Sir Rolf Williams: We will have the White Paper tomorrow.
Sir Rolf Williams: Before I open my remarks on the Order I wish to associate myself with the comments of the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Thorpe) in respect of my hon. Friend the Member for Tavistock (Sir H. Studholme). I have had many kindnesses from him since I have been a Member of Parliament, and I am sure that we all very much regret that he will shortly be leaving the House of Commons. I hope that he...
Sir Rolf Williams: I understand the strong feelings that are held about this by hon. Members for county constituencies in Devon, but the county council rate has been fixed for the next year, and the financial arrangements for Exeter are almost concluded and in the first week or two of next month—March—the rate will be fixed, and if these three parishes are taken out of Exeter the whole of the financial...
Sir Rolf Williams: I support the plea made by the hon. Member for Barons Court (Mr. Richard). I realise that he was speaking on behalf of the hon. Member for Luton (Mr. Howie), although I should point out that it would have been possible for the hon. Member for Luton to speak had he decided to take a certain course as far as his present appointment with the Government is concerned. This matter has raised the...
Sir Rolf Williams: I hope that the hon. Gentleman will not rush it too fast. This is a serious matter which is causing great concern among numbers of police forces. Before the Under-Secretary leaves the question of my speech, I wonder whether he would be kind enough to say why, when an inquiry is held which recommends that police forces should not be amalgamated, the Home Secretary has decided to go against the...
Sir Rolf Williams: On a point of order. Are we not to hear from the right hon. Gentleman the Attorney-General in reply to the points raised so ably by my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward)?
Sir Rolf Williams: The hon. and learned Member will realise that the most serious punishment for an estate agent would be that he could be struck off the register. If he offends against the ordinary criminal law he can be prosecuted.
Sir Rolf Williams: This is the only opportunity I have had of putting this point. I wonder if for the sake of the record the hon. Member would consider the possibility not of amending a later Clause but of amending Clause 18(2,b) to read "body incorporated under the Companies Acts" because the phrase "body corporate" is a loose and ambiguous term legally? This would release not only co-operative societies but...
Sir Rolf Williams: I only wanted to get it on the record.
Sir Rolf Williams: Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that before any action is taken by the Government concerning the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company we shall have an opportunity in the House to discuss any proposals?
Sir Rolf Williams: Will not the hon. Gentleman give an undertaking at least that the petrol tax will not be increased in the Budget?
Sir Rolf Williams: On a point of order.
Sir Rolf Williams: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must apologise to you for drawing attention to a point of order while you were standing. May I draw your attention to what I suggest, subject to your views, Mr. Speaker, is an abuse or breach of privilege? The hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Swain)——
Sir Rolf Williams: Does not the right hon. Gentleman believe that it would be much better to allow these teacher training colleges to go on and to encourage them than for the Minister of Health to waste public money by abolishing prescription charges?
Sir Rolf Williams: Will the Bill to be introduced on Monday be subject to the Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bill?
Sir Rolf Williams: Will the Minister look into this matter? For instance, will he look into the fact that two aeroplanes were flying over Westminster this morning at considerably less than 2,000 ft.? I think that this is becoming quite intolerable.
Sir Rolf Williams: In reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr. Sandys) the right hon. Lady said that expenditure this year would be higher than last year. Has this extraordinary state of affairs been agreed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the difficult balance of payments position?
Sir Rolf Williams: It is always stimulating to listen to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis). He did not answer the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Runcorn (Mr. Carlisle), namely, that it was the Government who tabled the Amendments in the House of Lords and who made use of the other place to get their Bill straight. Nothing would have been easier than to have kept the Bill here...
Sir Rolf Williams: I absolutely endorse the hon. Gentleman's appeal. I fully support it.
Sir Rolf Williams: I am interested to hear that no pressure has been brought to bear on the Government. Would the right hon. Gentleman now say that the Parliamentary Labour Party is wholeheartedly behind the Government's defence policy and has not asked and is not asking for any reduction in defence expenditure?