Mr Alan Clark: Is the Minister aware that this body has lately awarded the sum of £20,000 to an organisation known as "Release"? Would he care to comment on the unwholesome paradox of his Department, which is responsible for the police, at the same time subsidising an organisation many of whose staff have criminal records, which is largely devoted to advising criminals of their rights and helping them...
Mr Alan Clark: Will the hon. Lady give way?
Mr Alan Clark: I am particularly grateful that you have elevated me to holy orders, Mr. Deputy Speaker, since I fear that in comparison with the speech of the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Delargy), which was statesmanlike and contained many felicitous phrases which must have pleased almost everyone in the House, what I have to say may not have such a universal appeal. It is for that reason that I am happy...
Mr Alan Clark: If Christian principles afford an exemption from liability to capital transfer tax, this is good news. The hon. Member will find, however, that transferring a business to a large number of workpeople carries exactly the same liability to pay tax as if the business had been transferred to that person's children.
Mr Alan Clark: The hon. Gentleman spoke of the inescapable commitment to pay existing staff and then went on to talk about requiring authorities to reduce certain projects. Would it not be consistent also to get local authorities in some instances to reduce their staff? We are all familiar with instances where there is duplication and the possibility of redundancy.
Mr Alan Clark: I am not sure whether this is a concluding speech. but I assure the House that it will establish a record for brevity. We have heard much about the hardship and difficulties of those who are bearing the burden of paying the rates. The Minister, in a most reasonable and forthright resumé of the situation, asserted that the increases in earnings and wealth were to some extent keeping pace...
Mr Alan Clark: I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not intervene with his answer. He may communicate it to me later. I was about to suggest to him that if he feels so strongly about rate revolutions he might care to join us in the Lobby next Tuesday when the question of the Clay Cross councillors will be decided. There is no question of revolution. It is simply that there is a positive danger that...
Mr Alan Clark: It is my purpose this evening to draw attention to the arrangements that presently govern the transport of schoolchildren by buses abroad. I do so without in any sense wishing to make party political points, as this would appear to be a situa- tion that has subsisted for many years. I propose to deal chiefly with the situation in Malta, but I should like to draw certain general conclusions...
Mr Alan Clark: I cannot understand why any Member, with the possible exception of the Prime Minister would not wish that the result of the referendum should be both counted. which is more economic, and announced, which is more democratic, on a constituency basis. There has been much high-sounding talk about the verdict of the British people. However, the identity of the British people is founded in the...
Mr Alan Clark: Every hon. Member who has spoken today has mentioned the dreadful business of jumping the queue as if it was a most deplorable and heinous offence. It could be said that one of the things that are most wrong with this country is that everybody is meekly prepared to line up in queues. If people wish to use the resources which they have accumulated through their own thrift and providence to...
Mr Alan Clark: The clear and menacing figures which the Minister has just given to the House and which he quotes from his White Paper are surely a very natural and credible preamble to recommending an increase in defence expenditure rather than justifying a cut.
Mr Alan Clark: I feel that I must correct the hon. Gentleman on the subject of Nimrod aircraft. I refer him to a Written Answer which I received from the Secretary of State for Defence 10 days ago when the right hon. Gentleman said that all the Nimrod aircraft were in service and that there were no plans to dispose of any of them, the inference being that the previous Government's policy in ordering that...
Mr Alan Clark: I listened with great interest to the hon. Member for Brighouse and Spenborough (Mr. Jackson) and I hope that he will excuse me if I do not develop the theme he initiated. I noted that he drew atten- tion to the increasing disparity between the GNP of the West and that of the Soviet Union. He might have enlarged his argument by relating this disparity to the enormous proportion of the GNP...
Mr Alan Clark: As my hon. and gallant Friend says, we are no more healthy. The priorities are totally different. Although many of us would not rate the discrepancy on the priorities as high as do the Government and their supporters, nevertheless we accept that the mood, demands and nature of civilisation have all altered, so that this disparity is antique. We recall that in the current fiscal year we have...
Mr Alan Clark: I agree with my hon. Friend. That is the point I am trying to develop. I say this with no wish to cast aspersions on the personnel involved, but the Defence Sales organisation has neither the status nor the instant access to influence that is necessary in dealing with projects and sums of this kind. Parallel with that one would hope for a certain discretion on the part of members of Her...
Mr Alan Clark: Knowing the right hon. Gentleman's very great propensity for discussing his arrangements with the workpeople concerned, may I ask whether he has mentioned to them that it is possible to give a golden handshake of £10,000 to every employee of Austin-Morris out of less than half the total of public money to be paid into the corporation?
Mr Alan Clark: Will my hon. Friend enlighten the House on one point? He used an expression which I did not quite follow. He said that strong hares are used. Will he elaborate on the verb "used"? Like the Under-Secretary, I have not actually witnessed this sport and I should like to know what merit there is in the hares being "used".
Mr Alan Clark: Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will allow me to correct one minor solecism. Only human beings are hunted with dogs, all animals being hunted with hounds.
Mr Alan Clark: This is the first time that I have attempted to catch your eye, from this place in the Chamber, Mr. Deputy Speaker, other than to make an intervention, and this may arise from a subconscious desire to seek propinquity with Government supporters. I must admit to feeling a certain anxiety that so many of my friends, as well as my hon. Friends, have attempted to change my mind on this topic. It...
Mr Alan Clark: Would the hon. Member give way.