Mr Robin Squire: May I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend on the way in which the balance between direct and indirect taxation has been improved by the Government and on the way in which taxation on those who work can be relatively balanced with taxation on those who do not?
Mr Robin Squire: In support of my right hon. Friend's earlier statement, may I ask whether he is aware that in the London borough of Havering the majority of tenants applying for purchase live in flats? Does he agree that that is evidence that the premise behind the original question is false?
Mr Robin Squire: Does my hon. Friend agree that, in the unfortunate event of a change of control of the GLC in the near future, one possible slight benefit might be that the leader of Lambeth council, who has such a great knowledge of managing empty properties, will be in an excellent position to do something similar within the GLC because of his party's rates policy, which will lead only to more empty...
Mr Robin Squire: I warmly congratulate my right hon. Friend on his statement, but will he bear in mind that there is a balance between other emissions and lead? As some of my hon. Friends have said, if we put the control of other emissions to one side by controlling lead we may make future problems more serious.
Mr Robin Squire: When I contemplated speaking in the debate, I imagined having to make one apology at the outset to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary, because a long-standing commitment will probably prevent me hearing his words of wisdom. However, I assure him that I shall read them. I now find that I have a second apology to make, because I am a chartered accountant. As a result of the contribution of the...
Mr Robin Squire: I suspect that not only do I understand the hon. Gentleman's point, but that I have some sympathy with it. However, drawing on my previous auditing experience, any certification by an independent auditor who is unqualified, or even by one who is qualified in a relatively minor way, is better than a statement by the directors of a company that its assets and liabilities are as certified by...
Mr Robin Squire: I do not wish to interfere in an argument between my colleagues on the Front Bench and the Opposition. The Government may have good reasons for waiting for the Cork committee report. The chairman of the committee is a person who, perhaps more than anyone in Britain, should be aware of the intricacies of bankruptcy, liquidation and possible reforms. The second area that I wish to mention...
Mr Robin Squire: Will my right hon. Friend, when he is contemplating penalties in the autumn, consider moving away from the 1978–79 outturn as a base? In practice, it has penalised a large number of authorities which have complied with the wishes of successive Governments over a number of years. Secondly, will my right hon. Friend, when his consultation statement is issued, ensure that due attention is...
Mr Robin Squire: Will my right hon. Friend accept our sympathy over the problem of deciding whether representatives of the Labour movement should come from the trade union movement, the NEC or, on occasions, Opposition Members?
Mr Robin Squire: While accepting completely the desirability of local authorities complying with Government guidelines, as they have under previous Governments, does my right hon. Friend agree that London in particular has suffered, first, from a major shift of resource in one year, and, secondly, from the adoption of guidelines which, in London perhaps more than anywhere else, in 1978–79, have been...
Mr Robin Squire: Does the hon. Gentleman suggest that the policies of any Government should be determined by the proportion of publicity given by foreign Governments overseas to those policies?
Mr Robin Squire: Does my right hon. Friend accept that the story of the last 20 or more years shows that, despite the Soviet Union's well-advertised proposals on detente and disarmament, just about every proposal has broken down because Russia has refused to allow adequate inspection and verification.
Mr Robin Squire: asked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the United Kingdom's balance of trade with countries in 1980.
Mr Robin Squire: Will my right hon. Friend confirm that her answer demonstrates the major benefit that we receive from trade? Secondly, will she and her Department continue sympathetically to examine other opportunities for increasing trade while bearing in mind that purchasing materials from developing countries is perhaps the most practical way in which we can grant them assistance?
Mr Robin Squire: Does my hon. and learned Friend realise how seriously we would view anything that reduced the British public's ability to read about the activities of Camden council?
Mr Robin Squire: Did my right hon. Friend enjoy the experience—somewhat rare these days—of meeting Socialists who are both pro-EEC and pro-nuclear deterrent? On reflection, does she not find it a little strange that the President with those views appears to have been elevated to the pantheon of Socialist heroes?
Mr Robin Squire: Nevertheless, may I endorse part of the question asked by the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mr. Douglas-Mann)? Regardless of any possible change in legislation, a number of potential lenders to local authorities have become concerned as a result of the scare headlines that have been seen. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the situation is exactly as he has set out?
Mr Robin Squire: Does my right hon. Friend agree that future co-operation can only be damaged by the news that the Labour Party national executive committee is apparently now committed to taking us out of Europe within one year of any future Labour Government? Does he not find that strange, given the publicised views of previous leaders of that party? Finally, does my right hon. Friend agree that,...
Mr Robin Squire: I recognise that manufacturing industry is important, but will my right hon. Friend accept that if account is taken of all our trading, including invisible earnings, which have traditionally been one of our large areas of income, we have performed very well within Europe? It no more makes sense to isolate manufacturing industry than it does to isolate any other one sector.
Mr Robin Squire: I begin by declaring a possible interest in my role as a consultant for Lombard, North-Central Ltd. That interest is certain, but I am not aware of the company's corporate views, if it has any. Its views may be the reverse of those that I am about to express. In common with the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George), I was unable, because of parliamentary business, to be in my place for...
