Former MP for Ross and Cromarty
This is a timely debate in view of the Government's intention to increase telephone charges. I was glad to hear the Minister welcome the opportunity to take part in it. There are two important reasons which make the proposed increases undesirable at this moment. First, there is the effect on the elderly and infirm. It must be obvious to all of us, and particularly to those of us who live in...
I have listened to the hon. Gentleman with great interest but still cannot see where the contradiction is. These are separate functions.
I promise to be brief at this hour of the morning. We have had a good debate, one of the best, because we must agree that hon. Members on this side have been helpful throughout this long Report stage. It is pleasant to find the Minister and his hon. Friends giving the Opposition so much credit for the help they have given the Government in making the Bill more effective. Certain parts of the...
Sorry, Mr. Speaker. That is the position, and one finds it is difficult not to refer to these matters when dealing with this important Bill. It is indeed an important Bill and we hope it will make a substantial contribution to the industry's welfare and to the expansion of production. On behalf of my colleagues, I welcome it.
I welcome the Scheme, because the 10 per cent. increase will be a considerable help if the farmers can put up the rest of the money. This is where the trouble arises. No sector of the industry is in a worse position to put up the extra money required, and what is so disappointing is that one can see no hope of improvement in the immediate future. It may be generally agreed that there is...
Mr. Alasdair Mackenzie rose——
The point is that large sums have been spent in the past 20 years to make hill farms viable units. It therefore seems wrong, when a man has fenced, drained and reclaimed land and put up buildings, that it should go to forestry.
I commend the comments made with reference to amalgamation by the hon. Member for Norfolk, South-West (Mr. Hawkins). When the 1967 Bill was going through the House, my hon. Friends and I pointed out that there was always the danger of small units being swallowed by larger units. This is happening in some cases, and the time has come when it should be looked at seriously and necessary...
