§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Robert Mellish)With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a short statement.
The business on the Adjournment announced for Tuesday, 8th July 1975
§ Question accordingly agreed to.
§ Mr. SpearingOn a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The effect of the motion which the House has carried is that we have one-and-a-half hours for the shipbuilding debate and that it may proceed until at the latest 5.30 p.m. I have given notice to the Department of Industry of a matter which has been brought to my attention.
The explanatory memorandum on the shipbuilding Document R/1362/75 states that it provides for the elimination of shipbuilding subsidies by the end of 1975, but a report in the Business News section of The Times of yesterday by Mr. David Cross writing from Brussels states that
Under the terms of a new agreement in principle reached by officials to the Nine in Brussels, direct State aids to shipyards will continue at their present level until the end of 1977 at least.
§ is being arranged to allow for three debates, each of about two hours. The subjects will be the Sharman Group of newspapers, the plight of voluntary organizations, and arms sales.