§ Amendments made: No. 110, in line 1, leave out from '1958' to 'to' in line 3.
§ No. 111, in Title, line 6, leave out
'and finance in the National Health Service'
§ and insert
'finance in the National Health Service and certain functions of the Secretary of State' .—[Mr. Kenneth Clarke.]
§ Order for Third Reading read.
§ [Queen's Consent, on behalf of the Crown, signified.]
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
2.35 am§ Mr. MeadowcroftI do not wish to detain the House. Those who have taken part in the debate today should not be inhibited by the fact that the usual channels and the Government managers could not arrange that such an important debate on such an important Bill should take place on a day and at a time when it could be discussed properly. The Third Reading should not be taking place at 2.35 am.
When the Secretary of State first informed the House about the main content of the legislation — the provisions relating to opticians and optical services—our instinct was to be more sympathetic towards it than in the event we were able to be. When the Second Reading took place, it seemed on balance to me and my colleagues that we should oppose it. And as the debate today has progressed, we have come closer and closer to the view that the whole basis of the optical service provisions is wrong. On those grounds as well as because many of us 514 are unhappy about some of the social security provisions because splitting off the FPCs and making them free-standing is unacceptable to us, I shall decline to give the Bill a Third reading.
§ Question put, That the Bill be now read the Third time:—
§ The House divided: Ayes 118, Noes 20.
515| Division No. 276] | [2.36 am |
| AYES | |
| Alexander, Richard | Maude, Hon Francis |
| Alison, Rt Hon Michael | Mayhew, Sir Patrick |
| Amess, David | Meyer, Sir Anthony |
| Ashby, David | Miller, Hal (B'grove) |
| Baker, Nicholas (N Dorset) | Mills, lain (Meriden) |
| Batiste, Spencer | Mitchell, David (NW Hants) |
| Bellingham, Henry | Moynihan, Hon C. |
| Bendall, Vivian | Murphy, Christopher |
| Benyon, William | Newton, Tony |
| Berry, Sir Anthony | Nicholls, Patrick |
| Biffen, Rt Hon John | Norris, Steven |
| Boscawen, Hon Robert | Osborn, Sir John |
| Boyson, Dr Rhodes | Ottaway, Richard |
| Brandon-Bravo, Martin | Page, Richard (Herts SW) |
| Bright, Graham | Peacock, Mrs Elizabeth |
| Brinton, Tim | Powell, William (Corby) |
| Brooke, Hon Peter | Powley, John |
| Brown, M. (Brigg & Cl'thpes) | Proctor, K. Harvey |
| Burt, Alistair | Rhys Williams, Sir Brandon |
| Butterfill, John | Robinson, Mark (N'port W) |
| Chapman, Sydney | Rowe, Andrew |
| Chope, Christopher | Sackville, Hon Thomas |
| Clarke, Rt Hon K. (Rushcliffe) | Sainsbury, Hon Timothy |
| Colvin, Michael | Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb') |
| Conway, Derek | Shelton, William (Streatham) |
| Coombs, Simon | Sims, Roger |
| Cope, John | Smith, Tim (Beaconsfield) |
| Couchman, James | Soames, Hon Nicholas |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Speed, Keith |
| Currie, Mrs Edwina | Speller, Tony |
| Dorrell, Stephen | Spencer, Derek |
| Dover, Den | Squire, Robin |
| Dunn, Robert | Stanbrook, Ivor |
| Evennett, David | Stern, Michael |
| Fallon, Michael | Stevens, Lewis (Nuneaton) |
| Forth, Eric | Stevens, Martin (Fulham) |
| Fowler, Rt Hon Norman | Stewart, Allan (Eastwood) |
| Gale, Roger | Stradling Thomas, J. |
| Garel-Jones, Tristan | Taylor, Teddy (S'end E) |
| Goodhart, Sir Philip | Thompson, Donald (Calder V) |
| Goodlad, Alastair | Thompson, Patrick (N'ich N) |
| Grant, Sir Anthony | Thorne, Neil (Ilford S) |
| Gummer, John Selwyn | Thurnham, Peter |
| Hamilton, Hon A. (Epsom) | Tracey, Richard |
| Hayhoe, Barney | Twinn, Dr Ian |
| Hickmet, Richard | van Straubenzee, Sir W. |
| Holt, Richard | Viggers, Peter |
| Howarth, Gerald (Cannock) | Wakeham, Rt Hon John |
| Jackson, Robert | Walden, George |
| Lester, Jim | Waller, Gary |
| Lilley, Peter | Wardle, C. (Bexhill) |
| Lloyd, Ian (Havant) | Wheeler, John |
| Lloyd, Peter, (Fareham) | Whitfield, John |
| Lord, Michael | Wilkinson, John |
| Lyell, Nicholas | Wolfson, Mark |
| Macfarlane, Neil | Wood, Timothy |
| MacGregor, John | Young, Sir George (Acton) |
| Maclean, David John | |
| Major, John | Tellers for the Ayes: |
| Malins, Humfrey | Mr. Douglas Hogg and |
| Mather, Carol | Mr. Michael Neubert. |
| NOES | |
| Beckett, Mrs Margaret | Corbyn, Jeremy |
| Bermingham, Gerald | Dobson, Frank |
| Bruce, Malcolm | Harman, Ms Harriet |
| Campbell-Savours, Dale | Hughes, Simon (Southwark) |
| Cocks, Rt Hon M. (Bristol S.) | Kennedy, Charles |
| Kirkwood, Archibald | Skinner, Dennis |
| Knight, Mrs Jill (Edgbaston) | Wallace, James |
| Lloyd, Tony (Stretford) | Williams, Rt Hon A. |
| Meacher, Michael | |
| Meadowcroft, Michael | Tellers for the Noes: |
| Nellist, David | Mr. Frank Haynes and |
| Pike, Peter | Mr. Norman Hogg. |
§ Question accordingly agreed to.
§ Bill read the Third time and passed.