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Mr. Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale): Claridge Mills, a textile manufacturer in my constituency, went into liquidation this week, with the loss of 50 jobs, which is obviously a devastating blow to the employees and their families and to the people of Selkirk, where the company was based. Will the Leader of the House make time available for a debate on the issues surrounding the company's collapse, so that we can seek assurances from Scottish Office Ministers that they will work with Borders Enterprise, Borders council and the other relevant agencies, such as the Benefits Agency, to ensure that the problems in Selkirk are alleviated as soon as possible?
Mrs. Taylor: I am sure that Scottish Office Ministers will hope, and be willing, to help as far as possible. I do not think that I can find time for a debate, but the hon. Gentleman may be able to raise the matter on Wednesday morning, in the open three-hour Adjournment debate.
Mr. Tom Levitt (High Peak): I for one am looking forward to spending October working hard in my constituency. Let no observer leave this debate thinking that my right hon. Friend has granted us additional holidays.
My right hon. Friend will be aware that beef farmers in High Peak, as elsewhere, still have many concerns about the impact of BSE on their livelihood and their industry, whether about levels of consumption of home-grown or imported material, about standards of hygiene in abattoirs or about the disposal of fallen stock. A statement of reassurance is needed. Will she invite my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture to make a statement on his discussions in the European Community, which by all accounts have been so successful?
Mrs. Taylor:
First, I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning the work that hon. Members do in the recess. People who think that the recesses are an open holiday are far from knowing the real situation. On BSE, the House should welcome the achievements of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr. Tim Collins (Westmorland and Lonsdale):
Will the Leader of the House find time for a statement and debate on the operation of the office costs allowance, given that the creation of a Scottish Parliament would mean that Scottish Members of this House would shuffle off about 80 per cent. of their constituency case load elsewhere, so I am sure that there will have to be a statement on appropriate cuts in their allowance?
Mr. Dale Campbell-Savours (Workington):
May I gently press my right hon. Friend, for the third time I think, on the need for a debate on Nirex and the future of radioactive waste disposal in the United Kingdom? I wonder whether she is in a position to give an assurance that, before any decisions are taken on the future of Nirex, there will be a full debate in Parliament.
Mrs. Taylor:
I am not sure about a full debate in Parliament, but there will certainly be opportunities for hon. Members to make their ideas, concerns and opinions heard by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. My hon. Friend, who is very experienced, will, I think, find many opportunities to raise that issue.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale):
Following on from the right hon. Lady's remarks about the non-availability of the Dearing report in the Vote Office yesterday, is she aware that the part of the report that deals with Scotland is published as a separate volume? Not only was that volume not available yesterday, but it is still not available today, and the Vote Office did not know this morning of its existence. Given that fact and the fact that the arrangements for higher education in Scotland are different, would it not be appropriate to have an early debate on the effects of the Dearing proposals on Scotland?
Mrs. Taylor:
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment that that is a separate report, and was not necessarily totally a part of what was being discussed yesterday. All the relevant material should have been available, however. If it was not, I apologise. I said earlier that it was wrong that the full report was not available straight away--having the reports in the Library is not sufficient. I have brought that matter to the attention of my colleagues, because I do not think that that should happen.
Mr. John Austin (Erith and Thamesmead):
May I draw my right hon. Friend's attention to a report published today by the health service trade union, MSF--the Manufacturing Science Finance Union--based on statistics drawn from the Department of Health census of the non-medical work force, which show that 40 per cent. of NHS employers have failed for the third year running to produce a return for the Department on the ethnic composition of their work force? In view of her commitment to equal opportunities--unlike the Conservative party--will she find time for the Secretary
Mrs. Taylor:
I cannot promise a statement or a debate, but I assure my hon. Friend that I will bring his remarks and concerns to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health, who I am sure will be somewhat worried about the information that my hon. Friend has given us.
Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst):
Will the right hon. Lady arrange an urgent debate so that we can hear the truth behind the apparently shady deal between her right hon. Friends in the Government and certain elements of the Liberal Democrat party? If it is true, it will surely have profound parliamentary and constitutional implications in ways that many of us cannot yet foresee. Surely the right hon. Lady must accept that that matter has such implications for Parliament--for example, where the Liberal Democrats should sit; if they are in bed with the Government, surely they should be on the Government Benches--as will all the matters which will flow from it and which are, as yet, completely unconsidered. Will she please give that some urgent thought?
Mrs. Taylor:
The right hon. Gentleman managed to say that with a straight face, but I am not sure that it is a serious point. I mentioned earlier that, on the very day that that agreement was announced, the Liberal Democrats--not the Conservative party--voted against the Government at 10 o'clock on the Social Security Bill. Perhaps I could remind the right hon. Gentleman that we were grateful for what he said about welcoming the Dearing report yesterday.
Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley):
May I draw the attention of my right hon. Friend to early-day motion 201, which has 130 signatures and argues against arms sales to Indonesia?
[That this House believes that human rights should be at the forefront of decisions on arms exports; notes the appalling human rights record of the Indonesian Government; further notes that Indonesia has illegally occupied East Timor since 1975 in contravention of United Nations resolutions; further notes that United Kingdom made military, security and police equipment has been used by the Indonesian authorities, in breach of assurances given by them, against civilians in Indonesia and East Timor; believes that any further equipment exported is likely to be similarly used; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to stop the export of all military, police and security equipment to Indonesia, and to withdraw the invitations approved by the Conservative Government last year to the Commander in Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, and the Army and Navy Chiefs of Staff, to visit the Royal Naval and British Army Equipment Exhibition in Farnborough in September.]
Does she know that the Nobel peace prize winner, Jose Ramos Horta, the campaigner for East Timor, last week addressed the parliamentary human rights group in the House? He drew attention to the fact that things are worse than ever in East Timor--as bad as they were in 1975--and that torture, imprisonment and violence are endemic
in that country. He asked for a freeze on arms sales to Indonesia. In view of the rumours in the press about the imminent sale of Hawk aircraft and in view of the Government's commitment to human rights, may we have a statement on that important issue before the House rises? It would be regrettable if a statement were made and a decision taken to sell the Hawk aircraft while the House was in recess.
Mrs. Taylor:
My hon. Friend has a long interest in that matter. As she said, the reports in the press are rumours. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister dealt with that question yesterday and made it clear that any decision to revoke licences issued by the previous Government would have to be announced to the House. The matter is still under review, in terms of the new criteria that we have laid down, and the House will be informed in due course.
Mr. Tony Baldry (Banbury):
Given that the House will be away for 12 weeks, will the Leader of the House give thought to extending Prime Minister's Question Time next week, to enable us to put to the Prime Minister a number of issues that remain unresolved? One is the question of the sale of armaments to Indonesia.
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