Mr Barry Henderson: Does my right hon. Friend accept my support for the plea made by the Leader of the Opposition—who has now left the Chamber—for a debate on the Scottish economy? It might then be explained to the right hon. Gentleman that during five years of continuous growth in the British economy and rising standards of living, the position of Scotland has improved relative to the rest of the United...
Mr Barry Henderson: Although it is important to accept scientific evidence up to a point, does my hon. Friend agree that in negotiations with our European partners it is important to maintain the closest relationship with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, which generally gives extremely good and wise advice to Ministers?
Mr Barry Henderson: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the expenditure per pupil in Scottish schools for the year 1987–88, indicating the comparable figures in real terms for 1977–78.
Mr Barry Henderson: Will my right hon and learned Friend say whether these figures are reflected in better pupil-teacher ratios over the same period and state the extent to which teachers pay is also included?
Mr Barry Henderson: asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will arrange for regular meetings with the procurators fiscal to discuss prosecution policies.
Mr Barry Henderson: Is my hon. and learned Friend aware that his meeting on Saturday with solicitors in Cupar was extremely useful? Is he able to say whether complaints against police and prison officers, while being rigorously pursued, could result in prosecutions if they are found to be malicious or frivolous?
Mr Barry Henderson: The Opposition have certainly made heroic efforts today to put the comparatively respectable face of Socialism before us in the context of local government. They started the debate with the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham). I understand that the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) will reply, and the hon. Member for Glasgow, Springburn (Mr. Martin) has been allowed to...
Mr Barry Henderson: As we heard from the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs, under this Government there has been a substantial increase in the number of geriatric facilities in Glasgow, mostly with small units. That is to be welcomed. When one hears the Labour party speak in a debate such as this, one is inclined to wonder whether Labour Members have forgotten the extent to which they cut national and local...
Mr Barry Henderson: Last year the total was more than in all the European Economic Community put together.
Mr Barry Henderson: Local government must not spoil the trend with big rates bills. It must concentrate on better performance and ways in which to assist job creation. There is plenty of sensible scope for public and private sector co-operation. If I had not been attending the debate, I should have been taking part in a meeting in my constituency of the North East Fife Enterprise Trust, which flowed from an...
Mr Barry Henderson: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. Not only the district council but the SDA has been helpful. The operation of the SDA in my constituency has improved dramatically since 1979. When I was first elected there was not a single SDA advance factory in east Fife, but there are now many, and there are a great many jobs for people employed in those factories. The only body which has not contributed,...
Mr Barry Henderson: Yes.
Mr Barry Henderson: I can speak only for Scotland. In my constituency we have sold more council houses than any other local authority in Scotland—a total of about 16 per cent. There has been a substantial improvement. The resources are available for doing what is needed for today's housing, with today's special needs, which are markedly different from those of 20 and 30 years ago. Contracting out local...
Mr Barry Henderson: Flattery will get the hon. Gentleman nowhere. The Government are giving us the only real chance of reform of the rating system that remains during the course of this century and I hope that we shall grasp it enthusiastically. Finally, I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on the fact that a Conservative Government will introduce reform to...
Mr Barry Henderson: I am wearing a British Computer Society tie. Does my hon. Friend accept that computerisation was not the only impracticality about a local government income tax?
Mr Barry Henderson: Why not?
Mr Barry Henderson: Earlier in his speech the hon. Gentleman asked why Scotland is to have rating reform before England, and he said that that cannot be good. Now he refers to the Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands Development Board which he believes are good for Scotland but which are not enjoyed by England. Surely that is the answer to his question.
Mr Barry Henderson: The hon. Gentleman will recall that the Green Paper on the reform of the rating system addresses that sort of problem and makes proposals for simpler central Government support for local government. If the Labour party opposes much of the rating reform, as we have been told by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar), will it at least support those reforms?
Mr Barry Henderson: In view of the remarks of the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (Sir R. Johnston), will my right hon. and learned Friend contrast the level of capital expenditure on prison building of this Government with that of the previous Administration under the Lib-Lab pact? Does not the incident that occurred remind us that the work of prison officers is always responsible and sometimes...
Mr Barry Henderson: Has my right hon. Friend given any thought to making the new AS-level related in a logical way to the existing Scottish higher grades?