Former MP for Ipswich
My right hon. Friend will know that the Serious Fraud Office is conducting investigations into fraud and dishonesty in this sphere. However, there is also the related issue of possible negligence and breach of duty on the part of the supervisory authorities. Will my right hon. Friend give the several hundred Maxwell pensioners in my constituency an assurance that he will scrutinise carefully...
Does my right hon. Friend agree that, in the light of the appalling fraud perpetrated on the pensioners of the Maxwell-controlled companies, the case for personal pensions is stronger, because with personal pensions it is up to the individual pensioner to choose who manages that pension and in whom to place his or her trust?
In Victorian times, my great grandfather was a Free Church minister in a village not 25 miles from Dunfermline. As I listened to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) in full denunciation, it crossed my mind that the tradition of hellfire sermons in Fife is still alive and strong. However, while all good hellfire sermons were full of denunciation and wit—as was the speech of the...
He did, in that he made a few dangerous positive remarks to which I shall refer later. I suspect that if, heaven forbid, the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East found himself Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, he would be tempted to meddle. Governments of any colour are always tempted to do that, but this Government have been better at resisting that temptation than many others. Labour...
The word "excellent" echoes across the Chamber from the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar). That confirms that Labour is strong on regional aid. It always has been—but regional aid has its dangers. Labour all too often forgets the harmful effect that regional policies can have on companies in, for example, East Anglia and the south of England, which fall outside the scope of...
Does my right hon. Friend agree that defence cuts of £6 billion would lead to a massive loss of jobs in defence industries throughout the country? Does he further agree about the hypocrisy of those who call on the one hand for the maintenance of defence contracts in public and, on the other, plan in private for defence reductions?
My right hon. Friend will be aware that at a late hour last night the House debated the European Community budget. He may not be aware that, of the 90 minutes allocated, no fewer than 65 minutes were taken up by the speeches of the two Front Bench spokesmen, leaving Back Benchers only 25 minutes to discuss that incredibly important subject. I can tell my right hon. Friend that there was a...
I share the feelings of outrage expressed by Back Benchers on both sides of the House. The European Community budget is of enormous importance to our people and our economy. Year after year, Britain makes massive net contributions to the European Community budget and it appears that it is barely restrained at all. We are told that the European Parliament actually puts pressure on the...
