§ 1. Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West)If he will make a statement on his powers in relation to the holding of referendums in Scotland. [118126]
§ The Secretary of State for Scotland (Dr. John Reid)I have no powers in relation to the holding of referendums in Scotland.
§ Mr. SwayneThe Scottish Parliament lacks the benefit of a second Chamber to keep it in touch with popular opinion on contentious and difficult matters. Will the Secretary of State take the powers in a short Bill to make greater use of referendums to make good that omission? Will he earn the lasting thanks of parents throughout Scotland, see off his rivals in the dismal Scottish Executive and perhaps bring some relief to nervous colleagues sitting behind him by announcing today that the first such referendum will be on section 28?
§ Dr. ReidI know from previous exchanges that the hon. Gentleman does not fully understand the idea of devolution. I remind him that the point is to pass powers to other institutions, and not to decide to run those other institutions by decisions made here. Section 28 is a matter for the Scottish Executive. I am not sure that it is productive or useful for the hon. Gentleman to make his views known. The last time he did so, his views were so 810 intolerably extreme that they distressed even the Scottish Conservative party, which takes a bit of doing. Having agreed, after several years of debate, to give devolution to the Scottish Parliament and the Executive, we should allow them to get on with it.
§ Mr. David Stewart (Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber)Does the Secretary of State share my view that referendums are useful gauges of political opinion? If he were to hold a referendum among the business community in my constituency, it would be overwhelmingly in favour of the retention of assisted area status. Would the Secretary of State agree to meet me urgently to discuss that issue?
§ Dr. ReidI congratulate my hon. Friend on his ingenuity in managing to make a plea for Inverness. I am aware that he is a doughty fighter for the interests of his constituency and its business community. I would be glad to meet him to discuss these matters during the consultation period.
§ Mr. Eric Forth (Bromley and Chislehurst)Does the Secretary of State agree that one of the great glories of our constitution is that nothing is irreversible? Will he keep an open mind on the possibility of arranging a further referendum in the future to give the people of Scotland the opportunity to say whether or not they regret their decision in the last referendum?
§ Dr. ReidOur constitution has a number of great glories, one of which is the right hon. Member, who brings the House long hours and much amusement. Even the worst enemies of devolution would consider it a little premature to reverse in 10 months something it took 100 years to deliver.
§ Mr. Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield)The Secretary of State will recollect that, before the last general election, the then Labour Opposition were keen on local referendums—such as the unofficial Strathclyde water referendum—to influence Government. In terms of the right hon. Gentleman's own reserved matters, does he think that he might have a referendum on whether the contracts for the ships at Govan should be commercial or military? That would allow an opportunity to nail the calumny put out by the Government that the commercial status is due to the last Government, as it is entirely the responsibility of his Government that that has come about.
§ Dr. ReidAny opinion poll, representative sample or referendum held by an elected body is up to that elected body. The contracts for the ro-ro ferries were classified as commercial contracts under the advertisements put out in the European Gazette in January 1997, which even those with the urge to have collective amnesia about the last Government can remember was during the period of that Government. Rather than political point-scoring over Govan—particularly when the hon. Gentleman inevitably will score own goals, as he has just done—we would all be better served by concentrating our minds on the real issue, which is how we maintain a competitive and productive shipbuilding industry in this country, including at Govan.