Hilary Armstrong: I listened to the speech made by the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Irvine)—another new Member—with interest. As a new Member, I have the privilege to follow the former Member for Durham, North-West, the right hon. Ernest Armstrong, who many hon. Members will know had a deep and abiding respect for all kinds of people, whatever their creed, colour or background. As Mr. Armstrong...
Hilary Armstrong: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to set up an urban development corporation for Consett; and if he will make a statement.
Hilary Armstrong: I am sure that the Secretary of State will be aware of the progress that has been made in towns such as Consett due to the dedicated commitment of local authorities to do what they can by working with private industry to rebuild opportunities. The right hon. Gentleman is undermining the local authorities and excluding towns such as Consett from any additional aid. The opportunity for such...
Hilary Armstrong: As other hon. Members have noted, one of the first acts of the Prime Minister after the election was to reassure us that the Government would do something about "those inner cities" and especially about jobs. The urban development corporations are the Government's answer with regard to jobs and are a means of interfering in the market mechanism. I welcome that readjustment and realignment in...
Hilary Armstrong: Will the Minister give way?
Hilary Armstrong: Does the Minister recognise that there are great regional variations both in the quality of the YTS schemes on offer and in the number of young people who succeed in obtaining jobs at the end of their training, and that in the north we suffer on both counts? What will the Minister do to redress the balance and ensure that young people in the north are given the same opportunities as exist in...
Hilary Armstrong: Will the Minister acknowledge that the continuing undermining of the relationship between polytechnics and local authorities is directly undermining and attacking the future of continuing education——
Hilary Armstrong: —and the opening up of access to a wider group of students, which I know that the Minister has urged polytechnics to become involved in? In many areas, the funding has come directly from local authorities. I hope that he will ensure and urge that the relationship continues, so that that very important aspect of higher education is able to develop.
Hilary Armstrong: I know of nobody outside the Government who welcomes the short time allowed for consultation. All the letters that have received, and most of the consultation replies that I have seen in the Library today, reveal anger and disagreement with the Government about the length of consultation. The Government say that the time allowed is acceptable because they sorted out the issue in their...
Hilary Armstrong: Does the Minister agree that, despite the good figures that he gives for manufacturing industry, there is 7 per cent. less investment in manufacturing industry now than there was in 1979, and that areas such as the one that I represent still have enormous problems in building up industry? Despite all the wonders of which the Minister tells us, there is still less investment in manufacturing...
Hilary Armstrong: May we offer the Minister our deepest sympathy for having arrayed behind him people who have no appreciation of the important contribution that women do, and can, make to our society, especially in areas where they can contribute to the ideas and thinking of the public service? Is he aware that we wish to support him in ensuring that women make a full contribution? Is he further aware that 20...
Hilary Armstrong: Will the Secretary of State give way?
Hilary Armstrong: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Hilary Armstrong: rose——
Hilary Armstrong: The Secretary of State said that young people will be guaranteed a place of quality on the YTS scheme, but his colleague told me in answer to a question in July that at present the quality of YTS could not be guaranteed, and he admitted that my area in particular had enormous difficulty in finding sufficient places of quality that will produce a skill at the end of the training period. That...
Hilary Armstrong: I am sure that the Hon Lady will be aware that there are other emotionally stressful situations, such as those that are being experienced in Cleveland. It remains unclear whether, after a couple of months, there will be the entitlement to benefit. This is an issue that needs to be clarified and I thank the hon. Lady for allowing me to intervene.
Hilary Armstrong: Will the hon. Lady accept that part of the agrument in the article was that we should encourage more young people to stay on in full-time education by making sure that they have the income support to enable them to do so? Will she acknowledge that that is the thrust of the argument?
Hilary Armstrong: The Chancellor should know that his hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Holt) has been misleading him and that the people of the north will view with great distress and great sorrow the statement that he has made today. May I also remind the Chancellor that the people of the north voted overwhelmingly for the Labour party? Perhaps he needs to read the statistics of the general...
Hilary Armstrong: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he will make to assist people on low pay living in (a) Derwentside district and (b) Wear Valley district following the introduction of the community charge.
Hilary Armstrong: Is the Minister aware that the estimates for Durham county, and especially for Wear Valley, show that 70 per cent. of the people who live there will pay over 20 per cent. more than the current rate that is levied? Is he further aware that people in areas such as mine, which have suffered enormously from de-industrialisation, have taken low-paid jobs to try to ensure a future for their...