§ Mrs. Maria Fyfe (Glasgow, Maryhill)I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of several constituents of Glasgow, Maryhill, including the Ruchill unemployed workers centre, Milton community council, Maryhill "B" tenants association, Cadder residents association, Woodside tenants association, Botany action group, Maryhill elderly forum, Lambhill community council and Lambhill senior citizens.
The petition is addressed
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.It statesthat the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act provides for the introduction in Scotland of the system of Community Charge or Poll Tax which will impose upon the people of Scotland a system of local taxation which will take no account of the ability of the citizens to afford such taxation and will cause hardship to many who are already poor. The Community Charge or Poll Tax will cause the redistribution of resources away from the poor areas into areas which are already prosperous. It will be expensive to operate and its collection will entail invasions of privacy and allocation to each adult Scot of an algorithm or personal computer identification number.Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that your Honourable House repeal the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray etc.I presented a similar petition some months ago. The people of Maryhill are no more in favour of the poll tax than they were then. Last Friday night the people living in Braid square in Woodside informed me that a poll tax canvasser was going about knocking on their doors at half-past 10 at night delivering the poll tax forms. She had a can of beer in her hand. I do not think that any hon. Member would attempt to justify such conduct, nor do I think that this behaviour was ever expected when the authorities embarked upon the distribution of the poll tax forms. I warn the House that this is the kind of thing that is likely to happen when poll tax canvassers are paid 40p per successful form completed and are largely recruited through their local jobcentre, which tells them that they must take on this occupation—
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Paul Dean)Order. I am sorry to interrupt the hon. Lady, but she is now arguing the case, which she must not do when presenting a petition.
§ Mrs. FyfeIn that case I shall conclude, Mr. Deputy Speaker, by presenting the petition, in the hope that the House will pay heed to my constituents' wishes.
§ To lie upon the Table.