Mr Stephen Ross: I have listened for nearly an hour to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King) and have enjoyed at least some parts of his speech. On occasion, he was somewhat too party political and euphoric, because nobody in his right mind wants to discourage small businesses, which are the wealth of the nation and from which big businesses grow. My party and, I am sure, the Labour party want...
Mr Stephen Ross: What about Arley?
Mr Stephen Ross: I must tread carefully on this matter, not being an expert in legal matters. but I have checked my facts with the Minister. First, I apologise to him on behalf of my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) for his absence. I am attending on his behalf because he has asked me to do so. I support what the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook) said about extradition....
Mr Stephen Ross: I congratulate the Government on the announcement. It is welcome on the Opposition Benches, even if it took the imminence of a general election to bring it forward, with perhaps rather more money than was previously forecast. May I take it that the money is adequate for British Aerospace to participate fully in its 20 per cent. stake in the airbus project?
Mr Stephen Ross: Does the Minister agree that when distinguished persons are travelling by road between Dublin and Belfast they should not be abandoned in no man's land, whether they are travelling by road or by rail? I refer particularly to rail journeys, because the same thing happens with them at present.
Mr Stephen Ross: Pass, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Stephen Ross: No. 14, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Stephen Ross: asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border security co-operation between the United Kingdom and Eire.
Mr Stephen Ross: I take this opportunity to thank the Minister for his kind remarks about me and I wish him well in his continuing job in Northern Ireland.
Mr Stephen Ross: I do not intend to make a speech, but I share the hon. Gentleman's high regard for the RUC. I understand the depth of feeling with which we approach the subject. I have received a letter from the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, which raised three specific points; two of them have been satisfactorily answered by the Minister.
Mr Stephen Ross: That was the first complaint from the Police Federation, but three items were listed.
Mr Stephen Ross: Can the Leader of the House tell us whether, and when, he expects there to be a debate on the Control of Pollution (Landed Ships Waste) Regulations 1987, which came into force on 6 April, which were laid before Parliament on 16 March and which were prayed against by the Leader of the Opposition, when I gather that there were six days remaining? Will the regulations be debated? What will...
Mr Stephen Ross: May I support the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham), who last week raised with the Leader of the House the Williams Holdings take-over bid for Norcros? Is the Leader of the House aware that this matter is a great problem in the Isle of Wight, where more than 200 employees' jobs are at stake? The bids are supposed to close next week. The right hon. Gentleman supports a Government...
Mr Stephen Ross: Has the hon. Gentleman included prison officers' housing? At one time, more than 100 prison officers' houses in my constituency were vacant.
Mr Stephen Ross: I hope that the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Sir G. Finsberg) has not opened a loophole for other private landlords or managing agents. I am thinking particularly of the parking spaces in front of the block of flats where I live. I hope that what he said does not happen there. I very much agree with his point, but I hope that other people do not jump on to that bandwagon. I hope...
Mr Stephen Ross: I congratulate the Minister on introducing the Bill. However, it is a little late in the Session. It might suffer an instant decline if there is an early general election.
Mr Stephen Ross: The hon. Member for Halesowen and Stourbridge (Mr. Stokes) said a number of things with which I agree and others with which I profoundly disagree. The hon. Gentleman painted a very glossy picture of Britain. There is no doubt that a lot of people, whether in a family enjoying two incomes or not, have never had it so good—to use a well-known phrase. What happens when we finish selling off...
Mr Stephen Ross: I was not complaining that British goods were not being exported, but I did not see many. I was talking largely about goods in shops. I am told that probably oil revenues come into that calculation. That is another worry. What will happen when the oil is finished? When the oil price shot down to $8 a barrel we were in desperate trouble. The pound went down to £1·10 against the dollar. The...
Mr Stephen Ross: I congratulate Manchester on getting permission for its airport connection and getting it under way, but will the Minister tell us what progress has been made in the review of a rail link to Heathrow, which I suggest is absolutely urgent?
Mr Stephen Ross: May I take it that in the legislation providing for the privatisation of BAA protection will be given to ensure that foreign airlines will not be able to acquire shares and form cartels which might give them some effective control over the future of BAA?
