Mr Norman Dodds: There is a saying that it is an ill wind which blows no one any good. A consequence of the go-slow by the drivers over the last fortnight is that it has forced this House to take stock of a situation which has been bedevilling the whole area for over 30 years. I agree with the hon. Member for Merton and Morden (Mr. Atkins) that there are certain comments which one might want to make about the...
Mr Norman Dodds: It will be more than that.
Mr Norman Dodds: I said in my speech that I deplored the continuance of the strike after the drivers had forcefully brought their claims before the nation and the Board.
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the nature of the message sent to him by telegram from Sir Joshua Hassan, Gibraltar's chief minister, in respect of the demonstrations on Friday 2nd July; and what has been his reply.
Mr Norman Dodds: Is my hon. Friend aware that many reasonable Gibraltarians who are fanatically attached to this country are appalled that when tensions are so high members of our Armed Forces stationed there should, despite being requested not to do so, cross the frontier in polo kit? Is she aware that they have done the same thing again this weekend? While it is appreciated that many of the problems are not...
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make an investigation under Section 165 of the Companies Act, 1948, into the financial affairs of the Freedom Group, which is acting in a manner oppressive of its shareholders, in view of the difficulties experienced by shareholders in obtaining repayment of loans.
Mr Norman Dodds: Is it not scandalous that, under the guise of higher moral values in politics and economics, Edward Martell has been able to persuade people to send him large sums of money by issuing a false prospectus and a personal guarantee for the return of loans on request at 14 days, which we now know has resulted in broken promises and a trail of dud cheques? In view of the details which have been...
Mr Norman Dodds: On a point of order. I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment as soon as possible.
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the London Transport Board to coordinate its policy in dealing with property left in its buses with that of British Railways, so that passengers are not required to pay excessive sums in order to regain their lost property;
Mr Norman Dodds: How much longer is this farce to go on? Is my right hon. Friend aware that an elderly widow who left in a bus her handbag with her life savings of £267 had to give £40, which is the 15 per cent. which the authority is forced to charge, in order to get it back, and that another person who left £930 had to pay £139 12s. 10d.? If they had lost them on the railways it would have cost 4s. up...
Mr Norman Dodds: On a point of order. I should like to raise the matter—
Mr Norman Dodds: Because Mr. Speaker called my right hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell). I beg to give notice that, because of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the Secretary of State for Defence in connection with the disposal of Government surplus goods by public auction since 1st January, 1946, when it was decided that the usual practice of giving the individual prices realised when requested should be altered; and, since this information is available to all at the public auctions, if he will state the reasons for this change of policy.
Mr Norman Dodds: That is not the point. Is my right hon. Friend aware—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—that the Answers to the Question on the date he mentioned were misleading and that for years when I have asked for the prices to be given they have been given? Is it not accurate to say that this is the policy that was followed before and that the policy of not giving them has been initiated by this Administration?...
Mr Norman Dodds: Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of my right hon. Friend's Answer, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment. After all, the Tories did it. Why cannot we?
Mr Norman Dodds: I am pleased that once again I have the opportunity to expose an aspect of the scandalous exploitation of consumers by slick businessmen, with techniques cleverly designed and ruthlessly and blatantly carried out on an increasing scale that clearly reveals the weakness of our consumer protection laws. The instigators of this technique hail from America where, because of the introduction in...
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if lie will make a statement on the results of the consideration he has given to whether any change is necessary in the quantities and types of food recommended for the school dinner in Circular No. 290 of 1955.
Mr Norman Dodds: While thanking my hon. Friend for that information, and bearing in mind that for most children the school dinner is the main meal of the day, may I ask him to consider recommending to the working party that they might find it useful and illuminating if all school-children were asked to write an essay on school dinners?
Mr Norman Dodds: asked the Minister of Labour what plans he has, in the event of redundancies taking place, to undertake the necessary research to ascertain the social and financial effect these have on those concerned for some months after disturbance takes place.
Mr Norman Dodds: Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that a Cambridge University team did research work at Stevenage several months after the Blue Streak cancellation which revealed that some big problems can be involved for some workers even if they find another job? Is he aware that unless solutions can be found to some of these problems the men will be thoroughly dissatisfied?