HC Deb 23 November 1984 vol 68 cc545-6
The Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Biffen)

With permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a short statement about the business for next week.

The business on the Opposition's fourth allotted day on Tuesday, 27 November will now be as follows: until about 7 o'clock a debate on an Opposition motion on the failure of Government policies to safeguard the natural environment and the national heritage of Britain, followed by a debate on an Opposition motion on the crisis in the shipbuilding industry.

Mr. Peter Shore (Bethnal Green and Stepney)

I thank the Leader of the House for his statement. Is he aware that since the negotiations earlier in the week we have had the appalling announcement about further closures and redundancies in the shipbuilding industry? It seemed right that we should give immediate attention and consideration to that grave matter. My great worry about the pace of redundancies throughout the country is that we shall constantly have to demand from the Government time for debate on that urgent matter which affects so many of our fellow citizens.

Mr. Eric Forth (Mid-Worcestershire)

This is the second time in two weeks that a change of business has been announced in a Friday statement. Will the Leader of the House recommend to right hon. and hon. Members that if they wish to know the business for the following week they should attend on Friday mornings instead of Thursday afternoons?

Mr. Don Dixon (Jarrow)

Under this Government one cannot detail the business for the following week because there are so many redundancies. Only this morning I received a telephone call telling me that a Jarrow steel rolling mill was to be closed causing another 246 redundancies.

The unemployment rate in the area is far too high. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will see the Prime Minister and ask her to meet a deputation from south Tyneside council to talk about the dereliction and the deindustrialisation of south Tyneside. Unemployment is too high in Jarrow and south Tyneside. The people of Jarrow—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member will be able to raise the subject on Tuesday if he catches my eye.

Mr. Dixon

Unemployment is too high—

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Mr. John McWilliam (Blaydon)

I thank the Leader of the House for agreeing to a change of business on Tuesday because in the north-east we are desperately concerned about the effects of cuts in the shipbuilding industry. We are worried not only about the yards themselves, but about companies in my constituency which supply the yards.

Will the Leader of the House take on board what my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Dixon) has just said and see whether he can ensure that the appropriate Minister is present to answer detailed questions which hon. Members representing north-east and north-west constituencies will want to ask about the redundancies?

Mr. A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)

Is there not a relationship between the debate on Tuesday and the statement which might be made next week about the future of regional assistance? Would it not be appropriate if hon. Members had that information at their disposal at the time of the shipbuilding industry debate because on Wednesday hon. Members may discover too late that some areas are to lose regional assistance?

Mr. Biffen

A number of points of substance will be featured on Tuesday. In that debate I shall examine what the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) has said.

May I say to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) it gives me no pleasure to make on a Friday a statement adjusting business because it causes inconvenience to the House generally, and inconvenience to me in particular.

Mr. Dixon

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The information that we have received this morning is very serious. The Minister should have made a statement this morning about the redundancies. It is not good the Leader of the House making excuses. When he was in the Chamber yesterday he was gibbering away to his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman knows that a point of order must be made to me, not to the Minister.