Mr David Alton: These are not legislative matters, but relate to a personal code of morality. The issue is whether we should continue to fund forced abortion and sterilisation and the forcible fitting of IUCDs.
Mr David Alton: The hon. Gentleman knows that I am in favour of the alleviation of poverty, but not the subjection of populations. If the hon. Gentleman studied the history of Ireland, he would see how those arguments were used by British economists and politicians during the 19th century to achieve precisely the objective he is outlining today. The issue is not about voluntary decisions made by individuals,...
Mr David Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the funds for objective 1, designated for the financial year 1994–95, have been spent; how much is retained by the Department; and if he will make a statement. [23192]
Mr David Alton: I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Notwithstanding what he said, does he recognise that there is some concern that, in the first part of the overall period in which money can be spent, there has been a failure to deliver money to projects which had hoped to be under way by now? Does he agree with the recommendations of the monitoring committee which has been working in partnership...
Mr David Alton: Has the Minister had a chance to reflect on the reply given to me last night by the Minister of State for Defence Procurement that the answers that have been given in the House during the past decade have been inaccurate because the definition used by NATO of what constitutes an anti-personnel land mine is not that which has been used by his Department or by the Department of Foreign and...
Mr David Alton: The right hon. Member for Woking (Sir C. Onslow) spoke for all members of the Committee in his remarks regarding the four Members whose identities were consistently concealed by The Sunday Times during the information that it gave to the Committee. I concur with what he said in that regard. At the outset, may I commend the motion that is before the House to all Members? May I also thank the...
Mr David Alton: There are two points here. The first concerns my hon. Friend, Lord Lester. I made it absolutely clear when he made his allegation that it would have been better if he had said who those allegations were being made against. So my view about Lord Lester is precisely the same as it is about The Sunday Times. The second point is about Mohamed Al Fayed. Members of the Privileges Committee—this...
Mr David Alton: As the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) says, the issue is referred to in the minutes of evidence. Members of the Privileges Committee will have a chance to vote on a motion that I tabled requiring Mr. Al Fayed to come before the Committee during the next round of our proceedings, when Mr. Peter Preston of The Guardian is brought before us. I hope that every member of the...
Mr David Alton: The hon. Gentleman makes the point very well. The fact was that the hon. Member was not prepared to admit how much money he had received. That should be a matter of public declaration as everyone has a right to know. It is impossible for parliamentarians to serve two masters. We are elected to serve our constituents and our consciences. We are here to pursue causes and I am deeply suspicious...
Mr David Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the relationship between crime and drugs. [18364]
Mr David Alton: When the Government come to look at the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986, will they look again at the seizure of assets and the way that money is diverted to central funds? Does the Minister not have some sympathy with the views of the Merseyside police authority, and other police authorities too, that funds that are sequestrated and seized from drug barons should go back into schemes that...
Mr David Alton: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 21 March. [13275]
Mr David Alton: I welcome the Government's decision to provide £1 million for the clearing of anti-personnel mines in Cambodia. Is the Prime Minister aware, however, that there are 100 million anti-personnel mines strewn around the world, and that there have been 1 million casualties and fatalities, especially among children? Does he agree that the time is ripe for an international moratorium that would...
Mr David Alton: Is the Minister aware that, of the 106 applications in the past 12 months, only six have been agreed and that the process is in danger of silting up? Is there not a good case for appointing one person to take control of objective 1 bids to ensure that the programme works effectively?
Mr David Alton: Will the Minister give way?
Mr David Alton: I congratulate the hon. Member on raising this issue on the Floor of the House. He might like to know that 100 hon. Members of all parties have now signed the early-day motion, and that many people share his belief that far more should be done not only to stop the export of component parts from the United Kingdom but to influence those countries which are the quartermasters, which provide the...
Mr David Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority about the freezing of human embryos.
Mr David Alton: In how many cases has contact been lost with the parents of the 30,000 human embryos that have been frozen in the past decade? Will an amendment to the law to prevent those embryos from being destroyed when their shelf-life expires next year be among the proposed courses of action that the Minister has said will be considered? What account is being taken of the evidence published in The...
Mr David Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is being undertaken by his department into the levels of violence in society and the broadcasting of violent material.
Mr David Alton: I welcome the new research, which I understand will be undertaken over the next couple of years. Does the Minister accept, however, that common sense alone tells us that what we see is bound to have some effect upon us? Is he aware of the "Panorama" programme, which revealed recently that up to 10 per cent. of people who are predisposed to commit violent acts are likely to have them triggered...
