Former MP for Sevenoaks
This petition is on the same subject as the previous two. I have the honour to present it on behalf of my constituent, Mrs. Lois Hainsworth, chairman of the Bahai national women's committee and of Rev. Graham St. John-Willey, director of the Action for Children Campaign, and Mrs. Sandra Khambatta, its assistant director, the other officers of those organisations and the Bahai community in the...
Its isolation, its history and its position—a tiny dot in the south Atlantic—make St. Helena a romantic and beguiling place. It does not disappoint. From the island's first appearance as a misty bump on the horizon until the Royal Mail ship St. Helena drops anchor under the towering cliffs flanking Jamestown harbour, and when visitors leap ashore up the same steps as Napoleon used, the...
I am grateful to my hon. Friend and I entirely agree with his points. The company deserves congratulations. The ship attracts a large element of subsidy, without which it could not run between Cardiff, Ascension, St. Helena and Cape Town. The shipping line is endeavouring to promote greater use of the ship as a cruise attraction. Indeed, several people who were on board during our visit had...
The ship can carry about 140 passengers, but some of that accommodation, which is fairly basic, has to be kept available for the shuttle between Ascension and St. Helena to allow the Saints who work in Ascension and on the Falkland Islands to book places on board the ship as part of their working life. There is therefore always the problem of striking a balance between the extent to which...
That suggestion is worth considering and, happily, it leads me to my final constitutional point. If ever there was a case of he who pays the piper calls the tune, it is the ODA and its role in St. Helena. Since the ODA pays for almost everything, our overriding perception was that the ODA experts second-guess practically every policy decision on the island. That is done with the best...
Those are extraordinary claims. Although my hon. Friend's position is neutral, I am encouraged by the fact that I have never before heard such a barrage of real questions on such an issue. I am encouraged by the mood of the House.
I start by adding to what has been said about the establishment of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, and about the important role played by the late Sir James Kilfedder. He was always enthusiastic and interested in all who served on the Committee, and was keen to get it off on a sound and effective footing. It is a pleasure to work on the Committee, and the current Chairman, the...
Given the importance that the Select Committee attached to maintaining that budget, that cut is regrettable. However, the Select Committee also said that the content of the work needed review. It is important that such money should be spent and focused in the most effective way. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to make a short intervention in the debate and I look forward to further...
