Mr Jo Grimond: Will the Secretary of State say whether the estimate that has been given that one new oilfield will be opened every six weeks in the North Sea is the official Government estimate?
Mr Jo Grimond: Does the Secretary of State subscribe to the view that if the Finance Bill is passed and there is no general election, one new oil field may be opened up every six weeks? That is a Government estimate, I would add, before the right hon. Gentleman puts his foot in it, which I would not want him to do as he is a very decent chap. It that happens, what effect will it have on the ordering of...
Mr Jo Grimond: As the terminals at Flotta and Sullom Voe are in my constituency, the taxation of oil is of considerable importance to my constituency and to the country. The taxation of oil revenues is a highly complicated subject and, as with the rest of our taxation, it is not becoming less complicated. In addition, in many ways the activities of Governments are contradictory. It is only recently that a...
Mr Jo Grimond: I rise to press the Government upon a matter that has already been raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) — the effect of the amendment and of capital transfer tax in general upon employers or owners of companies who wish to make over their companies to their employees. The Government have introduced into the Finance Bill the concept of employee-controlled...
Mr Jo Grimond: The Financial Secretary will remember that, in the case of Mr. Baxendale, advantage had to be taken of last year's Finance Bill for the company to buy back its shares and to cancel some of them. I understand that capital transfer tax began to operate at that stage. Can the right hon. Gentleman clear up that matter?
Mr Jo Grimond: Is the Minister aware that the division betwen the pig farmers on good land and the smaller farmers in less favourable circumstances is growing more apparent? The difficulty for my farmers and many others is that they are heavily in debt. The only hope for them is to increase their net income either by reducing costs or by increasing their gross income. Can the right hon. Gentleman give us...
Mr Jo Grimond: Will the Secretary of State say a further word about history? I take it that there is no intention of downgrading the teaching of history, and that it will still be an important part of secondary education. Also, there is the matter of writing essays. Some teachers are worried that it is to be discounted.
Mr Jo Grimond: Will the Prime Minister find time today to order an inquiry into the price of petrol in this country? It cannot be in accordance with market economics, which her Government follow, that when the price of oil goes down the petrol companies propose to increase the price of petrol?
Mr Jo Grimond: Is the Minister aware that, in spite of what the Home Office has said, there is still widespread concern and even disgust about the treatment of this wretched Romanian? Will the Government review their policy? Political refugees have been of great service to this country and there would be comparatively few even if they were all let in. Is the Minister aware that there is considerable anxiety...
Mr Jo Grimond: Does the Minister agree that as the consumption of whisky is falling and unemployment in distilling is increasing, this is an especially lunatic moment to increase whisky duty?
Mr Jo Grimond: Is it correct that a freeze on prices would apply only to local calls? In the rural areas, especially in the islands, the most important calls are those to the county towns and outside the islands.
Mr Jo Grimond: The Minister has referred so far exclusively to Spanish vessels. I know that they are a great problem, but has his Ministry any evidence that other nations are undertaking that operation?
Mr Jo Grimond: Has the Secretary of State made an estimate of the effect of the fall in oil prices on Scottish employment? I understand that it is an important factor.
Mr Jo Grimond: If the Prime Minister today is considering further possible wage claims, will she discuss with the leaders of industry how they expect workers to take very small increases when very large increases and large golden handshakes are constantly given to directors, regardless of the success of the companies, and when, even in the nationalised industries, increases at the top have been far bigger...
Mr Jo Grimond: I understand from the Government's expenditure plans that they expect local government expenditure in 1983–84 to exceed the guidelines and are making available in extra £1·3 billion in that year. By how much do the Government expect the guidelines to be exceeded in real, not percentage, terms?
Mr Jo Grimond: Can the Secretary of State tell us whether the Government are in favour of Scottish devolution and there being some real power in Scotland? Or are they against it, or are they waiting to be told what to do by some other party?
Mr Jo Grimond: The test of the agreement lies in the future. Will it prevent overfishing in the North sea, and will it protect stocks so that local fishermen can make an adequate living and the industry can thrive? I am alarmed particularly at the heavy industrial fishing that goes on in the North sea and by the immense increase in catching power. That is of great importance to my constituency. As oil runs...
Mr Jo Grimond: I have already spoken twice on this proposal. There is no rule against making the same speech three times in the Houses of Parliament—and when I say "three times" I mean three times. However, I shall refrain from repeating the whole of my speech. I am bound to repeat that this is a most damaging and pointless order. Apparently, it was introduced at the behest of the CBI, but even the CBI...
Mr Jo Grimond: At any rate they are being encouraged to spend more money. We want to know where the money is to come from. I hope that the Government will rapidly make up their mind what they will do to assist Shetland out of the muddle into which it has been put by the Government, and by no one else. Finally, what is the significance of 200 cu m? Why was that figure chosen? No doubt the Government have...
Mr Jo Grimond: Can the oil companies set off against taxation the rates which they pay upon outside installations?