HC Deb 08 March 1973 vol 852 cc592-8
Mr. Edward Short

Will the Leader of the House state the business for next week?

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. James Prior)

Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:

MONDAY 12TH MARCH—Conclusion of the debate on the Budget Statement.

Motion relating to the Local Elections (Principal Areas) Rules.

TUESDAY 13TH MARCH—Second Reading of the Employment and Training Bill.

Motions relating to the Legal Advice and Assistance (Financial Conditions) Regulations.

WEDNESDAY 14TH MARCH—Supply (11th Allotted Day): There will be a debate on an Opposition motion on land, rents and house prices.

The Defence Vote on Account 1973–74 and the Votes A will also be before the House.

THURSDAY 15TH MARCH—Debate on a motion to approve the statement on the Defence Estimates, 1973 (Cmnd. No. 5231).

FRIDAY 16TH MARCH—Private Members' motions.

MONDAY 19TH MARCH—Conclusion of the debate on the White Paper on the Defence Estimates.

Mr. Short

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman about the situation regarding statutory instruments, because the Opposition are still extremely perturbed about this matter? I appreciate that the right hon. Gentleman is honouring the promise he gave me that the motion on the Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments—should remain on the Order Paper for two weeks. However, I hope that he will not feel that that is a substitute for debates on the Floor of the House. The Opposition are most concerned about the lack of time to discuss Prayers. It is one of the most important safeguards of individual liberty that delegated legislation should be discussed. Will he look at this matter and talk to hon. Members through the usual channels about it?

Mr. Prior

Yes, we can certainly discuss, through the usual channels and with other Members in other parts of the House, whether more Prayers could be taken, and there are some opportunities available to us. As for taking the motion on the merits committee, I gave an undertaking to the House that that would be left on the Order Paper for a fortnight, and I am keen that we should get on with it as soon as we possibly can.

Mr. Haselhurst

Will my right hon. Friend say when it will be possible for the House to reach a decision about the provision of extra facilities for Members? Is it not unsatisfactory that we should continue to give the impression that we are not capable of taking a decision about our own affairs? Is this not likely to lead people to believe that we cannot govern them on the wider issues if we cannot take a decision on such a small matter affecting the House of Commons?

Mr. Prior

Part of what my hon. Friend asks for can be discussed in the private Members' debate tomorrow. I think it will be for the convenience of the House that we should not come to a final decision tomorrow but that we should take a decision in principle both on the new parliamentary building and on alternative accommodation for ourselves in the near future.

Mr. John Mendelson

Will the right hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to make a statement to the House, either tomorrow or on Monday, on the efforts he is making as the head of the conciliation department of the Government to bring the current disputes in industry and in various services to an end, and to give us the evidence outlined in the Prime Minister's statement this afternoon that all the normal conciliation services are being used and are working? Will he also ask the Secretary of State for Employment to come to the House tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock to give a progress report on the work of his Department?

Mr. Prior

The hon. Gentleman has already asked a question of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister this afternoon on this subject, and it was plain from the answer that conciliation services are available.

Mr. Ridsdale

Can my right hon. Friend say when the White Paper on local government finance will be published?

Mr. Prior

Certainly not for a few weeks, but my hon. Friend will have noticed the statement made in the Budget speech by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr. Michael Foot

Will the right hon. Gentleman say when a debate will take place on the report of the Select Committee on Secondary Legislation in the European Community? Obviously, she matter cannot be left outstanding for very long. Will he give an indication now?

Mr. Prior

I thought it would be convenient to the House if I made a statement early next week. After that statement has been made, we can decide how quickly we must have a debate. I pointed out last week that there was difficulty in arranging an early debate. I think that my statement next week will help the House, and we shall see how we get on from there.

Mr. Money

In the light of the continued concern shown by the legal profession, will my right hon. Friend say whether he can give time for the recommendation of the Criminal Law Revision Committee to be discussed on the Floor of the House?

Mr. Prior

The House is very occupied with business over the next few weeks, but I shall consider what my hon. Friend has said and I shall make a statement or let him know.

Mr. Lipton

Has the Leader of the House taken note of Motion 211 which has been tabled by my right hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley (Mr. Mason) and other hon. Members, including myself? Could we have a debate on the tied house system some time before the Easter Recess?

[That this House views with concern the growth of the tied house system in regard to beer supply; notes that HMG have not adopted the recommendation of the Monopolies Commission which concluded that the brewers' tied house system operates against the public interests, restricts competition, is detrimental to efficiency in brewing, wholesaling and retailing and is especially detrimental to the interests of the independent suppliers and consumers; is further concerned that the brewery monopolists are riding roughshod over consumers' interests by closing regionally-based breweries, thereby depriving consumers of their local brews; invites local authorities to use their powers to deprive such monopolists of sites for expansion; and calls upon HMG to carry out the Monopolies Commission recommendations without delay.]

Mr. Prior

I very much doubt it.

Mr. Redmond

Can my right hon. Friend say when we are likely to debate the Erroll Report on licensing laws?

Mr. Prior

That is an important subject, but I cannot promise a debate within the next few weeks.

Mr. Leslie Huckfield

On the question of accommodation, does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that there is a need to come to a speedy decision very soon? Has he seen all the accommodation which hon. Members and their secretaries have to endure? Does he realise that the accommodation for secretaries in Palace Chambers would be far more appropriate for use as chicken coops or rabbit hutches?

Mr. Prior

I recognise that this questions gives cause for acute anxiety on both sides of the House, and the situation is particularly bad for secretaries who work across the road in Bridge Street. I am hoping to take immediate steps to remedy this situation. My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction will be giving the House full details tomorrow about accommodation that could quickly be made available to the House of Commons. I hope that this will be of interest to hon. Members.

Mr. Biffen

Will my right hon. Friend say when we may expect an announcement about the result of the annual farm price review, particularly in the light -f the fact that certain important decisions are being dribbled out in the form of answers to Written Questions?

Mr. Prior

I cannot be absolutely certain when the announcement will be made, but it will be within about two weeks.

Mr. Jay

Will the House have an early chance to debate the Government's early decision to end deficiency payments and guaranteed prices for beef, since this is calculated to keep up beef prices and shows once again that the Government are largely responsible for the present food price levels?

Mr. Prior

That is complete and utter nonsense, and the right hon. Gentleman knows that he is talking nonsense. One of the factors which could help bring down the price of beef would be to take away the guarantee. But if the right hon. Gentleman feels that agriculture requires a debate about these matters, I suggest that we devote a Supply Day to it. I know that my right hon. and hon Friends will be only too happy to defend the agricultural situation.

Sir Gilbert Longden

Would not it be better if the colour of the long-awaited paper on local government finance referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale) were green?

Mr. Prior

We have already had one green paper, and I am not certain that another would add much to our knowledge.

Mr. William Hamilton

Has the Leader of the House now had time to read what the Prime Minister said about the desirability of having a debate in the House before the Government announce their decisions on the Franks Report? Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that that debate will take place—maybe not next week but in the very near future —before the Government announce their own proposals?

Mr. Prior

I can give the assurance for which the hon. Gentleman asks; this House will have a debate before the Government announce their proposals. I am afraid that I cannot assure the hon. Gentleman that the debate will take place next week or in the very near future. I recognise fully the importance of this issue, and I shall try to arrange a debate as soon as possible.

Mr. Edward Taylor

Can my right hon. Friend give some indication about when the report of the Clayson Committee on Scottish licensing laws is likely to be published? Can he give us any news about it?

Mr. Prior

I cannot give any indication at the moment. But I shall make inquiries and either write to my hon. Friend or make some announcement about it next week.

Mr. Shore

Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the mystery of what has happened to the report on the London dockside study? We had an interim report three weeks ago, and copies of the study were matte available to the Press on Monday of this week, but no copies are available for Members of this House, and the matter has been touched on in a debate earlier this week.

Mr. Prior

I shall look into this. I am sorry about it. I know of the extreme importance that it is to dockland. I was under the impression that the report was available on Monday of this week.

Mr. Jennings

Reverting to the point raised earlier about Prayers and debates on them, and recognising the usefulness of the circle called "the usual channels", will my right hon. Friend appreciate that the rights of private Members have to be protected and that we are highly desirous of having more time to debate Prayers?

Mr. Prior

I accept that entirely from my hon. Friend and from hon. Members in all parts of the House. There are some opportunities for Prayers to be debated in the next week or two. If hon. Members will consult their Front Benches or me, I shall see what can be arranged.

Mr. Pavitt

Does the Leader of the House recall that his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services has said on a number of occasions that he will be making an announcement about the Government's reaction to the report of the Select Committee which inquired into private practice in hospitals? In view of the fact that the Bill dealing with the reorganisation of the National Health Service is to have a Second Reading shortly, will the right hon. Gentleman undertake to ensure that we have an opportunity to discuss what the Government think about private practice before that debate?

Mrs. Renée Short

It is a year since it was published.

Mr. Prior

I do not think that we can discuss the Government's views on the Report of the Select Committee under the chairmanship of the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Renee Short). But I recognise the desirability, if possible, of the House having the Government's answer available by the time that we have the Second Reading debate. Without giving an absolute commitment that that will be the case, I hope that it will be.