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Mrs. Taylor: Given the performance of the previous Administration and their abject failure in Europe on all those issues in Europe, I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman has had the cheek to ask that question, although it allows me to remind the House of the achievements of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture only this week. The hon. Gentleman asked for a change in the format of Prime Minister's questions--he wanted them lengthened because there is to be a long recess. As I pointed out, we have had equally long recesses before, with no consequential changes to Prime Minister's questions.
Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North): Will the Leader of the House make arrangements for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to make a statement next week on the Government's attitude towards oil exploration on the Atlantic shelf and the environmental destruction occasioned by oil exploration and pollution in the seas? That is a matter of great concern. There is obvious concern that decisions may be taken during the recess, which will have far-reaching implications for the pollution of the Atlantic.
Mrs. Taylor: My hon. Friend is another experienced Member. I am sure that he will find ways to raise that
issue, not least because it is Environment questions on Tuesday and Trade and Industry questions on Thursday. I am afraid that I cannot promise a debate.
Mr. John Butterfill (Bournemouth, West): Will the right hon. Lady find time for an early debate on the need to defend the mutual financial institutions of this country? I am sure that she will be aware of the greedy and avaricious band of predators, led by the inappropriately named Mr. Hardern. I hope that she will be able to give the House an opportunity to discuss measures by which those activities could be curtailed. I think that she will join me in congratulating members of the Nationwide building society for showing that common sense and altruism are not entirely dead in the United Kingdom.
The right hon. Lady will be aware that Mr. Hardern has said that he proposes to move on to every other mutual building society and that when he has finished with them he will move on to friendly societies and credit unions. Is it not time that something was done?
Mrs. Taylor:
The hon. Gentleman may have alarmed the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth), who gets worried when there is agreement across the Chamber. I welcome the hon. Gentleman's remarks. He will have noted the comments of the Prime Minister yesterday welcoming the result of the Nationwide ballot.
Mr. John Heppell (Nottingham, East):
Will the Leader of the House find time for a debate on legal aid? When a Danish bank sues Scandinavian ex-employees about property deals in Spain and Gibraltar and the British taxpayer ends up paying a £10 million bill for it, there is obviously something very wrong with the system.
Mrs. Taylor:
Legal aid generally, and particularly legal aid for foreign nationals, is another issue on which there may be agreement across the Chamber. The House knows that the Lord Chancellor has appointed Sir Peter Middleton to review civil justice, including legal aid. We must await the outcome of that inquiry.
Mr. Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):
May we have a full debate before the recess on the massive increase in Britain's contributions to the European Community budget? Gross contributions have risen 32 per cent., to about £8.6 billion. There was some sort of debate on the matter in European Standing Committee B yesterday, but no substantive answers were forthcoming from the Economic Secretary. She was unable to tell us what effect the changes would have on the PSBR or why there appears to have been a 78 per cent. reduction in the money allocated in the budget for fraud.
The documents were in an appallingly shoddy state, and the hon. Lady had to begin her comments by correcting many of them. Many Labour Members share our concern about increases in the Community budget, especially in respect of the common agricultural policy. The Community budget is one of the great scandals of our time. Can the House give it urgent consideration before the recess?
Mrs. Taylor:
I understand that there was a full and lively debate in European Standing Committee B yesterday. I have full confidence that my hon. Friend the
Ms Beverley Hughes (Stretford and Urmston):
In view of my right hon. Friend's role in co-ordinating the Government's initiative on drugs--about which I know she shares the concern of many hon. Members--when will she be able to make a statement on the matter generally, and in particular on the appointment of the so-called drugs tsar to take things forward?
Mrs. Taylor:
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. She is right to say that I and many other hon. Members are concerned about developments on this matter. I am afraid that I cannot promise a statement, but we expect to advertise for a person to fill the role by the end of this month.
Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover):
Is my right hon. Friend aware that I have raised the issue of long recesses on a number of occasions? It would be wrong of me not to repeat that today because 88 days cannot be justified in this Chamber or, more importantly, outside it. I know that the legislation is not ready, but she has heard requests for at least 14 different debates--Adjournment debates, not Bills--on issues ranging from coal to Indonesia.
It would not be impossible to come back a week earlier and arrange debates of an Adjournment character so that all those matters could be dealt with. Back Benchers in particular would be able to raise issues. While that may not be possible this time, I suggest that she tries to do it next time. If legislation is not available, use Parliament for raising other issues.
Mrs. Taylor:
My hon. Friend said that he has raised this issue before. I have heard him do so before other recesses; he is certainly consistent on the point. He knows that I am on record as having said that we could make better use of parliamentary time by better spacing of
Mr. Oliver Letwin (West Dorset):
In connection with her response to an earlier question, how does the Leader of the House imagine that it would have been possible for the House to debate the European Community budget before the beginning of this week, given that the draft budget was not available to hon. Members before Monday?
Mrs. Taylor:
There was a debate in European Standing Committee B, which was attended by hon. Members. That is normal procedure. There was a debate in the House on a related issue, and very few hon. Members attended it.
Sir Patrick Cormack (South Staffordshire):
Will the Leader of the House address one of the questions asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard)? The right hon. Lady omitted any reference to the guillotine. Can she give us a firm undertaking that next week's guillotine will be the last that we will have until the House has had an opportunity to debate the Modernisation Committee's proposals, and the Government have had a chance adequately to respond to them?
Mr. Skinner:
No guillotines in the recess.
Mrs. Taylor:
My hon. Friend suggests that I say, no guillotines in the recess. I can give that assurance. The hon. Gentleman makes a serious point. He is informing the House that there are proposals in the Committee's report that we feel may help to reduce the need for guillotines. I hope that he is right, and that we can make progress by implementing the recommendations of the Modernisation Committee, which I hope will reduce the need for guillotines.
Mrs. Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest):
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. May I seek your guidance on a document, a copy of which I have sent to you in advance? It is a letter written by the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy), who, I understand from the document, is the co-ordinator of the campaign activity among Labour Members in the build-up to the Uxbridge by-election for the Labour party. [Hon. Members: "Did you give him notice?"] I have given him notice that I intended to raise this point of order.
5.37 pm
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