Mr Edgar Granville: No one doubts the ability of the hon. Member for Reading, South (Mr. Mikardo) to make an explanation on the subjects on which he speaks, but he does also defend the Government, although he is not yet upon the Government Front Bench. I want to hear a categorical statement from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The long explanation given by the hon. Member for...
Mr Edgar Granville: The President of the Board of Trade has his sequences all wrong this afternoon. He introduced the cinematograph film subsidy before we had an opportunity of seeing the annual report of the National Films Finance Corporation. He told us in his speech that an agreement had been reached and that a copy of it will be in the Library. Those who have not seen a copy before the Debate will not be in...
Mr Edgar Granville: May I ask the Leader of the House if he can give consideration for time in the future for the discussion of electoral reform?
Mr Edgar Granville: I do not think the Government can complain about some of the speeches made in this Debate this afternoon. There has certainly been a desire on both sides of the Committee to make suggestions to the right hon. Gentleman for increasing AngloCanadian trade. Only a few weeks ago, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was telling us that the life of this country depended on an increase in our exports to...
Mr Edgar Granville: They do, and we are very glad to know that, but I am afraid there is a decision to buy other aircraft, perhaps fighters and so on, from the United States. I hope the President will have a talk with the Minister of Supply who, I think, is responsible and find out what is happening. Possibly the President touched upon one of the reasons for these purchases when he referred in his speech to...
Mr Edgar Granville: But even so, many of the manufacturers are not at all clear on the point. It is not enough to explain the problem in a speech at a luncheon or something of that sort.
Mr Edgar Granville: I know something about the British Industries Fair, but I am taking literally the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that when Marshall Aid ends the life of this country will depend upon our being able to bridge the dollar gap. It is not enough to put all our effort, our advertising, entertainment and publicity into a trading exhibition which is covered by the British Industries...
Mr Edgar Granville: I think they were both gloomy.
Mr Edgar Granville: I do not suggest that we should try to sell new lines. We should only sell routine lines and approved commodities which have a regular run in the market.
Mr Edgar Granville: Is this the total number employed since 1945?
Mr Edgar Granville: The hon. Member for Barnet (Mr. Maulding) has shown a considerable grasp of the problems which concern his constituents, and has painted a very grim picture for the President of the Board of Trade of the position at Boreham Wood. I hope that whoever replies for the Government will give us some information of what they intend to do with regard to the unemployed and redundant staffs in those...
Mr Edgar Granville: The right hon. Gentleman says they are being considered. I can understand the war-time situation, but here we have the right hon. Gentleman with this film business, the prize baby of the Board of Trade, hitting an all-time low record, or nearly as low as it has ever been before, and the Minister still expects, at any rate in production, the cinemas to fulfil quota obligations of that sort. It...
Mr Edgar Granville: Were all the facts and information which the right hon. Gentleman has now given to the House available to the official of the Home Office, who was communicated with by the official at Northolt before he took his decision in this case?
Mr Edgar Granville: Is it the right hon. Gentleman's intention to implement the reference to the supply of water to rural areas in the King's Speech? If so, when?
Mr Edgar Granville: Whilst thanking the Minister of Labour for his ready response to the suggestion made by the Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party on Tuesday of this week in the Debate on the Address, may I ask him whether he will continue the good work and consider rescinding the regulations and arrangements for the direction of industry to the development areas, particularly when no surplus of labour...
Mr Edgar Granville: That is right.
Mr Edgar Granville: On the Board of Trade recommendation.
Mr Edgar Granville: I agree with much of what was said by the hon. Member for North St. Pancras (Mr. K. Robinson). I cannot help thinking that for too long renters and distributors in Wardour Street have had the ear of the President of the Board of Trade and his advisers. When the hon. Gentleman was giving his conclusions on the costs of production, I thought he was describing the French system. I have not been...
Mr Edgar Granville: And that was on the screen. What has happened to all that today. Where is it now? Is it somewhere in the Rank empire? Has the genius of Mr. Baird been lost? We should be allowed to go on with that work. The warning from America is that unless we harness television to our film interests, television becomes a tremendous challenge. I am glad that one hon. Member took the trouble to set out his...
Mr Edgar Granville: Will the hon. Gentleman tell us what radical action he suggests?