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Mr. Heald: We want more.

Mr. Hain: The hon. Gentleman is always asking for more—that is his job. [Hon. Members: "Oliver!"] I will not pursue that line.

The Government are very concerned about the ruling on the Real IRA. The Director of Public Prosecutions is forwarding a report to the Attorney-General with a view to a reference to the Court of Appeal. The Government are clear that the Real IRA should be a proscribed
 
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organisation. Given the ongoing consideration of a reference to the Court of Appeal, I cannot comment any further.

On public sector jobs, I shall give the hon. Gentleman some of the details for which he asked. In doing so, I note that a Conservative Government, were one ever to be elected, would be committed to cutting public sector jobs on a massive scale. Since June 2003, 162,000 new jobs have been created and recruited in the public sector. At the same time, by the way, 98,000 new private sector jobs have been created. Those public sector jobs include nearly 19,000 nurses, 5,600 doctors, 4,800 police, 4,200 teachers, 16,000 clinical support staff and 16,300 school support staff, as well as many others. The truth is that we want high-quality services and the recruitment of front-line staff to provide those services. That is what the public want and that is what we are delivering. The Conservatives would cut those jobs and services week after week, as they did when they were in power.

We are all concerned to ensure that the D-day Normandy landings are properly commemorated. That is why the Ministry of Defence is providing assistance for veterans to travel to Normandy to make the events on the weekend of 5 and 6 June a success. The main commemoration will take place with the Queen and the Prime Minister present on 6 June. That is important and I am sure that the hon. Gentleman welcomes that.

Julie Morgan (Cardiff, North) (Lab): My right hon. Friend knows that the today's Health Committee highlights obesity. He also knows that sport and recreation are important in tackling that problem. Is he aware of the possible loss of sailing facilities in Cardiff as a result of the proposal by Western Power to fill in part of the Llanishen reservoir? Will he do all that he can to influence the course of events to prevent that from happening? It would block off an important sailing resource in Cardiff.

Mr. Hain: That is obviously a matter of great concern to my hon. Friend. I shall look into it and discuss it with the relevant authorities.

Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall) (LD): We welcome the two statements this afternoon, especially that on chaos in the European elections in the north. If any vital deadlines are missed next week and there could consequently be a legal challenge to the outcome of the elections, will the Leader of the House assure us that we will have a statement on the first day back—Monday 7 June—to explain what the Government intend to do, and that it will take precedence over all other statements? It is obviously an important issue.

On security in the House, can we have a progress report in the week that we come back—

Mr. Speaker: Order. I repeat that the Speaker is responsible for security and I do not want it discussed on the Floor of the House. If the hon. Gentleman or any other hon. Member has worries about security, they can
 
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come and see me and I will discuss it with them. The worst thing we can do is to discuss security on the Floor of the House.

Mr. Tyler: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously I understand that. I intended to take up some of the points that were made in business questions last week, but I can leave that for another occasion.

Why has only one day been allocated to the remaining stages of the Human Tissue Bill? Will the Leader of the House reconsider that? Hon. Members from all parties believe that important issues are at stake. Will he at least review the matter to ascertain whether more time could be allocated?

Mr. Hain: I welcome your comments on security, Mr. Speaker.

As the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler) said, he will shortly have an opportunity to question the Minister on postal votes. However, I reject the charge of chaos anywhere in the postal vote regions. I note that the Liberal Democrats were prominent in leading a charge to deny many millions of people the opportunity to vote from the comfort of their homes, with the higher turnout and improved quality of democracy that that would bring.

I shall look into the hon. Gentleman's point on the Human Tissue Bill. My inclination at the moment is not to change the timing, but I shall consider his comments.

Mr. Alan Hurst (Braintree) (Lab): In my constituency is a greatly loved maternity hospital, the William Julian Courtauld, which has served the people of Braintree for some 80 years. Up to seven years ago, 350 births a year happened there. That figure fell to approximately 120 last year. The hospital is open 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays only. In the evenings and at weekends, the midwife has to get the key to let the expectant mother in. That is causing a vast deterioration in service. Will the Leader of the House arrange an urgent debate on the provision of adequate maternity services in small towns and rural areas?

Mr. Hain: The Secretary of State for Health will take careful note of my hon. Friend's comments because he raises an important issue. The problem is difficult to understand given that more than 67,000 extra nurses, more than 19,000 extra doctors and more than 7,300 additional consultants have been recruited since we came to power. That should mean extra, higher quality services throughout the country, including in my hon. Friend's constituency.

Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham) (Con): May we have an urgent debate in Government time on Afghanistan? Given that, following the removal of the Taliban, the Prime Minister promised that the international community would not walk away from the plight of the Afghan people, does the right hon. Gentleman share my concern that internecine fighting in that country is rife, that development aid has in many cases had to be diverted to military projects and emergency relief, that opium production is soaring and that the independent newspaper there describes Afghanistan as a nation on the edge of anarchy? In those circumstances, is it not
 
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essential that the House should have a thorough debate, agree a way forward and honour its commitment to the long-suffering people of that beautiful but beleaguered country?

Mr. Hain: As the hon. Gentleman knows, there will shortly be an opportunity to discuss Afghanistan. Obviously, I welcome his concern about the situation there, but he will also have noted President Karzai's statement rejecting many of the points contained in that report. It is also important to note that the economy of Afghanistan grew by 30 per cent. last year. Furthermore, 860 km of road have been rebuilt, 4 million children are now back at school, and 6 million children have been vaccinated against measles and polio. Progress is being made in a very difficult security climate, with the Taliban seeking to come back, assisted by Osama bin Laden's forces.

Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab): Mr. Speaker, I am mindful of your comments about raising security on the Floor of the House, but I hope that you will understand my sentiment and purpose when I ask my right hon. Friend whether, when we return from the recess, we can have a debate on the role of the Doorkeepers. They play a vital role here in security and it was they who were instrumental in arresting the two purple flour-bomb throwers the other week. I would much appreciate a debate on this issue.

Mr. Hain: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks about the vital role of the Doorkeepers, which we all appreciate enormously. Some of the gratuitous comments that have appeared in the newspapers in recent days have been bitterly resented by you, Mr. Speaker, by me and all Members of the House who really appreciate the job that the Doorkeepers do. We must also recognise that, when journalists make these accusations, the Doorkeepers cannot answer back in the way that politicians can.

Pete Wishart (North Tayside) (SNP): Can we have an urgent statement on the arrest of my constituent, the journalist Peter Hounam, in Israel last night? The Leader of the House will be aware that Mr. Hounam was the journalist who interviewed Mordecai Vanunu about Israel's secret nuclear programme in 1986. He is currently being held in Israel without legal representation or access to British consular staff. Will the Leader of the House do all that he can to ensure his early release?

Mr. Hain: The Government are very concerned about this situation and it is absolutely appropriate for the hon. Gentleman to raise it. We have asked the Israeli police and the ministry for foreign affairs there for more information, and expressed our concern. We have also asked for consular access to Peter Hounam as soon as possible. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be reassured to know that I have asked my colleague, the Minister of State in the Foreign Office, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, to make contact with the Israeli ambassador to get the issue resolved.

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