

The original motion on the Order Paper has been amended because a new position has arisen. My hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Mr. Ward), whom we had intended to nominate as a member of the Committee, is expected--I have to put it in those terms at the moment--to take up another appointment that would be incompatible with his membership of the Committee. I have therefore suggested to the House an amended motion containing the name of Dame Jill Knight, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker : I am prepared and content to accept a motion moved in that form, with the name of Dame Jill Knight substituted for that of Mr. John Ward. I also inform the House at this stage that I have selected a manuscript amendment in the name of the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin), to leave out the name of Sir Marcus Fox.

Mr. Newton : I intend to speak only briefly to the motion, as I did on the original motion to establish the Committee--and for the same reasons. The nominations reflect established and accepted precedents in providing for the inclusion of myself as Leader of the House, the Attorney- General and the shadow Attorney-General, the chairman of the 1922 committee and the chairman of the parliamentary Labour party, and 12 other senior Members from both sides of the House. Eight members of the Committee-- slightly fewer than half--are Privy Councillors. I believe that that will be a Committee whose experience and judgment will command the respect of the House, and in which it can have confidence concerning the discharge of the responsibility that the House has laid on it.

7.12 pm

Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South) : I shall be brief. My manuscript amendment calls upon the House to delete the name of the hon. Member for Shipley (Sir M. Fox). I have attempted to give the hon. Gentleman notice of the amendment. I left a note for him on the Board some hours ago, and telephoned his office, but he was not there. [Hon. Members :-- "He was probably at a board meeting."] However, as his name appears on the Order Paper the hon. Gentleman is not entitled to be surprised that the business is being dealt with this evening.

I have nothing personal against the hon. Member for Shipley. I do not question his integrity in any way. But with the best will in the world, I do not accept that someone so weighed down with directorships and consultancies can creditably serve on a Committee of that nature. I took the opportunity to look in the Register of Members' Interests and saw that the hon. Gentleman has quite a long list of remunerated directorships.

For example, there is Westminster Communications, whose clients include British Gas, the Builders Merchants Federation and Standard Life. There are also the Care Services Group, which is a contract cleaning services

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