Mr David Reed: I do not propose to take up the conversations of the hon. Lady the Member for Tyne-mouth (Dame Irene Ward) about the Kielder Valley or to dwell for long on the speech made by the Minister for Local Government and Development. Both speakers went back to earlier years to find examples of projects in the Northern Region—projects which were started before I was born—to demonstrate that a...
Mr David Reed: I beg to move Amendment No. 37, in page 16, line 31, at end add: '(5) The Secretary of State may, in addition, lay before Parliament such orders in respect of consumer trade practices which he considers require urgent control irrespective of any report from the Advisory Committee'. My purpose in drafting the amendment was to ensure that, together with the proposed amendment to new Clause 3...
Mr David Reed: As a Socialist, I am quite prepared to give a Conservative Minister this power, provided that we have the watchfulness of the Opposition Front Bench to ensure that the Minister does not try to slip through certain kinds of order. If I am prepared to make that concession to a Conservative Government, perhaps the hon. Gentleman would do the same thing for a Socialist Government.
Mr David Reed: During the three years in which I have been a Member of the House I have never done as well as I have today. Within half an hour I have been described as a thief and as a provider of a Socialist dream. My hon. Friend the Member for Watford (Mr. Raphael Tuck) may have been affected by our earlier debate about the professions, and that may have swayed his judgment. I accept the Minister's...
Mr David Reed: I want specifically to refer to amendment (b) to new Clause 3, and it may help the House to know that the amendment is intended to be taken in conjunction with Amendment No. 37 which I hope, if I catch your eye, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to have an opportunity to discuss later. The object of the two amendments taken together is to give the Minister for Trade and Consumer Affairs and the...
Mr David Reed: Mr. David Reed rose——
Mr David Reed: I accept that the right hon. and learned Gentleman's intentions about pyramid selling are in line with the intentions of my hon. Friend the Member for Watford and myself. It was our hope that the amendments would give him the sort of flexibility which he needs. Irrespective of pyramid selling, will he explain whether the definition of "consumer trade practice" will cover the general...
Mr David Reed: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the names of the new board of the Aycliffe Development Corporation.
Mr David Reed: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that we have been given that sort of answer in reply to letters and communications to the Department for almost a year now? Does he appreciate that although it is statutorily different, the development corporation is regarded as the local authority by my constituents in Newton Aycliffe? Is he aware that this decision is very important, and is needed now? Will he...
Mr David Reed: I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. At the outset I wish to pay tribute to a remarkable woman without whom it is highly unlikely the House would be debating this Bill. Her name is Mrs. Winifred Woods, and she lives at Chilton in my constituency. I can say without doubt that she is one of the hardest-working women I have ever met. Each night and almost every weekend she...
Mr David Reed: Because the only people who will be permitted to make the doorstep claim will be those who are from registered charities. Anybody else who seeks to make such a claim will find himself liable to the penalties under the Bill. Registered charities and a number of other organisations, such as local authorities which may want to sell door to door to build, say, a local swimming pool for disabled...
Mr David Reed: The Bill does not seek to deal with a number of abuses which I believe have been recognised following the Charities Act, 1960. I do not think it would be possible to deal with that sort of activity in a Bill which seeks to curb certain activities of firms and to make Amendments to that Act; like the hon. Gentleman, I have heard about one or two cases such as he outlined, but that would...
Mr David Reed: That is right. There was no intention to stop the man working at home or setting up with a small group of friends to produce their own goods by their own labour and selling them. These are specifically exempted from the Bill's provisions, which are aimed at firms which are in the business for profit and nothing else.
Mr David Reed: The hon. Gentleman is quite right that these firms often move in after there has been a local appeal by an organisation like the St. Raphael's Clubs because the public have become accustomed to contributing to such a worthwhile organisation. Firms use the opportunity to get in and sell their goods. Other provisions of the Bill will extend the prohibition to the idea of exchanging goods on...
Mr David Reed: The firm that I mentioned employs 60 people in three different locations throughout the country, so the localised problem in each case of placing disabled people who could possibly—I put it no higher than that—be displaced would not be a major local problem. Even if it were equally split between the three locations, it would be 20 in each of the three large areas. The Bill would prevent...
Mr David Reed: I do not wish to interrupt the beautiful job the hon. Member is making of dissecting my Bill. He has raised many points which I hope will be dealt with in Committee. Would he accept my invitation to do what he can through his own Whips and to make sure that he gets on to the Committee, if the Bill reaches that stage?
Mr David Reed: If the hon. Gentleman had listened to my speech he would know that I made the point that disabled people are a special case because of the existence of the 1958 Act. I mentioned a firm which is already changing its tack and claiming to represent old people. Because of the 1958 Act it was necessary to amend this with disabled people in mind because this is the major abuse. The hon. Gentleman...
Mr David Reed: Like many hon. Members who have spoken, I am sorry that the Secretary of State for the Environment had to leave for another engagement, but I am glad to see a Minister from his Department on the Front Bench. The last time the right hon. Gentleman intervened in a debate on the regions, in which I followed him, I had occasion to compliment him on his abilities as a practitioner of public...
Mr David Reed: asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to change the system of investment incentives; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Reed: Is the Secretary of State aware that the only effective test of the Government's investment incentives is whether they are contributing to a fall in unemployment in the development areas? As this is manifestly not happening has not the time come for a radical change? Will the Minister please introduce some urgent action to tackle unemployment in the regions—preferably something like a...
