Mr Arthur Woodburn: Is my hon. Friend aware that this reference to Scottish figures is a red herring, because when capital punishment was in full bloom we went as long as 15 years in Scotland without hanging anyone?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: The right hon. and learned Member for Hertfordshire, East (Sir D. Walker-Smith) has demonstrated his skill as an advocate because, his party having put down a Motion of censure, he has strained his conscience and everything else to make a speech, plausible as it sounds, in favour of it. But as an intelligent, logical man, I feelsure that he will realise that most of his speech was quite...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: The hon. Gentleman is right. If he wants that process, then he should vote for the Government's Motion to continue the present system until Parliament changes it. In other words, we continue the present experiment until Parliament considers that it has gone far enough to think of different methods. That is the point that I wish to make. Whether in July or tomorrow night we reverse the...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: The hon. and learned Gentleman has not the slightest idea how many people are poisoned every year in this country, because it is most difficult to discover. Most of the murders that take place are domestic murders. Many of them used to be of the poisoning type, and many of them may still be, for all we know. An Irishman who said that he was always quarrelling with his wife was asked, "Do you...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: That would just be fiddling the matter. What is the good of Parliament extending something for another two years? This would involve another two-day debate in two years' time on the same matter as we are discussing today. This is a game of always giving the minorities a second vote. If they do not win the first time they want to play the game all over again. It has been said on the other...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Mr. Woodburn rose—
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Mr. Woodburn indicated assent.
Mr Arthur Woodburn: What has the view of the general public, as expressed in Gallup Polls, to do with the issue that will be before us tomorrow, which is whether to go back to the Tory Act of 1957?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Is not too much publicity given to crimes of violence? I understand that more young people attend evening classes than dance halls. Crime is news and I fear that if too much publicity is given to it, certain crimes will be imitated by would-be criminals. Unfortunately, not enough publicity is given to the activities of decent people.
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Is not this an increase to those who exhaust the whole of their £3,000 salary on expenses, but practically no increase to those who charge their secretaries' expenses on their income tax in the normal way as part of their salary? Is not this giving to those who have and taking away from those who have not?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Would you clear up one point Mr. Speaker? Are you ruling that beer is not a food? Some people regard it as a liquid form of food.
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Until a moment ago, the hon. Member for Ayr was talking about the high rates of interest. He seemed to think that these were due to this Government. Since he knows so much about the financial side, perhaps he will explain how the Government have managed to raise the rates of interest in America, Germany, and every other country. If he knows so much about it, can he not solve this problem himself?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: As my right hon. Friend has made clear that all parties desire an honourable settlement of this dispute, and as the Leader of the Opposition has made clear that he has some secret formula which he proposes to bring in after he becomes Prime Minister of this country—that prospect being rather a distant one—will my right hon. Friend ask the right hon. Gentleman to go out now to Rhodesia,...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Is my hon. Friend aware that this legislation has brought a good deal of help to the housewife through getting rid of much misleading description, especially since her excellent broadcast?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: I intervene in the debate because I have perhaps the longest experience of the spending of money on research and development by the Government. It was my privilege after the war to be the Minister of Research and Development in the Ministry of Supply. This was an education for me both in science and in finance. As has been said, during the war men had a purpose, and scientists were working...
Mr Arthur Woodburn: The right hon. Gentleman raised an interesting point about control over projects. What about control over some of the stupid projects one sees announced in the Press sometimes for which whole bodies of people are set up to investigate quite ridiculous things?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Is my hon. Friend aware that increase in the cost of drugs is not always a waste as general practitioners are often able to treat their patients at home with new drugs and thus save the expense of sending patients to hospital?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: I feel a little confused. I cannot understand the position. I understood that on the question of abolishing fees in local authority schools the Opposition protested that parents were not allowed to pay. Now the hon. Member seems to be protesting that parents will be allowed to pay.
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Could the hon. Gentleman say how far the medical profession is co-operating in the work of health centres as health centres and are not using them just as consulting rooms? How does he compare the working of the older health centres with the new developments at Livingston?
Mr Arthur Woodburn: Can my right hon. Friend clarify something which seems to have left some doubt in the minds of some hon. Members? Is it the case that, if supplementary benefit and old-age pensions are increased at the same time, this deprives the supplementary beneficiary of the year in which he now gets half in advance?