Mr Raymond Powell: Will the Leader of the House give serious consideration to promises that the Government have made that next Monday's Second Reading of the Sunday Trading Bill will be a free vote for all Members? Will he also use his influence and ask his Cabinet colleagues to stop undue pressure on workers, especially those employed by Woolworths, who are being compelled to sign contracts before the Sunday...
Mr Raymond Powell: The hon. Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) was doing well in the Department of Employment, and I am sorry that he is not still there. He seems to have gone astray in his beliefs. On the question of law and order, the biggest lawbreakers during the past 10 years have been Tesco and the other large stores which have abused the Shops Act 1950 blatantly by trading illegally on Sundays. If...
Mr Raymond Powell: On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I hope that you will be able to help. On the first page of today's Order Paper there are 13 Welsh Office questions. Seven of them are from Conservative Members and six are from Labour Members. There are 38 Welsh Members.
Mr Raymond Powell: On numerous occasions, I have been reminded that this is a United Kingdom Parliament. One of your predecessors, Viscount Tonypandy, used his influence to inform the House that Welsh Members have only rare opportunities to put questions to the Secretary of State for Wales, usually on a Monday and usually once a month. Surely you could use your influence, Madam Speaker, either to change the...
Mr Raymond Powell: Will the Leader of the House consider having a debate next week on the White Paper that the Government published on Tuesday about Sunday trading? Is he aware that the House should at least have had a statement from the Home Secretary on their complex document? Those who support one particular option would like to know why the Government are dictating to the House the terms of the option that...
Mr Raymond Powell: On a point of order, Madam Speaker; I seek your help. Perhaps you will disclose whether the Home Secretary has asked for permission to make a statement about Sunday trading. I appreciate from information that I have received that a paper will be published today and that it will be available to hon. Members at 3.30. As the subject is so emotive, and in view of the fact that we have debated it...
Mr Raymond Powell: Will the Leader of the House look again at early-day motion 1928 and find time next week to debate the issues surrounding illegal Sunday trading—or are the Government determined not to hold a debate so that we cannot expose the financial supporters of their party who are allowed to continue illegal trading and closing down small shops?
Mr Raymond Powell: Is the Minister aware of a Crown court decision taken last week by Judge Kilroy who sentenced a wolf-whistler to two weeks' imprisonment? The wolf-whistler, who whistled at one of my constituents—who was quite happy with the situation—is appealing against the judge's decision of 14 days' imprisonment for whistling in court. What will the Attorney-General do about that?
Mr Raymond Powell: I do not wish to ask my usual question about the Shops (Amendment) Bill. Will the Leader of the House consider between now and the time the House returns from the Whitsun recess arranging for a statement to be made on whether the Government intend to go ahead with the Jubilee line? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of hon. Members are still without proper offices, and that the...
Mr Raymond Powell: I wish to speak on three matters. I shall not reiterate what the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir F. Montgomery) said about pensions and benefits being paid in post offices. I hope that the Leader of the House took into consideration what he said. Fears have been expressed by many pensioners throughout the country, and especially by the 250 members of the Pencoed old-age pensioners...
Mr Raymond Powell: I am very grateful for the comments of my right hon. Friend. I will conclude now, Madam Deputy Speaker, because I know that a number of other hon. Members are waiting to be called in the debate. An article in The Guardian on 10 May is headed: Major plans fast law on Sunday trading". There is an opportunity here to have a fast law on Sunday trading. I tried everything. I asked who wanted to...
Mr Raymond Powell: That is not the thrust of the Government's policy at all. I stand by the settlement that was made 20 years ago. Deliberately, the Government and my right hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Sir E. Heath)—this has since been reaffirmed by all Prime Ministers—decided that those items that impact most on the budgets of the poorer people in our society should be exempt from VAT....
Mr Raymond Powell: My hon. Friend makes his point, and I shall make mine. Undoubtedly people will take note of exactly what has been said. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House would be extremely surprised if 1 did not use this opportunity to say a little more about war crimes in Bosnia. It is not the first time—nor, indeed, will it be the last time—that I shall raise the matter. With each of these...
Mr Raymond Powell: Some years ago, I introduced a ten-minute Bill on compulsory drug testing in schools. While my hon. Friend is concerned about cannabis, I was concerned about crack from America. Crack is killing people, particularly schoolchildren. Will my hon. Friend consider that?
Mr Raymond Powell: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. You were in the Chair when the votes were taken on a contentious issue that could clarify whether or not Parliament is in favour of the proposals of the Shopping Hours Reform Council, total deregulation or the proposals in my Bill. The wish of the House has been made clear beyond any shadow of doubt by the last vote of 124 for to 13 against. Even...
Mr Raymond Powell: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Do you realise that the Bill to which an objection has been made was debated for some seven hours—
Mr Raymond Powell: Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am referring not to the merits of the Bill, but to the fact that a private Member's Bill intended to help disabled people was debated for seven hours, and cannot now be debated further on the Floor of the House because an objection has been made.
Mr Raymond Powell: Further to his reply concerning the Shops (Amendment) Bill and early-day motion 1929, which carries 250 signatures of right hon. and hon. Members, will the Leader of the House consider whether the Attorney-General could make a statement next week about those who continually break the law, although the Law Lords have already made a definite decision to uphold the Shops Act 1950? When will the...
Mr Raymond Powell: As to the question by the right hon. Member for Worthing (Sir T. Higgins) about the Accommodation and Works Committee, I can assure the Leader of the House that any letters he or any hon. Member sends to it are replied to. Indeed, if anyone has a complaint, most of them—like the right hon. Member for Worthing—are invited to raise it with the Committee. I was not going to ask that...
Mr Raymond Powell: On a point of order, Madam Speaker. Did I not hear you say that speeches should be short? Does not that apply to Ministers and Front-Bench spokesmen as well as to others who might be lucky enough, if there is still time when this Minister has finished, to be called? Would you bring the Minister to order and remind him of the time factor?