Former MP for Wolverhampton South East
I do not know whether my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Leighton) is aware that I have two visitors in my constituency who came to this country to attend weddings and meet relatives. One of those visitors has been in detention for four weeks at public expense and the other for three weeks. I cannot get any reply or justification for that state of affairs from the Home Office.
Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman give way?
Is the Foreign Secretary aware that, at a meeting of the Assembly of the Council of Europe, a respected Swiss Member of Parliament suggested that the whole British delegation should be removed because of this massive violation of human rights? Should we not be ashamed that such a situation should ever arise?
There are 20 people chasing every job in the west midlands.
Is that a substitute for manufacturing?
I apologise to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and to the staff of the House for raising an issue at this late hour, but I have a duty to perform on behalf of the West Midlands county council and the citizens of the borough of Wolverhampton. Representatives of county and borough councils from many parts of Britain came to the House last week to express distress about the rising plague of...
I am absolutely astonished by the speech of a Minister with responsibility for dealing with the west midlands. It reminds me of the song in the Gilbert and Sullivan opera the "Mikado": The flowers that bloom in the spring, Tra la, Breathe promise of merry sunshine. In the west midlands, people are on supplementary benefit. That has never happened before in the area. They all have to go...
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. May I point out that only one Social Democratic Member has participated in the debate?
