Mr Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received since 1 January from British citizens supporting the case for a free and independent state of Kashmir. [18305]
Mr Chris Davies: Does the Minister accept that many of us will welcome the sentiment expressed by the Prime Minister in Pakistan in January, that the solution to the problems in Kashmir lies with the Governments of India and of Pakistan and the Kashmiri people? Will he help to give some practical effect to those excellent sentiments by urging Britain's permanent representative at the United Nations to take...
Mr Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will estimate the number of (a) eight-year-olds, (b) nine-year-olds and (c) 10-year-olds being taught in classes of more than 30 pupils. [16059]
Mr Chris Davies: Is the Secretary of State aware that on Monday councillors in Oldham had to slash the schools budget for the coming year by some £600,000? Is she aware that the parents whom I represent are tired of hearing the Government claim that they are giving more money to education, when schools budgets are being cut and class sizes are rising? Will she give a commitment to press for additional...
Mr Chris Davies: I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enhance the independence and professional status of senior local government officers by providing for a statutory code of conduct requiring that their advice and actions be politically impartial, and to establish an independent tribunal with authority to investigate complaints made by the public and enforce the code as required, and...
Mr Chris Davies: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 25 February. [15772]
Mr Chris Davies: What discussions does the Prime Minister intend to have with Governments of other nations to ensure that there are adequate international controls over the cloning of animals and other life forms?
Mr Chris Davies: Did the hon. Gentleman not hear my response to the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Pope)? I pointed out that £600 million of that money would be geared to further and higher education.
Mr Chris Davies: I congratulate the hon. Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Pope) on securing this debate. The Government's ability to shoot themselves in the foot really does beggar belief. They have a success story for which they should be able to claim some credit. In practice, however, in the past few weeks alone they seem to have managed to alienate the principals of almost every further education college in the...
Mr Chris Davies: I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman. The Liberal Democrats have made it clear that we want more investment in education. I shall not go into the details at length today, but they involve the need to fund education out of general taxation. We seek a new levy on companies—a remissible training levy—to ensure that more money is put back into higher and further education. We also want...
Mr Chris Davies: When I voted last year and the year before against the cut in income tax, the hon. Member for Hyndburn was out in the Corridor having a smoke. I recognise the point that he makes. It is quite true that our pledge to increase taxation by 1p in the pound to invest in education is geared primarily towards education at the lower end, but some £600 million of the money that we would seek to raise...
Mr Chris Davies: I agree. One of the priorities—I hope that the Minister will address this—should be targeting in college funding. There must be a difference between northern boroughs, coalfield communities and the like, where educational achievement has traditionally been low, and counties such as Surrey and Sussex, where the state of affairs is very different. What colleges need above all is stability....
Mr Chris Davies: On Second Reading, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochdale (Ms Lynne), the Liberal Democrat social security spokesman, gave the Bill a cautious welcome. She expressed some reservations about details, but said that, overall, it was necessary and welcome. At this late stage in the process, I echo those sentiments. Of course there are faults in the welfare system as a whole. The hon. Member for...
Mr Chris Davies: In supporting new clause 3, I should like to take up what I understand to be the Government's argument in opposing it, which is simply that it would be impractical and would not achieve their objective. If that is the case—and some Opposition Members believe that the Government's objective is not to increase public expenditure, even to help the most needy in society—why does the Minister...
Mr Chris Davies: I do not believe that any hon. Member can wish to do other than end benefit fraud. Money should, of course, reach those who are most in need, and not be siphoned off by people who are out for private gain, and defraud taxpayers and other claimants for their personal advantage. People should not, however, be able to take advantage of the bureaucratic obstacles that may exist now in order to...
Mr Chris Davies: The hon. Gentleman misses the point. He may be correct in saying that it is possible for computer hacking to be detected—if, that is, someone is aware that it is taking place, and bothers to go and check. There is clearly a huge difference between access to one filing cabinet in one Department and the ability to touch a computer keyboard and gain access to a full range of Government...
Mr Chris Davies: I warmly welcome the new clause, and urge the Government to accept it. Since 1988, there has been a 350 per cent. increase in the housing benefit paid to the private sector. As the hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) said, the opportunities for fraud have increased considerably, and it is estimated that between £1 billion and £2 billion is disappearing into the pockets of fraudulent...
Mr Chris Davies: With respect, we are dealing only with one new clause, which is aimed at landlords. Whether the matter should also be addressed in other ways is for the Minister to determine. It is for him to take the opportunity to table amendments at the appropriate time. If the Government wish to be tough on crime, they have an opportunity to demonstrate it.
Mr Chris Davies: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that, every day, some 75 people die prematurely as a result of alcohol consumption? Does he agree that there is a good case for making it illegal?
Mr Chris Davies: The Liberal Democrat conference has done no such thing. It has passed a resolution calling for a royal commission to look at all aspects of the matter. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Conservative Members should read the motion we passed rather than their own propaganda. Will the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) accept from me that, whatever the views of some Back-Bench Labour Members,...
