HC Deb 15 November 1983 vol 48 cc809-10

Queen's Recommendation having been signified—

Resolved, That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Coal Industry Bill, it is expedient to authorise—

Increase of borrowing limits

1. Any payment out of the National Loans Fund, the Consolidated Fund or money provided by Parliament resulting from increasing to £5,500 million, with power to increase by order to £6,000 million, the limit on borrowing by the National Coal Board.

Deficit grants

2. Any increase in payments out of money provided by Parliament resulting from—

  1. (a) providing for the period in respect of which grants may be made under section 3 of the Coal Industry Act 1980 (grants in respect of group deficits) to be the financial years of the Board ending in March 1984, 1985 and 1986; and
  2. (b) imposing a limit of £1,200 million, with power to increase it by order to £2,000 million, on the aggregate amount of such grants.

Grants in connection with pit closures

3. Any increase in payments out of money provided by Parliament resulting from—

  1. (a) extending the period in respect of which grants may be made under section 6 of the Coal Industry Act 1977 (grants in connection with pit closures) to cover the financial years of the Board ending March 1985 and 1986; and
  2. (b) increasing to £400 million the limit on the aggregate amount of such grants.

Redundant workers

4. Any increase in payments out of money provided by Parliament resulting from—

  1. (a) extending the qualifying period for payments under a scheme under section 7 of the Coal Industry Act 1977 (payments to redundant workers) until 29th March 1986; and
  2. (b) Increasing to £1,200 million the limit on the aggregate amount of such payments during an extended period covering the financial years of the Board ending in March 1985 and 1986.

Receipts

5. Payments in to the National Loans Fund or the Consolidated Fund. —[Mr. Moore.]

Mr. Bob Clay (Sunderland, North)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to refer to events that have taken place in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster tonight in relation to section 52 of the Metropolitan Police Act. A large number of people have been gathered outside the building tonight and a large number of people have been carried away by the police and, I believe, arrested. I wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether an Act which was designed to protect the right of Members to have free access to the House should be abused in the way that it has been by the Metropolitan police tonight. I stood with the demonstrators for three quarters of an hour and then I heard the senior police officer say to his men via a loudspeaker system that a warning had been given on four occasions that the people within the police circle should now be arrested. I stood there myself for three quarters of an hour and I did not hear one warning given before the police started to arrest hundreds of people.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I must warn the hon. Gentleman, who is new to the House, that we are about to embark on a debate on a prayer which must end at 11.30 pm, so he is taking time out of that.

Mr. Clay

I greatly respect your ruling, Mr. Speaker, and I shall try to be extremely brief. The only other point that I wish to make is that, after this took place, and people who were standing on the pavement were being moved on, police constables were instructed not to move them on but to arrest them. That was clearly heard on two occasions. Is it in order that, at a time when the peace of the world is being threatened by cruise missiles, people should be prevented by the behaviour of the police from making their views clear to hon. Members on both sides of the House.

Mr. Robert Parry (Liverpool, Riverside)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. The House will have heard on a number of occasions this evening Conservative Members shouting "Rubbish". May I suggest that Conservative Members are causing more trouble and are antagonising——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I am not certain that that is a point of order for me. I did not hear "Rubbish".

Mr. Parry

The hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Griffiths), who should declare an interest on matters of security, last week stated that the people who are protesting at Greenham common are involved in a conspiracy and would be shot by their own——

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not think that that is a matter for us tonight.

Mr. Robert Atkins (South Ribble)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I shall be brief because I do not wish to delay the House. I and a number of Conservative Members were present when the police were performing their duty. I should like to put it on the record that I have never seen an operation performed so well and so competently. It ensured that people were able to get to the House and that the public outside were able to travel.

Mr. Andrew MacKay (Berkshire, East)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I was also outside the House and witnessed what occurred. I must say that the police behaved absolutely impeccably——

Mr. Clay

Did the hon. Gentleman hear the warning?

Mr. MacKay

I also heard the warning because I was outside. I was fearful that certain Members, such as the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Clay), would be there and might distort what happened. The police behaved impeccably. I, like many other hon. Members and taxpayers, am concerned about the cost of this operation. I should like once more to commend the police for the excellent job that they did.

Mr. Speaker

I have had a report from the Serjeant at Arms that the Carriage Gates were closed between 6.50 and 7.45 pm. I remind the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Clay) and others who have raised this matter that on 22 June the House passed a Sessional Order that contained these words: That the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis do take care that during the Session of Parliament the passages through the streets leading to this House be kept free and open and that no obstruction be permitted to hinder the passage of Members to and from this House."—[Official Report, 22 June 1983; Vol. 44, c. 38.]