Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the funding of the Government's standard grade development programme, particularly in relation to technological studies, computing studies and office information studies.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: It is obvious that the Minister has not met senior education officials in Strathclyde, who have expressed to me their grave concern about the severe underfunding of these important subjects in education and have asked me to ask the Minister to think again and to put money into these subjects so as to allow the young people of Scotland to be trained so as to enable them to compete in the new...
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what responses his Department has received to the White Paper on information technology (Cm. 646).
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: The Government are now involved in negotiating a detailed sector plan with the breweries. Is it not time for the Government to get around a table with the information technology industry to try to find a way for Britain to reduce the £4 billion trade deficit in this vital industry? Why has the House not debated the White Paper on information technology, and when can we expect to see a trade...
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: There are only 11 Conservative Members left in Scotland.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries are running a larger trade deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product than the United Kingdom.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: It seems strange that the noble Lord Young and the Department of Trade and Industry seem to have ignored or not noticed that our trade gap for 1988 is some £13 billion. That gap is so great that it will require a reduction in demand of about £40 billion, or about £30 per week per household to bridge the gap. Does it not follow that safe supply measures should be taken to increase the...
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the figures for British Rail of passenger train miles and passenger seat provision in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he agree that although new stock has been brought in, it will result in fewer seats for passengers? Will this not lead to excessive overcrowding and a lowering of safety standards?
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 12 January.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Can the Prime Minister tell the House what plans she has to prevent the dreams of home ownership—[Interruption.]—becoming the nightmares of bed-and-breakfast accommodation because of the Chancellor's policy?
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: What plans has the Prime Minister—[Interruption]
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Can the Prime Minister tell the House what plans she has to prevent the dreams of home ownership becoming the nightmares of bed-and-breakfast accommodation because of the Chancellor's policy?
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, when somebody under the age of 18 is found gambling in an amusement arcade, the owner of the premises should be held responsible, that a financial penalty should be imposed on him and that, should he continue to allow people under 18 to gamble on his premises, his licence should be revoked?
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Glasgow, Pollock had a fair bus service until deregulation. A tour which used to take half an hour to reach Paisley now takes an hour. Buses used to travel at 10-minute intervals to each part of my area. How can the hon. Gentleman defend what has happened, when people have lost their previous service and now have a lesser one?
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The hon. Gentleman says that the bus companies do not have to provide a service to people in the area—
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Disaster.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: That was to protect jobs. The letter continues: We believe that the objectives of broadening share ownership and developing the enterprise culture will be most effectively served by privatising Scottish Bus Groups Subsidiaries to management/employee buyouts rather than sale to third parties.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding a mid-year adjustment to the North sea cod total allowable catch for 1988; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Jimmy Dunnachie: Does the Minister agree that the industry cannot be run viably when the quotas of species such as cod fluctuate so wildly? Will he listen to the fishermen as well as the scientists?