Mr Reginald Freeson: As the Member for a constituency where one of the largest slum clearance orders London has seen for a long time is now the subject of a public inquiry, I welcome the Bill very much. As perhaps the local leading light in initiating this current slum clearance order, it has been borne in on me for some time that genuine hardship was bound to be created by the introduction of very progressive...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Is not it the plain fact that in their period of office the last Government said that they were going to put first priority on slum clearance but that they cut public housing by 50 per cent.? Is not it a fact that the only way to give a clear priority to the clearing of the rotten parts of cities is by stepping up massively public sector housing in this way?
Mr Reginald Freeson: I wish to raise one or two points and questions on whether it would be expedient to pass this Money Resolution. During the past four years, as a result of such Money Resolutions passed by the House, about £9 million, I believe, has been spent in operating two of the Acts concerned, the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act and the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962. I understand that, since...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Mr. Reginald Freeson (Willesden, East) rose—
Mr Reginald Freeson: On a point of order. It may be within your knowledge, Sir Herbert, that within recent weeks both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House have indicated to the House that it was intended that there should be a general debate on the question of Commonwealth immigration, including the proposals covered by the recent White Paper. May we have your Ruling whether we shall be allowed to have...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Hear, hear.
Mr Reginald Freeson: Before the right hon. Gentleman leaves that point, could he tell us whether he is talking about immigration as a whole and whether the country can accept it, or is he talking about one class of immigrant from one part of the world?
Mr Reginald Freeson: My hon. Friend referred to the circular which made certain recommendations for national policy for immigrants living in larger numbers than elsewhere. Is he aware that the vast majority of immigrant children in this country are English-speaking? Could we have some clarification as to whether that circular and my hon. Friend are referring to non-English-speaking children? What is meant by the...
Mr Reginald Freeson: It is now 60 per cent.
Mr Reginald Freeson: There is this constant use of the word "ghetto". There is no statistical evidence provided by Government Departments or the Centre of Urban Studies, which has done a good deal of work on this subject, to support the use of the word "ghetto," which means, as I understand it, that a majority of the people living in that particular district—and it must be a defined district—are people from...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Another 50 million waiting on the doorstep?
Mr Reginald Freeson: I will deal with the point which was just thrown across the Chamber to me in the course of my remarks. I want to start by expressing my dismay at most of the speech that we had from the Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. This is not to question his sincerity but it is to question the value of the content of the speech. It is not good enough to stand in this Committee, or...
Mr Reginald Freeson: I beg my hon. Friend's pardon—Minister of State. This was given as one of the two reasons. There was no impression there of prejudice being the reason: the only reason was that there was a threat of a social explosion of some kind, to which I will return in a moment. The Prime Minister spoke of a social explosion and of widespread evasion. I challenge the figures which are given...
Mr Reginald Freeson: I will accept your Ruling, Sir Samuel, but this was specifically referred to in the White Paper and has been the subject of the discussion tonight. I will not pursue it further save to say that there are certain aspects of that Act which give powers to the local authority which could be abused and which are unnecessary in implementing the idea of control areas. The idea of special treatment...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the importance of not tying too high a proportion of aid in view of the need for developing countries to pay for aid from local costs? Will she also bear in mind the need to keep open the door to future genuine internationalisation of development aid to poorer countries?
Mr Reginald Freeson: asked the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government will take to implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an oil embargo to be included in economic sanctions against the Smith régime in Southern Rhodesia.
Mr Reginald Freeson: asked the Minister of Technology whether he will now make a statement on the powers, functions and composition of the National Computer Centre.
Mr Reginald Freeson: I join with other hon. Members in thanking my right hon. Friend for his statement. So far, the questions and answers have dealt with the Centre in relation to industry, naturally enough. I want to ask a question about the public services. Is it the intention after the Centre has been set up in due course to allow it to provide services to local and other public authorities, apart from the...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Will my hon. Friend explain how negotiations on nuclear snaring, as it is now described, are compatible with the Labour Party policy of trying to establish a nuclear-free zone in Central Europe?
Mr Reginald Freeson: asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he proposes to take to ease the difficulties facing housing associations and to encourage local authorities to help them in any campaign for the repair, improvement and conversion of old houses with many years' life ahead of them.