Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I am sorry that so many hon. Members should be leaving the Chamber as I rise to take the opportunity of making my maiden speech and of attempting to bring to the notice of the House what the people of the outside world are thinking and what they want. After my experience over the past three or four weeks in this House, I am beginning to wonder how many hon. Members, especially those on the...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I join other hon. Members in welcoming the regulations and congratulating the Minister on his presentation. I am concerned about regulations 4 and 5. The findings of the pneumoconiosis panels have often brought the authority of the coroner's court into disrepute. I always understood that the reason for the existence of the coroner's court is that it determines the cause of death. When a...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I shall not attempt to cover ground that has been adequately covered by my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone (Mr. McKay), and I hope that the Government will take my remarks in an advisory capacity rather than as a threat or a warning. The Bill is causing great concern throughout the mining industry. I welcome the speech of the hon. Member for New Forest (Mr. McNair-Wilson) which was...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received for the inclusion of water rates in the rebate scheme.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have been in the House since 9 o'clock this morning, but it was not until 10 minutes to 3 o'clock, when I arrived in the Chamber, that I was notified that my question, No. 10, would be coupled with No. 1. I have not had the opportunity of speaking to question No. 10.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received for the inclusion of water rates in the rebate scheme.
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Will the Minister accept that his answer will disappoint my constituents, particularly the lower-paid workers? Is he aware that if the change to metering will cost the tenants money, the lower-paid will not be able to afford it? Will the hon. Gentleman therefore consider replacing the water authorities with a democratically elected body?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Compared with what?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: My predecessor was held in much esteem and affection in the House. He spoke for the last time in a Yorkshire debate on 23 November 1973. He said: When I first came into this House and we debated the problems of the regions…it was always understood that Yorkshire was a prosperous region. But that is not so now."— [Official Report, 23 November 1973; Vol. 864, c. 1780.] That was true then...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I shall limit my contribution by referring only to what I believe will be the effect on the gas industry of the Secretary of State's statement on 19 October of this year. Whatever Lord Kearton may believe, it was a black day for the British gas industry when the Secretary of State made that statement, but at least it alerted us, before the Gracious Speech, to what we could expect in the...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I have listened to a sufficient number of debates in the House to form the opinion that when some truth is uttered across the Floor one hears the sort of noise that has just been evident. It will be noticed that I have spoken from a brief during my remarks relating to the gas industry. For the remarks that I intend to make about the coalmining industry, I do not need to rely so much on a...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: It will be resisted because the mining industry is successful and hard-working and is needed by this country. I shall refer briefly to the figure of 14 million tonnes that has been mentioned. I think that it was the Secretary of State—and probably the hon. Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam)—who said that some of this was brought about by excessive wage demands. I want to put the record...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Will the right hon. Lady find time to read the report in the Yorkshire Post on Tuesday, in which the former Conservative chairman of the West Yorkshire policy authority accused the Home Office of banning the promotion of senior police officers in that force as a result of their involvment in the Yorkshire Ripper case? If that is true, will she make a statement to the House about why the Home...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Will the Home Secretary now confirm to the House that he has already taken action in putting a ban on the promotion chances of senior officers of the West Yorkshire police force? If that is the case, does that ban include officers who have not been involved in the Sutcliffe case?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Do I understand from the hon. Gentleman's last remark that he advocates selling off profitable parts of the NCB on the same lines as the Department of Energy has recommended for the oil industry?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: The answer is "Yes".
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I shall be brief. I had not intended to speak in the debate, but having—unlike some hon. Members—sat through the debate and listened to Conservative Members, I thought that I should like some assurances from the Minister about certain speeches—notably those of the hon. Members for Fife, East (Mr. Henderson) and Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow). Like many of my hon. Friends, I spent 40...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: (Pontefract and Castleford): On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it right and proper and in accordance with the rules of the House that hon. Members with something to say can be prevented from speaking by having to listen to hon. Members with nothing to say?
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: I shall not go over ground already adequately covered by my hon. Friends. It was regrettable, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) has said, that the hon. and learned Member for Thanet, West (Mr. Rees-Davies) spoiled his own speech by attacking my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Foulkes), although he seemed most disturbed that the integrity of...
Mr Geoffrey Lofthouse: Will my hon. Friend agree that Mr. Arthur Scargill will be very upset with his members if he catches them burning gas?
