Mr Archie Norman: What steps she is taking to promote small business growth.
Mr Archie Norman: Since this is the last chance that I will have to do so, may I gently remind the Minister that the biggest gift that this Government can give to small business is to reduce the burden of regulation that has increased so much under them? Has he noticed that the Chancellor has committed to implement in full the Arculus report, which includes the principle of regulatory budgets and a one in, one...
Mr Archie Norman: I draw hon. Members' attention to my declaration in the Register of Members' Interests. I arrived in the House about eight years ago. About the time of the then Budget, I made my maiden speech on the subject of enterprise and competitiveness to an audience of about the same number of hon. Members as I find in the House today. In fact, I rather flatter myself that, over the eight years, I may...
Mr Archie Norman: That is a good point. I imagine that the lack of Labour Members reflects their enthusiasm for the Budget. Perhaps the Minister would like to comment on that when she sums up.
Mr Archie Norman: I am not sure whether we can fruitfully pursue this subject. The numbers on either side reflect the strength of feeling about the Budget, which will be reflected in the debate. As the hon. Member for Ochil said, the Budget is thin in content, as is perhaps unsurprising immediately before an election. It is unusual in that it does produce a slight increase in taxation; I think the Chancellor...
Mr Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) NHS prescriptions and (b) NHS prescription items were issued in each of the last 10 years broken down by (i) those attracting a charge and (ii) those receiving an exemption; (2) how many (a) NHS prescriptions and (b) NHS prescription items were issued under an exemption in each of the last 10 years, broken down by reason for exemption.
Mr Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects the funding gap between school sixth forms and further education colleges in Tunbridge Wells to be closed.
Mr Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many prisons the population was in excess of the certified normal accommodation on the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr Archie Norman: Will the Minister accept that, as expressed by the Government, the purpose of the "Access to Hastings" study and subsequent consultation was exactly that—to involve the regional authorities and local people so that they could express an opinion on whether improving the A21 was a priority? In a sense, regional involvement has already taken place. Further to that, will he tell us exactly what...
Mr Archie Norman: Will the Minister give way on that point?
Mr Archie Norman: May I gently point out that the idea of investing £200 million in a new general hospital at Pembury and not doing anything about the road is a manifestly unco-ordinated strategy? Is the Minister telling us that even if the regional bodies say that it is not a priority, the Government will still want to go ahead with the hospital? If so, how does he propose overcoming the planning condition...
Mr Archie Norman: It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to raise this fraught issue again. I am grateful to the Minister for giving up his time to respond to the debate. He has been generous with his time on debates on the A21 in the past, in which we have discussed the issue in some detail, and will be familiar with many of the points that I shall raise. I know that he will not want to read out the...
Mr Archie Norman: Does the Prime Minister recall, prior to the 1997 election, making a pledge to do something about the anomaly of prescription charges for cystic fibrosis sufferers? Does he remember reiterating his support in the House both in 1999 and in 2001, and does he realise that many thousands of sufferers spend their entire lives struggling to live on expensive medicine? It was his words that gave...
Mr Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much is available in the Access for All fund to improve disabled access at railway stations; and what criteria are used for distribution of grants from the fund; (2) what the passenger footfall is of each railway station prioritised or considered under the Access For All fund; and how much funding has been allocated from the fund to each...
Mr Archie Norman: What steps he is taking to address financial deficits in NHS trusts.
Mr Archie Norman: Is the Minister aware of the claim in the Health Service Journal that the NHS is deep in the red to the tune of £500 million, and that the usual claim that this will sort itself out by the end of the financial year will no longer wash? Will he acknowledge that, this year, a large proportion of the deficits have been caused by unbudgeted cost overruns on centrally driven initiatives such as...
Mr Archie Norman: What her policy is on regulation of the game bird industry.
Mr Archie Norman: Will the Minister take this opportunity to acknowledge the real and growing contribution to rural employment that is made by the game bird and shooting industry, which employs more than 26,000 people? In the light of the passing of the Hunting Act 2004, as well as the pro-regulatory views expressed by the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and by animal welfare groups,...
Mr Archie Norman: It is a great pleasure, as ever, to follow the hon. Member for Hornchurch (John Cryer). In response to his jibe about attendance in the House, I would point out only that the number of Opposition Members who have attended this debate has been approximately the same as the number of Government Members, if not greater. Of course, in relation to our representation in Parliament, in percentage...
Mr Archie Norman: I agree, and I do so without in any sense demurring from the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale in his opening speech. Turnaround units can of course play an important part, and as I have said, we have to accept that in today's world there are kids for whom such units are probably the only solution. But it is important to recognise that that solution is very...
