Results 1-20 of 108 for speaker:Mr John Spence

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Agriculture (Future Prospects) (6 February 1986)

Mr John Spence: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up a royal commission to inquire into agriculture's current situation and make recommendations as to the future of the industry.

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Agriculture (Future Prospects) (6 February 1986)

Mr John Spence: Will my right hon. Friend keep this matter under review? As he will be aware, in the light of his Berlin speech, the external and internal pressures on the industry are reaching enormous proportions. There are pressures with respect to land use, conservation, use of the countryside, urban development, and so on. Does my right hon. Friend not think that a fully blown royal commission looking...

Business of the House (14 November 1985)

Mr John Spence: Can my right hon. Friend make arrangements soon for a debate on the fifth report of the Select Committee on Agriculture about the imminent accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Community, which will have considerable potential for the benefit of the British economy?

Debate on the Address: First Day (6 November 1985)

Mr John Spence: Despite what Opposition Members have said, many on these Benches, and the majority of people in the country, will welcome the provisions in the Queen's Speech and the programme to which we are looking forward. I am happy to see an undertaking: A Bill will be brought before Parliament to make new provision for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes. I am...

Debate on the Address: First Day (6 November 1985)

Mr John Spence: I am obliged to my hon. Friend for making that point. There will be adequate opportunity for hon. Members to develop that and similar arguments, in relation not only to Scotland but to other parts of the United Kingdom. I welcome the new signposting experiments that are being conducted in two areas. That, too, will be of importance to the tourist industry—an an industry which the...

Orders of the Day — House Buyers Bill (16 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: Does the hon. Gentleman intend to apply his ideas not only to houses but to flats on long lease and to houses in multi-occupation? The hon. Gentleman keeps mentioning houses, but I do not know the definition of "houses".

Fisheries Council (15 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the policing of the agreement causes considerable concern? Is he satisfied that we have sufficient resources adequately to police the agreement? Does he agree that policing and conservation are vital to the inshore fishermen of the east coast?

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Marginal Land (15 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects to get agreement in the Council of Ministers to extend the Community's less favoured areas directive to United Kingdom marginal land.

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Marginal Land (15 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: I thank my hon. Friend for her congratulations on my appointment to the Committee. Will she bear in mind that we have been waiting for action in this matter since 1979, when the Government report on hill areas was produced — the Select Committee on Agriculture also reported on the uplands—and in the meantime conditions in the hills have worsened? Will she use her best endeavours...

European Community Common Agricultural Policy (1 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: If I understood the hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Hughes) correctly, he wants to turn the CAP on its head. That would be to the great detriment of British agriculture and the British consumer. I shall attempt to get the hon. Gentleman's support for that statement. A Bill dealing with coal is now going through the House of Commons. In fact, it is now in Committee. The argument being used by...

European Community Common Agricultural Policy (1 December 1983)

Mr John Spence: I understood my right hon. Friend to say that there would be complete elimination of MCAs. I had understood that the negative MCAs would be retained. Is that incorrect?

Tourism (22 November 1983)

Mr John Spence: May I draw my hon. Friend's attention to a substantial and important point in relation to tourism in my constituency? The tourist board has calculated that it has an income of about £12 million a year, which is a substantial contribution to the economy of the constituency. There has been substantial private and public investment in tourist facilities in the constituency. One section of...

Oral Answers to Questions — Oral Answers to Questions: Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (17 November 1983)

Mr John Spence: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the Government views on the Commission's proposals for the dairy sector.

Oral Answers to Questions — Oral Answers to Questions: Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (17 November 1983)

Mr John Spence: I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Will he confirm that the proposal to use 1981 figures as the base for milk production in the United Kingdom will be disastrous in view of the expansion that has occurred in the industry since that time? Will he further confirm that the knock-on effect in supply industries to the agriculture industry, particularly the dairy and livestock sector,...

Fisheries Council (28 July 1983)

Mr John Spence: I welcome what my right hon. Friend said about not accepting unsatisfactory deals. We have heard much about the major ports in the questions on my right hon. Friend's statement, and I wish to say something about the smaller ports, such as Filey in my constituency. The fishermen's jobs there are as important to them as individuals as the jobs of fishermen in major ports. Over-fishing and...

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Poultry Producers (Wheat Supplies) (28 July 1983)

Mr John Spence: On competition generally, will the Minister keep an eye on the other inputs that are available elsewhere in the Community and which are equally capable of distorting competition for our poultry industry, which is a highly productive and efficient industry?

Oral Answers to Questions — Environment: Council Houses (6 July 1983)

Mr John Spence: Will my hon. Friend ensure that the spirit as well as the letter of the Housing Act 1980 are enforced for the improvement and new building of houses and dwellings by local councils, by means of private labour organisations, by competitive tendering and by making them responsible for the figures that they produce?

Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Science: School Standards (5 July 1983)

Mr John Spence: Is my right hon. Friend satisfied with the uptake of the microcomputers in schools programme? Does he agree that the programme has made a major contribution to improving standards and the qualifications of young people leaving school?

Business of the House (30 June 1983)

Mr John Spence: Given what my right hon. Friend has said about Select Committee reports generally, may I draw his attention to the important report of the Select Committee on Agriculture, entitled "Organisation and Financing of Agricultural Research and Development"? It covers an important area and when my right hon. Friend has read the report I do not think that he will disagree with what we have to say....

Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Common Agricultural Policy (30 June 1983)

Mr John Spence: Does my right hon. Friend agree that there is much in the CAP that has been of considerable benefit to my constituents in Ryedale and in the upland parts of the constituency? When my right hon. Friend carries out the review in conjunction with other Common Market Ministers, will he ensure that many of the typical British aids are preserved? I particularly draw attention to the benefit...