Miss Joan Vickers: As we speak so much about equality between men and women, may I pay a tribute to the Mother of the House, my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward), for the courageous work she has always carried out in the House and for the excellent way in which she has served her constituency?
Miss Joan Vickers: What does the clause mean in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) when it says: register of electors to be used at the election (as first published)"? What does "first published" mean? Does it relate to the "A" and "C" registers? I believe that the new register comes in on either 15th or 16th of this month.
Miss Joan Vickers: Will my hon. and learned Friend answer the serious point which I raised?
Miss Joan Vickers: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Middleton and Prestwich (Mr. Haselhurst) on bringing in the Bill, although he knows that I do not agree with everything in it. Nevertheless, I hope that my hon. Friend will have better luck than I did. When I introduced my first Bill, six Members stood outside so that I should not get my quorum, so the Bill fell. I want to make some further...
Miss Joan Vickers: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. When I went to put down a Private Notice Question about Grenada I was told that as Question No. 26 was on the Order Paper it would be answered in that way. As it has not been reached, may I ask whether the Minister is prepared to make a statement, because this is a serious matter?
Miss Joan Vickers: As the island is supposed to become independent on 7th February and as the West Indies Act states in Schedule 2 that there could be a referendum before independence, may I ask whether that will be considered?
Miss Joan Vickers: I am pleased to have the opportunity of joining this debate, and I should like my hon. Friend to be kind enough to give to his right hon. Friend my thanks for the great improvement to the roads in the West Country. The Bill is extremely complicated and difficult to understand, and I congratulate the draftsmen on the way in which they have put it together, because it must have been a...
Miss Joan Vickers: May I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Sir J. Rodgers) on producing the Bill. I have taken a particular interest in it because as a member of the Council of Europe I was a chairman of the European Committee for Conservation in 1970. I was then speaking as a European and I am now speaking as a Briton. I should like to draw attention to the Split conference. I mention it...
Miss Joan Vickers: I congratulate the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Marks) on producing what I call a very "human" Bill indeed. For a legal Bill—I will not go into the legal niceties, not being legally trained—it is nice to find a Bill which is couched in such sympathetic language. I think that the hon. Member is seeking to remove from many people a second life sentence. I come from a city which...
Miss Joan Vickers: Yesterday I was in Paris discussing with the Germans and others the question of regional policy. Does not my right hon. Friend think that as the Germans destroyed so many of our cities, including the city of Plymouth, it is only right that they should pay some compensation now?
Miss Joan Vickers: This is the first time since 1955 that I have risen to speak on the motion for the Adjournment of the House, and I do so now because I have been unable to discover what is to happen to the work of 12,000 men in my constituency. The defence budget is to be cut and, although I raised this matter in the debate the other day, I still do not know how many days they will be able to work, what work...
Miss Joan Vickers: I asked my right hon. Friend a question about the dockyard, of which I gave him notice. There is to be a defence cut of £290 million. Is the dockyard to be allowed to go on working, or not? I asked that question the other day without getting an answer. I should also like an answer to my question about the coffins.
Miss Joan Vickers: I am astonished that so few Labour hon. Members are present. At the Labour Party Conference strong views were expressed by some leading Front Benchers. I only hope that their absence means that they have changed their views. I turn to the question of the way in which naval ships will be fuelled. The Minister may have seen a report in Business Week about the oil threat to the American forces....
Miss Joan Vickers: That was done by the Council of Europe, and it made no difference at all. In any case, the hon. Gentleman is talking about the internal affairs of Greece and we want Greece to help us with external affairs.
Miss Joan Vickers: I shall quote from the speech of the Minister of State for Defence on 15th March. He said: Defence policy goes in step with foreign policy; and if, as we hope, world conditions change, and in particular if Western and Eastern Europe move into a more normal and civilised relationship, then of course, our defence policy will be suitably adapted. No one wants to spend more on defence than he...
Miss Joan Vickers: I hope that my right hon. Friend knows how grateful we are in Plymouth, because, 30 years after the scheme was first suggested, the first sod was cut by the Lord Mayor, last Friday, for our new district hospital. This scheme is coming to fruition on a lovely site, and it will benefit many people. We should give more consideration to management committees. Hon. Members have been running them...
Miss Joan Vickers: In view of the defence debate on Wednesday, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will consider giving a day in the coming Session to discuss the recent report of the Nugent Committee? That will affect a great many individuals, and will affect the constituencies of hon. Members who may not wish to take part in a debate on the defence of the country.
Miss Joan Vickers: Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity of thanking the Prime Minister and the Institute of Foreign Affairs for the hospitality generously given to the recent delegation to China? Also, will he arrange for a reciprocal deputation to come to this country in the near future?
Miss Joan Vickers: How many tours have been made by the Royal Marines?
Miss Joan Vickers: In view of the serious allegations made against the Moorhaven Hospital concerning which I have written to my hon. Friend, will he please give an adequate reply in the near future?