Bill Olner: He has left the Chamber.
Bill Olner: Order. The intervention is too long.
Bill Olner: Being an apprentice does not mean only learning a trade in a certain discipline; it provides good discipline in many things that affect people's livelihoods. I would like the Minister to recognise the status of the time-served apprentice, whether female or male. Once that is established, people in this country will be as attracted to apprenticeships as people are in such countries as Germany.
Bill Olner: How can the Minister ensure that all young people have the wonderful opportunity to volunteer to do good public service? How will he spread that message to schools and other institutions, and will he ensure that local authorities and public bodies do not put any hurdles in the way of young people who want to volunteer?
Bill Olner: The Minister is right about that, but I highlighted the vast difference in service, should the proposed changes go ahead, that the more heavily populated area of Nuneaton will receive compared with that for the much less populated area of Rugby, which will have a fast train to London every half an hour throughout the day. There is not a lot of fairness in that, and it is the fairness of the...
Bill Olner: One of my claims is that the loading figures that the Minister and his Department have on Nuneaton are wrong. If he looks at the train user group's figures, he will see that there is a vast difference. I contend that Nuneaton is still a growing area and still very much part of the enlargement of the west midlands. However, if the fast hourly trains are removed, that will slow down any growth...
Bill Olner: No.
Bill Olner: I thank the Minister for giving way again. I am certainly not accusing him of that. Just to set the record straight, I am not lobbying on behalf of Nuneaton at Rugby's expense. I am certainly not doing that at all, because I have constituents who reside in the Rugby catchment area. I am saying that a town and area the size of Nuneaton deserves at least an hourly service. Perhaps I am doing...
Bill Olner: I am delighted to have secured this debate on rail services at Nuneaton or, as I should perhaps say, on the proposed lack of such services. That is why I have asked for the debate, and why I am delighted to have secured it. The Minister will know of my anger and that of the wider community at the proposals. He will recall that I have met him twice, and his predecessor once, to protest against...
Bill Olner: Will my right hon. Friend assure me that the aid being given is getting to the people who deserve and need it, and is not being diverted by Mugabe to feed his troops who keep the ordinary people down?
Bill Olner: Order. The hon. Gentleman is not discussing local government in Norfolk.
Bill Olner: Order. A number of hon. Members wish to participate in the debate and I want to bring everyone in if I can, but I must warn hon. Members that I intend to call the first winding-up speech at 11.55 am.
Bill Olner: Order. Two hon. Members are talking rather loudly while the Minister is addressing questions that other hon. Members have asked. Perhaps they will desist from doing so.
Bill Olner: No, the hon. Gentleman was replying to an earlier intervention.
Bill Olner: I have two Members standing, and I intend to call both of you if I can. However, you are both facing Clocks, and I intend to start the winding-up speeches at 10.25 am.
Bill Olner: Order. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will bring his remarks to a conclusion soon, because I want to give the Opposition spokesman and the Minister plenty of time to reply to this important debate.
Bill Olner: Order. It is obvious that the Minister is not going to give way, so I would appreciate it if there were no further interventions.
Bill Olner: Order. That is a comprehensive list of questions to the Minister, which he will answer, if he has the time.
Bill Olner: Order. If the Minister intervenes, that would give him less time to respond.
Bill Olner: Order. Will the hon. Gentleman please bring his comments to a conclusion in order to allow others to speak?