Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on anti-personnel land mines. [26919]
Stephen Timms: Will the Minister join me in commending the ban introduced by the French Government on the production, stockpiling and export of all anti-personnel land mines? Why have the British Government not done the same?
Stephen Timms: I apologise for being absent for much of the opening speeches. I was attending a meeting of the Treasury Committee. Indeed, I want to refer to evidence that it took on the private finance initiative in the health service. The debate on the Bill has revealed very deep confusion about the funding of the health service, not least on the part of Ministers responsible for it. The Secretary of...
Stephen Timms: In October 1993, the Secretary of State for Social Security stood before the Conservative party conference and described a new scourge which he said was sweeping the continent. In the abusive terms that our European partners have come to expect from the British Government, he employed a range of "'Allo, 'Allo" accents to conjure up a vivid picture of benefit tourists—back packers and the...
Stephen Timms: It has been clear in this debate that there is widespread support for a national mandatory licensing scheme for HMOs. There is, for instance, support from organisations such as the Campaign for Bedsit Rights and Shelter, and from organisations representing tenants and would-be tenants. I suppose that no one will find that surprising. There is also support from the regulatory sector, from the...
Stephen Timms: May I briefly ask the Minister a question that arises from the amendment and that has been raised with me and my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks), dealing with the terms on which payments will be made to London and Continental Railways? Suggestions have been made in the press—I have with me a copy of the New Civil Engineer from 28 March—that London and...
Stephen Timms: I agree with everything that my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) has said. I welcome the steps that the Government have taken in introducing the new clause and amendments. It is worth putting on the record the strong support by the private sector for the campaign in favour of Stratford station. The Stratford development partnership comprised organisations such as Land...
Stephen Timms: May I ask the Minister a simple question? Does the designating of Stratford station and the connection with the west coast main line as "of national significance" mean that they will be presented as Government proposals when the Transport and Works Act procedure is reached?
Stephen Timms: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that the amendment does not remove the problem that there will still be an incentive to make an allegation of fault—possibly a fictitious one—because there will still be the possibility of obtaining divorce more quickly that way?
Stephen Timms: To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to make an announcement on the Equitas rescue plan initiated by Lloyds. [23940]
Stephen Timms: I think the Minister will confirm that this will be the biggest single reinsurance transaction in history. Given that his approval was only conditional when he made his announcement on 29 March, can he tell us when he expects to be in a position to consider giving full authorisation to the project and what he will require before he does that?
Stephen Timms: Does my hon. Friend agree that the quality of the services provided by digital broadcasting will be one of the main determinants of its success? Does he further agree that it is absurd that the Bill does not allow the ITC to take quality into account in determining the licence applications submitted to it?
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the promotion of human rights in China. [22620]
Stephen Timms: What pressure are the British Government bringing to bear on the Chinese Government to secure the release of Wei Jingsheng, the human rights activist who was imprisoned last autumn? What steps are being taken to secure the adoption of the European Union-sponsored resolution on human rights in China by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees?
Stephen Timms: I apologise to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and the House, as although I was present at the beginning of the debate, I had to leave the Chamber to attend a meeting of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee and therefore missed much of the earlier part of the debate. It is a remarkable comment on the Government's management of the private finance initiative that we should be spending...
Stephen Timms: I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's point, which makes exactly my argument. We are not gaining anything new. We are just deferring payment to future years. Since those payments will have to be made for many years to come, there will in future years be fewer resources available for the investment in transport infrastructure that we all want around London and elsewhere. When additional...
Stephen Timms: I entirely accept that. That very fact means that there is potential for the use of private finance in developing London's transport network, about which I shall make some specific points and cite some instances in which I think it will be particularly important.
Stephen Timms: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I was not present for that exchange, but I entirely agree with him that splitting up the underground network in the way that he has implied would be a seriously retrograde step. It is most important that we maintain an integrated, publicly owned underground network. Nobody can deny that there is a need for additional capital investment in London Transport at...
Stephen Timms: Consistently throughout my speech I have said that I accept the need for private investment in the development of London's transport, so I agree with the Minister there. However, what I want to emphasise is the fact that London First says that last year's Budget was the first test of the programme and that it failed to provide the level of funds called for in our Programme.
Stephen Timms: I do not agree with that at all. Indeed, as I said earlier, what we saw yesterday was an attempt to shift risk away from the private sector and back into the public sector. The word "sham" could well be used in that connection, to describe the attempts to use private finance in the health service. I have said throughout the debate that we need private finance in the development of London's...