Mr Christopher York: It was a very good thing that in 1948 my hon. Friends and I made such a fight against this Order. The result was that the Ministry of Agriculture were forewarned that if there was an abuse of their powers, arising out of this Order, there would be serious consequences. To many of my hon. Friends direction of this kind is reprehensible. Many of the things in this Order are objectionable to...
Mr Christopher York: To what particular Clause of that Bill is the hon. Gentleman referring?
Mr Christopher York: Which Clauses?
Mr Christopher York: asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increased difficulty experienced by tuberculosis sanatoria in providing an adequate diet for their patients, he will consult with the Minister of Food with a view to obtaining an increased meat ration for the patients in such sanatoria and also for other persons certified by a doctor as suffering from tuberculosis.
Mr Christopher York: Is the Minister aware that palatibility is one of the main things to work for in this form of dietary? Would he put the matter to his special diet committee for further consideration?
Mr Christopher York: I do not think, Sir Charles, that you could have heard all that was said by the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. S. N. Evans), because I have never in my life heard a more irrelevant speech. I know that the hon. Member has a bee in his bonnet about farmers, but this has not anything to do with that and he must wait until another occasion to make one of his well known "feather bedding"...
Mr Christopher York: I had better not pursue that too far. I do not think the hon. Gentleman really understands what he is talking about half the time. Certainly he is very misinformed on a number of things. But I will ask him this straight question: has he ever read Rule 8 of Part V of the Income Tax Schedule?
Mr Christopher York: I will hand it to the hon. Gentleman this time because, having heard his speech, I never expected he would be able to answer "Yes." Why I think the hon. Gentleman is so inaccurate is because he is talking about the agriculture industry having allowances doubled. The whole point of this Clause is a question of administrative convenience. The mere fact that the Economic Secretary was only able...
Mr Christopher York: Because, and let us be clear about this, there would be no cost at all until at least 1953 at the earliest. The hon. Gentleman did not deal with the last line of the Clause which specifically lays down that there should be no allowance this year. As he will realise, the assessment is made on 1st January after the end of the financial year to which the assessment applies, and therefore the...
Mr Christopher York: It is not unusual. I wish it were. The right hon. Gentleman was at the Treasury himself, and no doubt he received complaints about these long delays.
Mr Christopher York: I certainly did not indicate that it was normal. I said that on occasions long delays take place. Most claims are at least two years in arrear. I do not think that the Economic Secretary could gainsay that. But this is only a detail to reinforce my argument. There is this long delay, this time lag. which takes money from the pockets of the people who ought to be modernising and keeps it in...
Mr Christopher York: The hon. Gentleman has not understood. I do not know whether the Treasury realise it—they probably do—but, as a general rule, the small owner spends his money in considerable doses but at long intervals. Perhaps he spends £500 in one year, and he hopes that that will put the whole of the farm buildings into repair for a matter of 10 years. If the statutory allowance was increased it...
Mr Christopher York: I was coming to the end of my remarks. If that sensible suggestion cannot be adopted, at least the Treasury might make a gesture and bring their Schedule A rules and regulations somewhere within the realms of reality.
Mr Christopher York: I beg to move, in page 13, to leave out line 6. The purpose of this Amendment is to prevent the repeal of the West Riding of Yorkshire Rivers Act, 1894. Anybody with any knowledge of river pollution will admit that the West Riding Rivers Board and their successors have been most successful in carrying out the difficult job of cleaning out the rivers in the highly industrialised area of the...
Mr Christopher York: If the hon. Member would come up to Yorkshire he would have to admit that what I have said is true. If this Bill is passed, then during the first seven years, or possibly longer, the Yorkshire Board will be in a worse position than they are in today. I am sure the Minister cannot approve of that. The Yorkshire Board feel that the standard of purity will fall and possibly some, if not a great...
Mr Christopher York: I did not say that.
Mr Christopher York: I think that that was one of the most unsatisfactory—and, I am sure, the lightest—attempts to answer an argument I have ever heard, and if the Bill had been conducted in that way during its passage through the House I should not have been surprised at the strictures levelled at the right hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friend by my hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton)....
Mr Christopher York: May we be told the dates of those consultations? Did they take place before the deputation came to the Minister?
Mr Christopher York: I should like to comment on the consultation that has gone on between the various river boards and the Ministry. It is probably true, from the information I have, that the Surrey County Council were consulted. I do not know whether the Lancashire County Council were consulted, but I am informed directly by the other boards that no consultation took place. They said that they had not been...
Mr Christopher York: That was a deputation from the river board to the Ministry.
