Martin Caton: Thank you, Mr. Lord, for giving me the opportunity to make my maiden speech in this important debate on a referendum that will decide how Wales is to be governed in the new millennium. I continue a long and proud tradition of Labour representation in the Gower constituency that goes back to 1906 when John Williams was elected as Gower's first Labour Member of Parliament. He was followed by D....
Martin Caton: Does my hon. Friend agree that partnership between the Welsh Development Agency and other agencies, such as central Government, is essential if we are effectively to create the jobs that we need, especially in the Swansea area? Does my hon. Friend agree also that the WDA let us down extremely badly recently when, having promised us money for the Technium project, the science park at...
Martin Caton: While my hon. Friend is talking about moving investment westwards, will he join me in recognising the excellent work done by the WDA as the lead partner in developing the Felindre old steelworks site in my constituency, close to the boundary with his own? That must now be one of the premier inward investment sites in Britain, and probably in the whole of Europe.
Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to publish the White Paper on the Welsh Assembly; and if he will make a statement. [6998]
Martin Caton: I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Clearly, it is time to shift the focus from the democratic rights of individual Welsh Members of Parliament to the democratic right of all the people of Wales to hold their Government accountable. Does my hon. Friend agree that the challenge for the Conservative party and any allies that it may have in Wales is how they can justify supporting devolved...
Martin Caton: The hon. Gentleman surely knows better than anyone that the Development Board for Rural Wales has not served all of rural Wales, but only mid-Wales. As an observer of its work, I have been impressed, but also jealous that we in rural areas not covered by the DBRW did not benefit from that service. It is to be hoped that the new powerhouse agency, with its rural function, will ensure that we...
Martin Caton: I congratulate my hon. Friends the Members for Bedford (Mr. Hall), for Burton (Mrs. Dean) for Heywood and Middleton (Mr. Dobbin) and for Reading, West (Mr. Salter). All showed a tremendous commitment to the constituencies that they now represent and a determination to fight for their constituents. I look forward to working in partnership with them in the years ahead. I was keen to speak...
Martin Caton: The hon. Gentleman brings me to my next point. The great difference between 1979 and now is the attitude of the Labour movement in Wales. It is fair to say that, in 1979, the movement was split from top to bottom; it was seriously divided. That does not happen now, because the policy that has been spelt out in the White Paper is not the product of civil servants in Gwydyr house or Cathays...
Martin Caton: I thank my hon. Friend for making those valuable points. I have listened carefully to the arguments against the proposals in "A Voice for Wales" that have been made in the House and outside it. Opponents of a Welsh Assembly fall into three broad camps: the myopic utopians, the "what-if-ers" and the Chicken Licken tendency, although some people are clearly in more than one of those camps....
Martin Caton: I thank the hon. Gentleman. I have been in the House a far shorter time than he, but even in that short time I, as a representative of Wales, have felt that same frustration at not being able to hold our Executive accountable. I certainly agree with his point. Decisions on how £7 billion of spending by the Welsh Office is allocated should be made by directly elected representatives of all...
Martin Caton: If he will make a statement on the progress of legislation affecting education in Wales. [12376]
Martin Caton: I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. He will know of the tremendous economic significance for south-west Wales of Swansea university and Swansea institute. Is he aware of the great concern among academics and other employees in those centres of learning about the current financial position? That was reflected in a letter that all Welsh Members of Parliament received from the heads of the...
Martin Caton: Does my right hon. Friend agree that evidence of already deprived and disadvantaged children being accommodated in children's homes and then physically and sexually abused shames our whole society? Will he assure the House and the country that the Government will respond to the Utting report with urgent and tough action?
Martin Caton: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for calling me in this important debate about beginning the process of decentralisation in Britain and of democratisation in the governance of Wales. A clear understanding of what happened on 18 September is essential if we are to debate the Bill constructively. Quite simply, the people of Wales made a decision: they decided that they wanted to move away from...
Martin Caton: I understand that argument, but I do not agree with it. By imposing a threshold, one defends the status quo. Unfortunately, when we examine the Conservative Government's record, we find that they were prepared to impose thresholds to secure yes votes on some issues. When they were trying to remove council housing from local authority control, they imposed a threshold to shift the balance...
Martin Caton: That is absolutely true, and I thank my hon. Friend for making that point. Indeed, if we are thinking of ballots on grant-maintained status, the very fact that parents of children from feeder schools were excluded from the democratic process is another example of vote rigging by the Conservative party.
Martin Caton: I give way to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley).
Martin Caton: The circumstances are very different. When attempts are made to bring about changes that will affect the interests of the members of a building society, who have joined for a purpose, those interests should be protected. That is a very different matter from changes in the general democratic process in a country, whether it be changes in structure—constitutional change—or the election of a...
Martin Caton: My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh, no, he isn't."] Oh, yes, he is. As my hon. Friends have said, we fought the referendum on a set of rules. We complied with the rules. Everyone knew those rules during the referendum process.
Martin Caton: My hon. Friend has made the point rather better than I managed to.