§ Mr. Bob Cryer (Bradford, South)I have much pleasure in presenting a petition signed by over 200 residents, and their friends and relatives, whose homes are under threat of sale by Tory-controlled Bradford council. It calls for the homes to be held in public ownership and not sold to the private sector. It urges the Government to oppose Bradford council's plan to sell the homes.
The petition is accompanied by 15 letters from residents and I shall quote briefly from one. It says:
Dear Mr. Cryer,I am distressed to hear of the privatisation of this home"—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is presenting a petition, not individual letters.
§ Mr. CryerQuite so, Mr. Speaker. When I received the petition, 15 letters accompanied it. I am not presenting the letters but showing that this 81-year-old person—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The rules lay down that the hon. Gentleman may only describe the petition.
§ Mr. CryerThe petition says that the Secretary of State for the Environment has the power to stop the sale. I take the view that, if he had any decency or concern for the plight of the elderly, he would use his powers. I regard it, as do the petitioners, as a scandal that valuable public assets are being sold off complete with the people living in them, which is reminiscent of the slave trade. The petition says:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The Humble Petition of relatives and residents of homes for the Elderly shewethThat the homes be held in public ownership and not sold to the private sector. Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House do urge the Government to oppose any measures by Bradford Metropolitan Council to sell the homes.
1264 I support the petition and have much pleasure in presenting it.
To lie upon the Table.