Former MP for Canterbury
On a serious note, may I say to my right hon. Friend how much my constituents and many others appreciated her presence in Canterbury cathedral last month on the occasion of the memorial service to those who died in the Herald of Free Enterprise? On that occasion I had the honour of sitting beside my right hon. Friend. I have not had that distinction in this place. If I were returning here...
As one who also sought to raise the question of human rights with General Secretary Gorbachev last year, may I say to my right hon. Friend how much I admired the way she did so this time, emphasising the importance that we attach to this question without at the same time making it an absolute barrier to achieving a first step towards reducing the nuclear balance between East and West?
May I thank my right hon. Friend for the extra £15 million that he has announced for research for the civil science Vote? In doing so he has proved once again that he is a listening Minister and that it is worth while for Back Benchers occasionally to make speeches in the small hours of the morning advocating a change in Government policy. We thank him very much.
I echo the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Test (Mr. Hill) on the quality of contributions in the debate. I was immensely impressed by the speeches of my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mr. Thornton) and of the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Stott), who spoke from real knowledge of the sea. My hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd) spoke movingly from...
We are surrounded by water.
I do not follow the hon. Gentleman's great concern about the possible harm to coastal trade and traffic. The small port of Whitstable in my constituency will be a competent harbour authority. Coastal traffic from Cornwall to Whitstable brings granite to be broken in quarry or sand and gravel operations at Whitstable. It is dependent on two vessels of 400 to 500 tonnes coming from Cornwall...
It is not a question of the research councils being frustrated, but rather that the Government have the symmetry wrong between the university pay awards and the pay for those who work in units, in universities on 'research council work. The letter that I received from the Secretary of State on 5 March on university academic pay stated: Today the Government accepted the proposals for the pay...
It is a pleasure to hear the new hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) make his second speech. I am sorry that I missed his maiden speech. He will know that the second speech and the third, fourth, fifth and all those after that will not be treated in the same generous way as his maiden speech was undoubtedly treated. However, I am pleased to hear him make a contribution to a scientific debate....
