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Mr. Straw: On the last point, I take what my hon. Friend says as true. The only difference between our system and the Conservative party's system is that ours works--the Conservatives' will not.
My hon. Friend comes to this issue with much professional experience in dealing with offenders, and her wisdom needs carefully to be listened to. If we are to make this country safer, the crucial thing is, first, to punish offenders, but, secondly, to do our best to ensure that they lead more orderly lives. One way--it is only one--in which we can do that is to secure for short-term offenders a better transition between prison and life outside through electronic tagging.
Business of the House
4.10 pm
The President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mrs. Ann Taylor): With permission, Madam Speaker, I wish to make a statement about the business for next week.
Monday 24 November--Conclusion of consideration in Committee of the Greater London Authority (Referendum) Bill.
Tuesday 25 November--Second Reading of the European Parliamentary Elections Bill.
Wednesday 26 November--Until 2 pm, there will be debates on the motion for the Adjournment of the House.
Until about 7 pm, Third Reading of the Greater London Authority (Referendum) Bill.
Remaining stages of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Bill [Lords].
Consideration of Lords amendments to the Plant Varieties Bill.
Thursday 27 November--Consideration in Committee of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill [First Day].
Friday 28 November--Private Members' Bills.
The provisional business for the following week will be as follows.
Monday 1 December--Opposition Day [5th allotted day].
There will be a debate on an Opposition motion, subject to be announced.
Tuesday 2 December--Consideration in Committee of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill [Second Day].
Wednesday 3 December--Until 2 pm, there will be debates on the motion for the Adjournment of the House.
Consideration in Committee of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill [Third Day].
Thursday 4 December--Debate on the European Union on a motion for the Adjournment of the House.
Friday 5 December--Debate on welfare to work on a motion for the Adjournment of the House.
The House will also wish to know that on Tuesday 25 November there will be a debate on biotechnological inventions in European Standing Committee B.
On Wednesday 26 November there will a debate on food law in European Standing Committee A, and a debate on harmful tax competition in European Standing Committee B.
The House will also wish to know that it is proposed that on Tuesday 2 December there will be a debate on tobacco advertising in European Standing Committee B, and on Wednesday 3 December there will be a debate on part-time work, European works councils and parental leave in European Standing Committee B.
Details of the relevant documents will be given in the Official Report.
I do not usually announce in advance that there will be statements in the House, but it might be for the convenience of the House if I confirm that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will make a statement on his pre-Budget report on Tuesday next week.
[Tuesday 25 November:
European Standing Committee B--Relevant European Community document: 10510/97, Biotechnological Inventions. Relevant European Legislation Committee report: HC 155-v (1997-98).
Wednesday 26 November:
European Standing Committee A--Relevant European Community documents: 8150/97, Food Law; 8386/97, Consumer Health and Food Safety. Relevant European Legislation Committee reports: HC 155-ii (1997-98) and HC 1550-v (1997-98).
European Standing Committee B--Relevant European Community documents: COM(97)564 and 10427/97, Harmful Tax Competition. Relevant European Legislation Committee report: HC 155-viii (1997-98).
Tuesday 2 December:
European Standing Committee B--Relevant European Community documents: 6294/97 and Unnumbered, Tobacco Advertising. Relevant European Legislation Committee report: HC 155-vii (1997-98).
Wednesday 3 December:
European Standing Committee B--Relevant European Community documents: 10230/97, Part-Time Work; 10975/97, European Works Councils; 10975/97, Parental Leave. Relevant European Legislation Committee report: HC 155-vi (1997-98).]
Mrs. Gillian Shephard (South-West Norfolk):
I thank the right hon. Lady for her statement. As I said last week, it is greatly for the convenience of the House to have the draft business for the second week. I thank her also for giving information about the European Standing Committees and, in particular, the advance notice of the Chancellor's statement. That is very helpful for the House.
As the right hon. Lady may recall, last week, I expressed disappointment that the Minister without Portfolio had appeared before the House only once in the past six months and then only for five minutes. Will she please arrange for another and early occasion for the Minister to make a statement to the House, to explain his extraordinary speech yesterday to a Post Office and Civil Service College conference? Commenting on the Government's handling of what we have learnt to call the Bernie crisis, he said:
As Leader of the House, the right hon. Lady must be aware of the extraordinary treatment of the House by the President of the Board of Trade. The right hon. Lady has not appeared in the House for a debate since June and was even absent from her Department's oral questions today, which means that she will not have answered a question in the House between July and December. Will the Leader of the House arrange for her right hon. Friend to appear in the House next week, first, to reassure us of her continued existence and, secondly, to answer questions on the duties of Ministers in the Department of Trade and Industry and to explain the issues and industries that they can and cannot handle, given their interests?
Such an occasion will enable the President of the Board of Trade to explain to the House when the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe sold his shares in BP and to which charities the shares were given.
Will the right hon. Lady tell us whether there is any authority or body that can prevent a member of the House from carrying out parliamentary duties on behalf of his or her constituents? If there is not, why have we not seen the hon. Members for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Sarwar) and for West Renfrewshire (Mr. Graham) recently? Can the right hon. Lady tell us when they were last here and explain to the House what are the rights of constituents who elected them to represent their interests in the House? In the absence from the House of their elected Members, how are those rights being safeguarded?
Will the right hon. Lady comment on the almost incredible bill--some £330,000--casually run up by the Lord Chancellor for the redecoration of his apartments? The new wallpaper alone--we must call it the people's wallpaper--cost £60,000. Is not that the world's most expensive former fat-cat basket?
Mrs. Taylor:
I thank the right hon. Lady for her comments about the extra information that I have been able to give. I shall endeavour to give the House as much forward information as possible, but I hope that the right hon. Lady and others will realise that it may not be possible on all occasions.
In respect of the comments of my hon. Friend the Minister without Portfolio, I would say that I wish that Conservative Members had been as open about their funding position as Labour Members have been. Over the years, that would have saved us a great deal of trouble.
My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade was absent from parliamentary questions today because she was fulfilling an engagement, the date of which was set by the previous Government, which involved opening a trade fair in Australia. The date could not be changed because the preparations had been made so far in advance. On the duties of other Ministers, it was made clear again at Question Time that there are no problems with the interests of any of the Ministers in the Department of Trade and Industry, which is what we would expect.
The right hon. Lady asked about the attendance of hon. Members in the House. I believe that that is a matter between them and their constituents.
The right hon. Lady asked about the Lord Chancellor's official residence. I think that you, Madam Speaker, will be particularly aware that only two residential apartments in the Palace of Westminster have been preserved and renovated to the standard that we would expect. The Lord Chancellor's accommodation is being changed in a way that was approved some time ago by the House of Lords Administration and Works Sub-Committee. It is a new arrangement that part of that apartment will be open to the public. We would expect work done within the Palace of Westminster to be of a high standard.
Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle):
Is my right hon. Friend aware that on Tuesday this week the British Medical Association published a report calling for the legalisation of cannabis derivatives for medical use? The BMA described that as a landmark statement. Is not there a case for Health Ministers or Home Office Ministers to come
"We acted against our own principles--that honesty is the first principle of good communications".
The right hon. Lady will readily realise that such a statement was either an admission or an accusation of dishonesty on the Minister's part. Which was it? I think that we should be told.
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