Mr John Browne: I welcome my hon. Friend's answer. May I ask him whether he has any plans to encourage—[HON. MEMBERS: "Put your hat on."] individuals and corporations to invest in energy-saving devices, such as PL lightbulbs? Their use could be encouraged even at retail level through rebates, which are used in the United States and Canada.[Interruption.]
Mr John Browne: May I refer my right hon. Friend to early-day motion 1103? [That this House welcomes the decision of the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chancellor of the Exchequer in authorising certain of their officials to meet with the legal representatives of the injured Grenadiers; and looks forward to fruitful negotiations yielding a just and humane solution.] Is my right hon. Friend aware...
Mr John Browne: I am afraid that I will not give way. You know what I am like, Mr. Deputy Speaker: once I go down a highway or byway, I detain the House for a further 10 or 15 minutes, and I am determined not to do that. I simply want to make this point to hon. Members who have the interests of Ravenscraig at heart, be they Conservative, Liberal or Labour. When I became a Member of Parliament, I represented...
Mr John Browne: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Will you confirm that, in keeping with the fine traditions of this House, under which you have a tricorn hat, wig and gown, it is in order for me to wear a hat, provided that I remove it when addressing you? Will you also confirm that my wearing it will not in any way curtail the democratic voice in the House of the people of Winchester?
Mr John Browne: Does my hon. Friend accept that the best assistance that he could give to the footwear and textile industry would be to ensure that customers, especially big notorious late paying customers, pay their bills on time? Rather than castigating the banks for not piling up more imprudent debt for British industry, would he not be better advised to call on companies to pay their bills to the...
Mr John Browne: Today I brought my top hat into the Chamber, for three reasons. The first is that we are witnessing the funeral of the British infantry —and here I disagree with some hon. Members who have spoken on that issue. Secondly, this is largely being done by a massive conjuring trick. Of course, one could produce a live rabbit from a top hat, but not from one that has been squashed flat and has...
Mr John Browne: I am sorry, but I am rushing against the clock. We were told that in future we would deploy small, lightly equipped units, but in the Gulf crisis we deployed large, heavily equipped formations. The gap between warning time and response time was vital—we were lucky to get some six months. The most important lesson was that the United Kingdom formations in Germany were not battle ready....
Mr John Browne: Will my right hon. Friend give way?
Mr John Browne: Will my right hon. Friend give way?
Mr John Browne: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way, especially in the circumstances. We have heard his views about the guardsmen's case and warmly welcome the proposed meeting with their solicitors. But what is of essence here is the constant reiteration of the assertion that no one is to blame. Where is the proof that no one is to blame? Surely someone is to blame. Why did not the board of...
Mr John Browne: I am sure that all Conservative Members, like me, welcome my hon. Friend the Minister's commitment to continued nuclear defence and his very timely warning of the lingering danger of the Soviet navy. However, I am still waiting to hear what strategic change is proposed in the role of the Royal Navy which allows for a 20 per cent. cut in the surface fleet.
Mr John Browne: I refer my right hon. Friend to early-day motion 1017. [That this House congratulates Paul Woolwich, Clive Edwards, Ian Pollard and all members of the Thames Television's This Week team on their production of Casualties of Peace; notes that it highlights the quite disgraceful lack of compensation awarded to British servicemen grievously injured in the line of duty; believes that Her Majesty's...
Mr John Browne: Is it clear, as was asked by the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick), that—
Mr John Browne: Is it clear to my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House that, if equity is to be achieved, the board of inquiry must he reopened? If the Government do not order that to be done immediately, may we have a debate on the subject?
Mr John Browne: Does my hon. Friend accept that the tragic events in Yugoslavia highlight the general threat of mass immigration from the Balkans and the Soviet Union into the European Economic Community? Will he assure the House that the Government will continue to resist the policy of a free flow of immigrants across national borders within the EEC and that they are also taking contingency measures to plan...
Mr John Browne: Does my right hon. Friend agree that most people praise the Government for reducing inflation, but that it means that real interest rates are rising in the face of a deep recession? What prospects can my right hon. Friend offer us of reducing real interest rates in those circumstances while Britain remains a member of the exchange rate mechanism?
Mr John Browne: May I draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House to early-day motion 967? [That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, That she will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House a Return of all papers held by the Secretary of State for Defence relating to the Board of Inquiry instituted to investigate the circumstances of the...
Mr John Browne: May I draw my right hon. Friend's attention to early-day motion 776, which has been signed by more than 200 hon. Members on a cross-party basis? [That this House, conscious of the fact that real care for the men and women of our armed forces has enabled oar country to rely, even to the point of ultimate sacrifice, upon their loyalty, steadfastness and efficiency in times of grave national...
Mr John Browne: Does my right hon. Friend recollect that, when the Secretary of State for Defence made his announcement about massive cuts in defence manpower earlier this week, he did not do so in the form of a statement, and there was no debate following the announcement? Therefore, the House has been given no opportunity to hear the Secretary of State explain the changes in our national strategy or the...
Mr John Browne: May I draw my right hon. Friend's attention to early-day motion 776—about Grenadier guardsmen Povey, Hicks and Ray who, in 1989, had their legs blown off in Canada—which has now been signed by more than 200 right hon. and hon. Members on a cross-party basis, including the Secretary of State for Defence of 1989? It calls on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to look personally into...
