Mr David James: The Bill must surely stand an admirable chance of getting on to the statute book when the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. Jenkins) and I have similar thoughts. I am not as clever as my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. St. JohnStevas), but I have had six books published. One was reprinted about a month ago and I have three on the stocks. I declare an interest and welcome the Bill. I...
Mr David James: My hon. Friend says that there are a few eccentric people in favour of it. I very much take the point, made particularly by the hon. Member for Isle of Ely (Mr. Freud), that even though this Bill has massive imperfections, for goodness sake let us get it on to the statute book as a first step, even to the extent of forgetting Committee points if necessary, because we can always have further...
Mr David James: I am perfectly prepared to accept the fact in this Bill that half a loaf is better than no bread, but I am suggesting that in the future it would be proper to go to a system of library charges; indeed, it would be proper, in the fullness of time, when people are more enlightened and discriminating about how they spend their money, that they should be charged for museums. All the interest that...
Mr David James: I should have said "Yes". I should need, if my hon. Friend is asking a serious historical question, to go back to my sources. I never heard him, to my recollection, suggest anything else. I am not suggesting that we should even attempt to amend this Bill to incorporate this principle because, as I say, I would accept half a loaf rather than no bread. But in welcoming this Bill on Second...
Mr David James: Before my hon. Friend castigates publishers—and I have been a publisher as well as an author—will he bear in mind that the publisher has to put an uplift of fourfold on the price of a book in order to allow for discounts and all the other concomitants of putting a book on the market? Therefore, if the author was to be given an extra 10 per cent., that would put the price of a book up by...
Mr David James: On the wholesalers and retailers, not the libraries.
Mr David James: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will introduce conservation measures under the Fisheries Limits Act 1976.
Mr David James: Since we have been overtaken by events in the past 24 hours, will the Minister tell the House whether, having failed to achieve agreement during his June meetings, he has the firm intention to reach a successful conclusion in July?
Mr David James: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps he is considering taking under the 1976 Hague Agreement to conserve fishing stocks.
Mr David James: Will the Minister set his sights a little higher and see whether he can achieve a situation whereby natural resources under the bottom of the sea are treated in the same way as those in the sea? Why should the median line be regarded as the natural way of dealing with oil and gas when such a median line concept has never entered into any fishing discussions?
Mr David James: asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to generate income from the airfield on the Falkland Islands.
Mr David James: Will the Minister seriously research the proposition that if the runway on the Falkland Islands were greatly extended it could be part of a major alternate great circle route to Australia and New Zealand? Will he bear in mind that airports are highly labour-intensive?
Mr David James: Will the right hon. Gentleman try to find time for a debate on the Shackleton Report on the economic future of the Falkland Islands, bearing in mind particularly the fact that these people are totally British and are utterly dedicated to this country? Is he aware that a number of hon. Members on both sides of the House are unwilling to see them handed over to alien totalitarian rule?
Mr David James: I am happy to follow the hon. Member for Leeds, South-East (Mr. Cohen) in supporting the Bill. We have all received a welter of statements about the Bill and many of us have been listening to speeches on it for the past 4½ hours. But to the best of my knowledge it was not until my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) spoke, followed by my hon. Friend the Member for...
Mr David James: Mistresses then. But I put it to the House that if that had always been accepted as legal doctrine it is doubtful whether any of us would be sitting here today.
Mr David James: Would the right hon. Gentleman explain to me, as someone who has lived and worked in the Falkland Islands, why it is proposed to drag our feet over the vital air runway decision, which is the key to the entire development in the future of the Falkland Islands? Do we have to seek the permission of the Argentine Government to lengthen a runway on British property?
Mr David James: Mr. David James (Dorset, North) rose—
Mr David James: In considering the method of raising finance, will consideration be given to the possibility of doing away with the very much disliked regions, particularly Strathclyde, and transferring their powers to surcharge rates to the Assemblies?
Mr David James: On what ground does my right hon. Friend write off the possibility that had Home Rule been granted in 1886 the Irish might not have remained a member of the British family? Is my right hon. Friend aware that two of the most notable VCs in the last war were obtained by Irish nationalists?
Mr David James: asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he will be taking to encourage the expansion of the United Kingdom's existing fishing fleet.
