Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether a decision has yet been reached on the question of restoring the heavy horse-breeding grant for Scotland?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give such directions under Clause 28 of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, as will preserve the street elevations of the seventeenth and eighteenth century houses still remaining in the Royal Mile in Edinburgh?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in how many cases in Scotland directions, under Section 28 of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, have been given by his Department; and whether he can give details?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether a decision has yet been reached on the question of extending the air-mail service to the North Isles of Orkney; (2) whether he has come to a decision as to sending the Shetland mail by air; and whether he can arrange for this service to be started forthwith, in view of the near approach of the herring-fishing season?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: I beg to second the Amendment. In this Bill we are dealing mainly with small harbours frequented by small coasting vessels, very largely fishing vessels. Many of them are owned by the skippers or by a combination of poor men who, if they lose their fishing boat, lose everything. I think it would be very hard for these men to be in the position that if, through stress of weather, they lost a...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: It will be within the recollection of the House that during the War the Admiralty sank a number of ships at Orkney, in the Holm and Water Sounds, thereby completely destroying two fishing ports and destroying for all time the livelihoods of people dependent upon those ports. If this Bill becomes law, will it now be possible for the County Council of Orkney to remove these ships and send the...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: No doubt hon. Members have been greatly influenced in support of the Bill by the findings of the Royal Commission, and particularly those which deal with insanity as a ground of divorce. The findings of the Royal Commission, even those in the Majority Report, are not necessarily to be taken as gospel, and that applies particularly on this point. I am sorry that I cannot speak against the...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: If the person who recovers has been divorced by the other party, then that person has obviously lost his or her rights. I am much obliged to the hon. Lady the Member for Frome (Mrs. Tate) for her intervention, and I propose to deal with that point in due course. To my mind this proposal is unacceptable to civilised opinion for the most part, and I am not sure that those who have proposed this...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: I am trying to make out a case for the widest possible extension of this period, but perhaps I had better pass away from the question of delusions if it is out of order. I would point out that mental illness itself is due to a whole concatenation of circumstances and variety of causes, some of which are inborn and others acquired, but all of which are closely related to emotional and...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: If divorce, after a period of five years, is to be allowed for mental illness, why should it not be allowed for a number of other kinds of illness?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: Persons on the verge of mental breakdown are very keenly alive to future possibilities. Their minds are in the balance and any little thing may serve to turn the scales. I submit that the mere thought that mental illness for five years may result in the loss of family and home would be bound to have a most serious effect on them and may make insane those who might otherwise not become insane...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to make a statement on projected telephone development in the counties of Orkney and Shetland?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount and value of rubber footwear imported during 1936 from Hong Kong and Canada, respectively; and how many persons would have been given direct employment in Great Britain if this footwear had been manufactured here?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding an increase in the salaries of the sheriffs and sheriffs-substitute in Scotland?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Minister of Agriculture whether it is intended to include bere in the oats and barley scheme in view of the importance of this crop to farmers in Orkney and elsewhere; and, if so, whether it will be treated in the same way as barley?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has seen the report, published on 27th May, 1937, of the committee appointed by the Governor of Hong Kong to investigate the present and future financial position of Hong Kong University and to inquire and advise whether any changes are desirable in the interest of utility or prestige; and what action he proposes to take?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered representations made on behalf of the Scottish women's rural institutes and others interested in the revival of rural drama, on the subject of the cost of temporary licences for stage performances in village halls; and whether, in view of the great disparity in the cost of such licences in England and Scotland, he will take...
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the recent visit of His Majesty's Ship "Ramillies" to Lerwick was curtailed suddenly?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action the Fishery Board for Scotland proposes to take, following the complaint of the fishermen of Stromness about illegal trawling in the vicinity of Hoy, Orkney?
Major Sir Basil Neven-Spence: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will confer with the representatives of the fishing industry with a view to investigating the possibility of developing the lobster fishings on the west coast of Scotland so as to provide increased employment for Scottish fishermen after the close of the herring fishing season?