HC Deb 29 November 1978 vol 959 cc449-56

CRIMINAL JUSTICE (SCOTLAND)

Mr. Secretary Millan, supported by the Lord Advocate, Mr. Harry Ewing, and Mr. Robert Sheldon, presented a Bill to make new provision for Scotland with respect to police powers of detention; to amend the law relating to bail and the interim liberation of accused persons: to make further provision with respect to criminal procedure and evidence and penalties; to make new provision with respect to the methods of dealing with offenders; to provide for grants to local authorities in respect of expenditure incurred by them in providing hostel accommodation for persons under supervision; and for connected purposes; And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time tomorrow and to be printed. [Bill 35].

OFFICIAL INFORMATION

Mr. Clement Freud, supported by Mr. David Steel, Mr. Richard Wainwright, Mr. Hugh Fraser, Mr. Jonathan Aitken, Mr. Kenneth Warren, Mr. Robin Corbett. Mr. J. W. Rooker, Mr. Robin F. Cook, Mrs. Margaret Bain, Mr. William Craig, and Mr. Dafydd Wigley, presented a Bill to repeal section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, to create a public right of access to official information, and to make new provision in respect of the wrongful communication and handling of official information; and for purposes connected therewith: And the same was read the First time.

Mr. Speaker

Second Reading, what day?

Mr. Freud

On the first Friday after the Christmas Recess.

Mr. Speaker

I am afraid that I am not able to accept that from the hon. Member. He must give me a date.

Mr. Freud

19th January 1979.

Bill ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 19th January 1979 and to be printed [Bill 15].

Later—

Mr. Freud

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You may recall that when asked the date of the Second Reading of my Private Member's Bill, I asked whether it might be on the first Friday after the Christmas Recess. I did this because, as the House knows, there is no publication of the dates of the recess. It would appear that if the House were to reassemble after 19th January, having won a 400 to 1 gamble I would lose the Bill entirely, because there is no date published. Would it be possible to have the first Friday after the recess for the Bill which was first drawn in the Ballot, irrespective of the date? I should feel very badly—and I am sure the House would—if I were deprived of the opportunity of bringing in a Bill of such importance.

Mr. Speaker

I understand the anxiety of the hon. Member, but our practice is that a definite date must be named. The hon. Gentleman is quite right, of course, to point out that if the House were to come back from the recess after the date that he has given, he would be in a most unhappy state. I expect that I would be as well. I am not a gambling man, but I take the hon. Gentleman at his word that he has gambled, and I wish him the best of luck.

INDECENT DISPLAYS (CONTROL)

Mr. Hugh Rossi, supported by Mr. Michael Alison, Mr. Walter Clegg, Mr. Patrick Cormack, Mr. Richard Crawshaw, and Mr. Terry Walker, presented a Bill to make fresh provision with respect to the display, advertisement or distribution of indecent matter and to the use of machines for the viewing of indecent pictures; and for purposes connected with those matters: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 26th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 16.]

MENTAL HEALTH (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Geoffrey Pattie, supported by Mr. Eric Moonman, Mr. Tony Newton, Mr. Stephen Ross, Mr. Charles Irving, Sir George Young and Mr. Dafydd Thomas presented a Bill to reduce the duration of authority for guardianship and for the detention of patients for treatment; to amend the law on restrictions on discharge of patients and prisoners removed to hospital; and to repeal section 134 of the Mental Health Act 1959: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 2nd February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 17.]

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS ACT1969 (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Raymond Whitney, supported by Mr. Ronald Bell, Mr. Alan Clark, Mr. Edward Gardner. Mrs. Jill Knight, Mr. Ivan Lawrence, Mr. Patrick Mayhew, and Mr. Roger Sims, presented a Bill to amend the law so as to give to magistrates the power to permit children and young persons to secure accommodation; And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 9th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 18.]

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES (SMALL BUSINESSES)

Mr. Michael Grylls, supported by Mr. John Osborn, Mr. Michael Marshall, Mr. David Mitchell, Mr. Richard Page, and Mr. Tony Durant, presented a Bill to amend the law relating to employment; and for connected purposes: And the Bill was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 16th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 19.]

LICENSING (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Neville Trotter, supported by Sir Bernard Braine, Mr. Edward Lyons, Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg, Mr. Roger Sims and Mr. A. J. Beith presented a Bill to amend the Licensing Act 1964 in relation to the grant of special hours certificates and the extension of existing on-licences to additional types of liquor: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 23rd February 1979 and to be printed [Bill 20.]

CHRONICALLY SICK AND DISABLED PERSONS (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Edwin Wainwright, supported by Mr. David Price, Mr. Alec Woodall, Mr. Peter Hardy, Mr. Allen McKay, Mr. Lewis Carter-Jones, Mr. Albert Roberts, Mr. Tom Urwin, Mr. George Grant, and Miss Betty Boothroyd, presented a Bill to make further provision with respect to the welfare of chronically sick and disabled persons; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read the Second time upon Friday 2nd February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 21.]

CHILDREN

Mr. James White, supported by Mr. Leo Abse, Mr. Ian Campbell, Mr. Donald Stewart, Mr. Alec Woodall, Mr. Stanley Cohen, Mr. Harry Selby, Mrs. Margaret Bain, Mr. Hugh McCartney, Mr. Michael Roberts, Mr. Michael Brotherton, and Mr. Hamish Watt, presented a Bill to remove the legal disabilities of children born out of wedlock: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read the Second time upon Friday 23rd February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 22.]

BRITISH NATIONALITY (AMENDMENT)

Mrs. Jill Knight, supported by Mr. Frederick Willey, Mr. W. R. Rees-Davies, Mr. Ian Mikardo, Miss Janet Fookes, Mr. Peter Hardy, Mr. Stephen Ross, Sir Frederic Bennett, Mr. Ian Wrigglesworth, Mr. George Gardiner, Miss Betty Boothroyd, and Mr. Andrew Bowden, presented a Bill to amend the law so as to extend to women the right to pass on United Kingdom citizenship to their children: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 9th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 23.]

HERITAGE AID

Mr. Michael Morris, supported by Mr. Andrew Faulds, the Reverend Robert Bradford, Mr. Stephen Ross, Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, Mr. Richard Body, Mr. Giles Shaw, Mr. Tony Newton, and Mr. Kenneth Lewis, presented a Bill to make provision as respects historic buildings, conservation areas, housing action areas, and general improvement areas; to amend section 101 and other related sections of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 2nd February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 24.]

HOMEWORKERS (PROTECTION)

Mr. Frank R. White, supported by Mr. Mike Noble, Mr. Jack Ashley, Miss Betty Boothroyd, Mr. Neil Carmichael, Mr. Ernest Perry, Mr. James Johnson, Mr. George Robertson, Mr. Jim Callaghan, Mr. John Tilley, and Mr. Giles Radice, presented a Bill to amend the law to provide for the further protection of home-workers and for the better enforcement of the law as so amended; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 26th January 1979 and to be printed [Bill 25].

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Nicholas Edwards, supported by Mr. David Madel, Mr. Robert Adley, Mr. Hugh Dykes, Mr. Michael Jopling, Mr. David Knox, Sir Anthony Meyer, Mr. Wyn Roberts, and Mr. Cranley Onslow, presented a Bill to enable electors who are away on holiday at the time of a Parliamentary election to vote by post or by proxy; to make further provision for the registration for electoral purposes of the wives and husbands of members of the armed forces; to provide for the correction of the register of electors; and for related purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 19th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 26.]

SUPPLY OF GOODS (AMENDMENT)

Mr. Donald Stewart, supported by Mrs. Margaret Bain, Mr. Mike Thomas, Mr. Kenneth Warren, Mr. Clement Freud, Mrs. Winifred Ewing, Mr. Michael Ward, Mr. Joan Evans, Mr. lain MacCormick, and Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, presented a Bill to amend the Sale of Goods Act 1893 and the Supply of Goods (Implied Terms) Act 1973; and for purposes connected therewith: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 2nd February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 27.]

NATIONAL HERITAGE FUND

Mr. Arthur Jones, supported by Mr. William Benyon, Mr. Arthur Blenkinsop, Mr. James Boyden, Mr. Robert Cooke, Mr. Andrew Faulds, Mr. John Hannam, Mr. Michael Latham, Mr. Alex Lyon, Mr. Eric Moonman, Mr. Timothy Sainsbury, and Mr. Julius Silverman, presented a Bill to provide for the establishment of The National Heritage Fund to be administered by trustees to assist nonprofit-making organisations including public museums and local authorities concerned with the preservation of exceptional elements of the national heritage: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 26th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 28.]

PUBLIC BODIES (APPOINTMENTS)

Mr. Geoffrey Johnson Smith, supported by Mr. Philip Holland, Mr. Nicholas Ridley, Mr. Nicholas Scott, Mr. Reginald Eyre, Mr. Cranley Onslow, Mr. George Gardiner, Mr. John Wells, Mr. William Clark, and Mr. John Moore. presented a Bill to regulate appointments to public bodies; to make provision for confirmation by Parliament of the appointment by Ministers of chairmen of public corporations and other boards of a commercial character; to provide for an annual Register of Offices to which appointments are made by Ministers and their holders; to limit the number of offices that may be held by a person at one time; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time, and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 26th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 29.]

LICENSED PREMISES (EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN PERSONS)

Sir George Young, on behalf of Mr. Anthony Grant, supported by Sir Bernard Braine, Mr. Michael Marshall, Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg, Mr. Ron Lewis, Mr. William Molloy and Mr. Clement Freud, presented a Bill to empower the courts to make orders excluding certain categories of convicted persons from licensed premises: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 16th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 30.]

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PRIVACY

Mr. Geoffrey Dodsworth, supported by Mr. Peter Rost, Mrs. Margaret Bain and Mr. Dennis Canavan, presented a Bill to further the full interchange of opinion in the United Kingdom by providing for greater personal access to official information and to safeguard the privacy of personal information collected and retained for official purposes; to make provision with respect to the keeping, disclosure, correction and dissemination of such information; to make further provision for the content and accuracy of certain official documents; and for purposes connected with the aforesaid matters: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 16th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 31.]

ACCESS TO COMMONS AND OPEN COUNTRY

Mr. Arthur Blenkinsop, supported by Mr. George Strauss, Mr. Geoffrey Rippon, Mr. Frederick Willey, Mr. Arthur Jones, Mr. John Parker, and Mr. Frank Hooley, presented a Bill to amend sections 193 and 194 of the Law of Property Act 1925; to clarify the meaning of the Commons Registration Act 1965; to grant a right of public access to open country (as defined in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 as amended by the Countryside Act 1968); and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 26th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 32.]

CUSTOMS AND EXCISE AND INLAND REVENUE APPEAL TRIBUNALS

Mr. Norman Lamont, supported by Mr. Jonathan Aitken, Mr. Leon Brittan, Mr. Nigel Forman, Mr. Malcolm Rifkind, and Mr. Timothy Sainsbury, Mr. Nicholas Ridley and Mr. Cecil Parkinson presented a Bill to establish independent appeal tribunals in connection with the administration of the Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 16th February 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 33.]

HANDICAPPED AND DEPRIVED CHILDREN (ABOLITION OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT)

Mr. Bruce Grocott, supported by Mr. Arthur Blenkinsop, Mr. Dennis Canavan, Mr. Ivor Clemitson, Mr. Robin Corbett, Mr. Bryan Davies, Mr. Robert Kilroy-Silk, Mr. Neil Kinnock, Mr. Arthur Latham, Mr. Christopher Price, Mr. George Rodgers and Mr. J. W. Rooker presented a Bill to forbid the use of corporal punishment in special schools for mentally and physically handicapped children and in community homes; and for connected purposes: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time upon Friday 19th January 1979 and to be printed. [Bill 34.]