Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Does my right hon. Friend agree that, while the successful outcome of the conflict has proved the value of the United Nations, there is still a task in hand—to prove the value of the Geneva convention? Any refusal by the world community to pursue the perpetrators of the crimes about which we have heard would be a vitiation of the concept of the Geneva convention. Does my right hon. Friend...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Will my right hon. Friend accept again the congratulations of Conservative Members on these measures, which are extremely welcome? A number of right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House have mentioned the problem of overcrowding. As a Birmingham Member, I am particularly anxious about Winson Green. Will my right hon. Friend undertake, in the White Paper, to address this problem...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Given the events of last week and the IRA attack on Downing street, will my right hon. Friend tell the House whether a review has yet been undertaken of the security of this House and the other place? Could any news of that be given to us next week?
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Will the hon. and learned Gentleman develop his argument to the point where he explains why most of the board and the council of BTG appear to be in favour of such a move and the press have frequently offered BTG as a possible candidate for privatisation in order to allow it the international expansion which its natural role suggests?
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I wish to deal with a couple of points. As one or two other hon. Members wish to take part in this debate, I shall be as brief as I can. I wish to refer to some of the remarks made by the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith). I think that one or two of his points were taken a little politically by some of my hon. Friends, and perhaps in his concluding remarks he will...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: rose—
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: My constituents, and road users generally, welcome the Bill and particularly clauses 1, 2 and 5 relating to dangerous driving, careless and inconsiderate driving and causing danger to road users. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will be aware that my constituents are particularly concerned about the arrival of the M40, which is shortly to be completed close to the...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I accept the hon. Gentleman's point entirely. It speaks for itself and requires no further comment from me. I hope that that matter can be dealt with in Committee. I have one final, small point to make about random breath testing. Having heard what a number of colleagues have said today, and having discussed the matter with a number of constituents and people in Birmingham generally, in all...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: As a result of the serious blockages on the M6 in a north-westerly direction, which lasted well into yesterday evening, will my right hon. Friend undertake to inquire into the role played by heavy goods vehicles in causing that blockage? Will he join me and other hon. Members in congratulating the West Midlands police and other forces on all that they were trying to do to rescue people and to...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: My right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House wishes to reply soon, so I shall be brief. I take some comfort from the words of my hon. Friend the Member for Honiton (Sir P. Emery) who expressed the importance of the Committees. However, I should like my right hon. and learned Friend to take on board one or two points. I echo the great concern voiced by the hon. Member for Newham,...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Will my right hon. and learned Friend, either now or at some later stage, give us a breakdown of the £1·38 million to show how much each question costs?
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: Will my right hon. Friend tell us something about the measures that have been taken in relation to the financial aspect of sanctions? At the beginning of the debate on this subject reference was made to the importance that we all attach to ensuring that Iraq does not gain financially, and that credit and other financial measures are withdrawn from Iraq. What international co-ordination has...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I declare an interest, having worked for some time for, and still being a consultant to, one of the banks that is most interested in and affected by merger policy in Britain and in Europe. I have worked on many mergers in France, Germany and other European countries. I share with the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) the concern that we should attach importance to the concept of...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: My hon. Friend makes a little too much of this. He should remember that the European Investment Bank will be one of the largest shareholders of the bank, and that for several years the European Investment Bank has been doing very much the same type of operation, with perhaps less environmental or political content, in a quite excellent fashion. It has entered the Euro-markets and has raised...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I preface my remarks by declaring an interest as I once worked in the arts business as a fine arts auctioneer. I am disappointed—as, I suspect, are some other hon. Members—with the timing of the debate. Once again, the arts have been relegated beneath an important football engagement. Nevertheless, the House should have its...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for that clarification. I hope that the position that I have outlined will not materialise. If my right hon. Friend wishes to make a lasting, valuable contribution to the future of the arts in this country, he should try further to persuade his Treasury colleagues that a special relationship needs to be established between the state and the private...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: The hon. Gentleman and I have had conversations about this point, and I believe that the view that I am about to describe is shared by other Birmingham Members who are present in the Chamber this evening. With regard to the constant reiteration of the possible shortcomings of the West Midlands police, whether of the serious crimes squad or elsewhere, speaking as a west midlands Member, I...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I beg to ask leave to present a petition on behalf of Mr. Keith A. Davies of 50 Eastham road, Billesley, Birmingham B13 and some 487 of my constituents, being all parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes church, Yardley Wood, Birmingham, on the subject of the protection of the human embryo, on which I here venture no opinion either in agreement or dissent: Wherefore your Petitioners pray that the...
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I begin by declaring an interest, since the matter—as some hon. Members have already remarked—is sensitive. I was a consultant to the bank that gave advice on the feasibility study when the metro concept was originally considered. I sympathise with the metro concept and with everything that it could do for public transport in the west midlands, and around Birmingham in particular....
Mr Andrew Hargreaves: I hear with interest what the hon. Gentleman says, but in my experience, having travelled through major cities in Europe similar to ours, people do not like large, heavy railed vehicles trundling down busy streets in major city centres. I do not consider that Birmingham would necessarily be enhanced by large or light rail transit down the centre of our streets. Perhaps those streets would...
