HC Deb 18 October 1989 vol 158 cc142-4
22. Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met interested bodies such as the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry to discuss industrial and regional policy.

Mr. Lang

My right hon. and learned Friend is in frequent touch with bodies representative of industry in Scotland on matters concerning industrial and regional policy.

Mr. McFall

When the Minister last met those bodies, did he discuss the scurrilous remarks of the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth) about the Intel Corporation, which he said was chased away from Scotland by the prospect of high taxes from a Scottish assembly, a statement which was categorically rejected by the company, which said that the issue was never raised once? In any future meetings with those bodies, will the hon. Gentleman ensure the absence of the hon. Member for Stirling and make sure that he does what he has been good at: being the Paul Daniels of Scottish politics, making the Tory party, as well as the person of the Secretary of State for Scotland, disappear "Just like that", as the Prime Minister would say?

Mr. Lang

The hon. Gentleman has obviously spent most of the recess rehearsing that question. Sadly, it lacked accuracy as well as spontaneity. In my meetings and those of my right hon. and learned Friend with the CBI, one point that has been made abundantly clear is that it favours a low taxation economy. This Government have reduced corporation tax from 52p in the pound to 35p in the pound. Perhaps the Labour party will come clean one day and tell us how much corporation tax will rise under a future Labour Government.

Mr. Strang

To return to what the Secretary of State said about Ferranti, does the Minister recognise that it is not sufficient for the Government just to point to the statement from the Secretary of State for Defence—welcome though that was? We want an undertaking that the Government will intervene, if necessary, to ensure that the financial solution found for Ferranti will provide for major increased investment in Scotland and will enable the company to go forward and win the contract for the European fighter aircraft.

Mr. Lang

We certainly recognise the great importance of Ferranti, as a major employer, to the Scottish economy. These are difficult and commercially sensitive matters. I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the Government are keeping in close touch with progress.

3.31 pm

Mr. Donald Dewar (Glasgow, Garscadden)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask for your advice on the increasing habit of questions being tabled and hon. Members not being here to ask them? The Minister of State said a few minutes ago that one of my hon. Friends had been rehearsing hard all recess. The new Patronage Secretary's representative on the Scottish team, the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Fallon), has been earning his corn. There are no fewer than nine questions down—seven from hon. Members south of the border—all in identical terms, showing a most unlikely interest in the views of the Scottish CBI. That may be fair game, but five of the questions from hon. Members south of the border appeared in the first dozen or so called today. Only one of those hon. Members—the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett)—withdrew his question. There were four questions running from such unlikely places as Cannock and Burntwood, Amber Valley, Stockton, South and Beverley, for which the hon. Member concerned was not present. Does that not amount to an abuse and should not some guidance be given?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I sometimes hear complaints from the hon. Gentleman about the number of hon. Members representing English constituencies who put down questions. I do not quite get the thrust of the hon. Gentleman's argument this afternoon. These questions were put down before the recess. The hon. Members concerned notified my office and that is why their names were not called out.