Mr Sydney Irving: I begin by congratulating my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services on exposing most effectively the fallacies in the case put by the right hon. Member for Leeds, North-East (Sir K. Joseph). Her speech completely destroyed the validity of the right hon. Gentlman's speech. The House will also be grateful to her for the elaboration of the proposals which she has given to...
Mr Sydney Irving: I ought to declare an interest as a member of a local authority and chairman of its finance committee. I start by congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Roderick) on giving us an opportunity to discuss this important subject. My hon. Friend has apologised for his absence now, and has a very good reason for it. I also congratulate him on the very effective way in...
Mr Sydney Irving: I said that I was chairman of a finance committee. I would not want to make too much of that fact, but the hon. Gentleman may know, because he comes from north-west Kent, that my authority had one of the lowest increases in rates. At the same time, we have just spent £1 million on a new swimming pool, work on which was started only six weeks ago. This can be done. I do not believe the two...
Mr Sydney Irving: The hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd) was disappointed because the Bill did not contain a requirement for compulsory recycling. He criticised the Association of District Councils. I have no doubt that the secretary of the association had in mind that recycling and separation plant is very costly, and there is no means, particularly with the difficulties facing district...
Mr Sydney Irving: It is true that we employ highly qualified officers in local government. I think that they are capable of doing a lot more than has been allowed in the past. I hope that in future greater scope will be allowed to the environmental officers and other officers in local authorities who can take on part of the work of monitoring. Up to 1973 re-registration of scheduled plants was almost...
Mr Sydney Irving: I am happy to support the efforts of my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Mr. Ovenden) to defeat the Bill. I want first to add my own protest to that of others at the fact that the promoters, who have not yet received planning consent, should be seeking to use the Private Bill procedure to act in a way which could be irrevocable in the loss of common land and detrimental to the interests...
Mr Sydney Irving: I am glad to follow the hon. Member for Brent, North (Dr. Boyson), who has been a controversial figure in education. He held himself very well in hand this morning, making a highly competent maiden speech in the best tradition of the House, which I think we have all heard with great interest. It is clear that the hon. Member has a good grasp of the subject and much experience. I am sure that...
Mr Sydney Irving: Order. I have just come into the Chair and have been trying to ascertain the relevance of the remarks of the hon. Member for Tavistock (Mr. Michael Heseltine) to the Amendment. Perhaps he will help me.
Mr Sydney Irving: Order. We are not discussing the principle of the matter, but whether, having accepted the principle, it should be extended to give exclusive rights to provide port services to the generality of port users. I have heard nothing about the Amendment yet.
Mr Sydney Irving: I did not accuse the hon. Gentleman of going out of order. He answered what was said. I was pointing out that in all directions we are going away from the Amendment.
Mr Sydney Irving: Order. I must insist that the hon. Gentleman comes to the Amendment.
Mr Sydney Irving: Order. I suggest to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Ellis) that his intervention will make it more difficult rather than easier to bring the hon. Member for Tavistock (Mr. Michael Heseltine) to order. I hope that he will leave it to the Chair.
Mr Sydney Irving: The next Amendment is No. 65.
Mr Sydney Irving: It is the practice not to enumerate Government Amendments. The hon. Gentleman will see from the top of the list that all Government Amendments have been selected. Amendment No. 65 is a Government Amendment.
Mr Sydney Irving: I cannot enter into the merits of the submissions made by either the hon. Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Mapp) or the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward M. Taylor). What is at stake here is the question of Mr. Speaker's selection. I am not empowered to select or not to select, and therefore I am unable to vary his selection. I must rule that the Amendment is in order.
Mr Sydney Irving: I can only rule that what the hon. Gentleman said was not out of order. I was a little more concerned with whether he would relate it to the Amendment.
Mr Sydney Irving: These matters are for debate and not for the Chair.
Mr Sydney Irving: Order. The hon. Gentleman is discussing the main principles of the Bill. The Amendment is concerned with making mandatory the question of public inquiries.
Mr Sydney Irving: The hon. and learned Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Bruce Campbell) is going into too much detail on this issue, as distinct from the matter of inquiries, which is the subject of the Amendment.
Mr Sydney Irving: I am afraid the hon. Gentleman is getting out of order on this Amendment. All we can discuss is whether there should be a public inquiry before an order is made under subsection (7). We are not discussing the affairs of a company or the affairs of his constituency, unless related to the Amendment.
