Mr Reginald Freeson: Will the Secretary of State please tell us whether he intends to take powers to control and stop local authorities from guaranteeing that private finance will go to housing association schemes? It is a simple question; could we have an answer?
Mr Reginald Freeson: Did the Minister discuss with the Polish representatives the recently revealed shameful policy of successive British Governments since 1948 in failing to pursue Nazi war criminals who carried out terrible acts on Polish territory and the revelations that we assisted the departure of war criminals responsible for such conduct in Poland and other territories to safe haven in the United States?...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Mr Reginald Freeson: In view of what the Minister has just said, which was a repeat of what the Secretary of State said, will he explain to me why his Department has been issuing press releases—information has also been announced from the town hall—which specify figures that run into millions of pounds which the local authority of Brent had negotiated with his departmental officials for just such schemes in...
Mr Reginald Freeson: That is stupid.
Mr Reginald Freeson: We have listened to a rather sad speech. I do not intend to follow it. It would be extremely difficult to do so and to comment on all the detailed convoluted nonsense in the speech. I shall, however, pick up some of the points that were made towards the end of the speech, because they are directly relevant to a matter on which I wish to concentrate. The Secretary of State referred to Brent...
Mr Reginald Freeson: The Minister has said that the money will not count as public expenditure. He will appreciate that, until now, with one or two minor exceptions in national terms, it has been a strict Treasury rule that any private money which is married to housing association grant or its equivalent should count as public expenditure. Are we to understand from the answer that the Minister has given twice...
Mr Reginald Freeson: I have a simple question for the Secretary of State. In the light of the settlement that he has announced, will there be more or less expenditure on repairs, renewal and maintenance of the building stock—housing, schools and other public buildings—in the inner city areas in particular, one of which I represent?
Mr Reginald Freeson: Considering that three of the world's six leading arms traders are Germany, France and Britain, and that that massive trade is a major cause of poverty, which was referred to earlier, as well as a cause of major leakage into terrorist hands of weapons of destruction, why was the international arms trade and the control and reduction of that trade not a subject of major discussion at the meeting?
Mr Reginald Freeson: Why not?
Mr Reginald Freeson: Will the Leader of the House invite the Chancellor of the Exchequer to come to the House next week, if not before then, to clarify misleading statements that he made in his autumn statement, namely that in the coming year there will be an increase of about £450 million in housing investment for local authorities? Within a day or so of that misleading statement, a reduction was announced by...
Mr Reginald Freeson: As the Government seem, in the voice of the Prime Minister, to be insisting on maintaining the possibility of nuclear warfare should there be an outbreak of war between ourselves and the Soviet Union, why does the Home Secretary set aside so briefly the question of civil defence air raid shelters? If the Government are really serious about civil defence, why do they not undertake a programme...
Mr Reginald Freeson: rose—
Mr Reginald Freeson: I will give way to the hon. Gentleman if he wishes to intervene.
Mr Reginald Freeson: I do not need someone else's name to stand in this place. However desirable or undesirable their policy may be, why do the Government insist on compelling local authorities to do things when those elected authorities wish to do otherwise?
Mr Reginald Freeson: The Chancellor in his autumn statement, if I recall it correctly, expressed the hope for a reduction in unemployment from 1987. The Government actuarial figures, to which he referred, suggest an immediate increase in unemployment. In June or July this year, the Secretary of State for Employment forecast a reduction in unemployment by the end of this year. Can the Chancellor explain what these...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Would it not be appropriate to switch the burden of mortgage tax relief to repair and renewal funds instead of incurring the considerable expenditure indulged in by way of relief on the capital purchase? More specifically, will the Minister discuss as quickly as possible with the Building Societies Association putting an end to the idiotic and unfathomable rule which the Treasury imposes and...
Mr Reginald Freeson: The right hon. Gentleman said that the Government are putting down a marker with this sentence in paragraph 44. Will he give an undertaking to the House, in line with what he said, that the matter can be further discussed and that no instructions will be issued to civil servants until the discussion has taken place and it has come before the House again for a decision?
Mr Reginald Freeson: Is not the sticking point in an undoubtedly complicated situation regarding the peace settlement the refusal to accept the early removal of a foreign army from Cyprus? Until it is accepted that that foreign occupying army should be removed at a very early stage in the process, there will be no settlement. What is the Government's position on the removal of a foreign army—the only one in...
Mr Reginald Freeson: Will the Minister pursue with the Chancellor of the Exchequer the abolition of the Treasury rule that forbids housing associations from tying in housing association grants with borrowing from the private market for the provision of rented accommodation? Does he agree that this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the expansion of housing association rented accommodation during a period...