Mr Thomas Steele: While welcoming my hon. Friend's remark that the Government are open to representations, may I ask him to note that Loch Lomond is still outwith the concessions? Can he arrange for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to add his name to my Amendment to the Finance Bill?
Mr Thomas Steele: As the proposal is obviously designed to help hotels which are busy only seasonally, may I ask whether my right hon. Friend is aware that to set a line of this kind is bound to cause anomalies because of a certain amendment of rigidity caused by that line? Will he bear this in mind and perhaps formulate a system whereby hotels which are busy for only parts of the year and which at present...
Mr Thomas Steele: That figure has been mentioned on a number of occasions, and the implication is that those 41 per cent. are juvenile delinquents. They are not at all. They may need care because they are illegitimate children, but that has nothing to do with delinquency.
Mr Thomas Steele: There is one respect in which I agree with the hon. Member for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith). The Bill will not cure delinquency. No one could ever imagine that it will. What it seeks to do is to gather together a number of social services which have grown, like Topsy. When I was a Member of the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Treatment of Offenders, the first thing that I...
Mr Thomas Steele: rose—
Mr Thomas Steele: rose—
Mr Thomas Steele: I wish to detain the House for a few moments in connection with this Vote dealing with miscellaneous payments, and I shall refer particularly to the welfare services. Obviously such naval establishments as Plymouth, Portsmouth and Chatham have existed for a considerable time and, over the years, there has been an opportunity to build up various welfare and recreational facilities there. A...
Mr Thomas Steele: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the additional financial allocation to Scottish local authorities for work on roads this winter.
Mr Thomas Steele: I am grateful for that reply, which is most encouraging. Is it a 100 per cent. grant from the central authority to the local authorities? What proportion of the money went to the County of Dunbarton?
Mr Thomas Steele: Is my hon. Friend aware that when my hon. Friend the Member for Motherwell (Mr. Lawson) and I made repeated representations to the Board of Trade and previous Ministers there about this matter a considerable time ago we were promised that something would be done and that a full investigation would be made? May we have some information about that now?
Mr Thomas Steele: We have now heard three speeches from Members from Glasgow, with a series of interjections from another hon. Member which have now totted up to a speech in itself. After the two Front Bench speeches, the debate has developed more or less into one of criticism of Glasgow Corporation.
Mr Thomas Steele: It is not for me to defend Glasgow Corporation. The speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Sir M. Galpern) consisted of an allegation of lack of co-ordination. I have had a long experience of Glasgow Corporation. I know that the lack of co-ordination between the various departments is not new. I hope that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will inform the...
Mr Thomas Steele: I appreciate what my hon. Friend says. I was referring to what has happened in the debate so far in contributions from Glasgow Members. The hon. Member for Glasgow, Hill-head (Mr. Galbraith) reminds me of the story of the psychiatrist and the young man. I will not go into details. No matter what subject is under debate the hon. Gentleman always sees the problem existing because of the...
Mr Thomas Steele: My hon. Friend has spoken of education authorities in England and Wales; has he any report to give about Scotland?
Mr Thomas Steele: It falls to me on behalf of the House to offer congratulations to the hon. Member for Leicester, South-West (Mr. Tom Boardman) for overcoming what to me when I came to the House was a very great problem. He has spoken effectively and quietly and with a little touch of humour which the House enjoyed. If later in his speech he strayed into matters which are rather more controversial, he was...
Mr Thomas Steele: I do not see how it can be otherwise, because the gangs and technical staff and others who were making arrangements for electrification will have to be disbanded. In view of this decision, the capital investment of the railways will have to be aimed at diesels. I should have liked to say something about board membership but time forbids. On redundancy, now that there is a new Bill in respect...
Mr Thomas Steele: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Transport Bill is probably the largest piece of legislation that we are likely to have this Session? In view of its importance, one or even two hours' suspension is not sufficient. We ought to have a two-day debate on the Bill.
Mr Thomas Steele: Has my right hon. Friend noticed a Motion for the introduction today of a Bill dealing with transport. If so, can he say whether we are likely to have the Second Reading debate before the Recess? If so, may we have two days for it?
Mr Thomas Steele: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Burgh of Dumbarton has announced a decrease in rates of 2s. 3d. in the £ because of the help and assistance of the Labour Government?
Mr Thomas Steele: Would my hon. and right hon. Friend inform the House what is his relationship with the Chairman of the Scottish Economic Planning Council?
