Dr Jenny Tonge: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to make my maiden speech on my third attempt—I have probably clocked up about 17 hours in the Chamber waiting to be called. I appreciated the comments of the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) and I hope that someone, somewhere was listening. I pay tribute to my predecessor, the last Member of Parliament for the constituency of Richmond...
Dr Jenny Tonge: In view of the poor funding for schools and the lack of any substantial promises of more funding for schools, will the Minister give an assurance that school parties will never be charged admission to our museums and art galleries?
Dr Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement regarding United Kingdom aid to Tibet. [3858]
Dr Jenny Tonge: I thank the Minister for his reply. I am sure that he realises that, over recent years, a million people have died in Tibet and that 60 per cent. of its population are now Chinese. That is due to the actions of the Chinese Government, who have had a very repressive regime in Tibet since 1949. What steps does he intend to take to ensure that aid is not used unwisely by the Chinese occupiers of...
Dr Jenny Tonge: In view of recent press reports, which quote Government sources, about the inevitability of a fifth terminal at Heathrow airport and in view of the on-going public inquiry, which is costing many millions of pounds, will the Prime Minister tell us the Government's position regarding a fifth terminal? [3897]
Dr Jenny Tonge: Will the Minister explain exactly what she means by "wholesale privatisation"? If the Government were to sell off separately the trains, and then the tracks and stations, would that be wholesale privatisation?
Dr Jenny Tonge: Liberal Democrat Members would also like to extend their sympathy to the people of Montserrat at this terrible time. Although I appreciate the need of the people to stay on their island, I understand that the habitable area is becoming smaller and smaller and I want to know whether, in the long term, the Government have any plans for geological surveys or volcano surveys—I do not know the...
Dr Jenny Tonge: I had hoped to welcome the Secretary of State to her new job. I hope that that will be recorded. I welcome the White Paper and the opportunity to debate it. I understand from my colleagues that there has not been a White Paper on international development for 20 years. That is quite extraordinary. The political will to build on past successes in combating world poverty has been eroded over...
Dr Jenny Tonge: I am delighted to hear that because, in a reply several weeks ago, the Minister told me that the money would come out of the reserve and did not explain that new money was being found. I am not sure even now that that is new money and we look forward to new money for overseas aid. If poorer countries are using their meagre gross domestic product to pay off debt, to erode their land and to...
Dr Jenny Tonge: Will the Secretary of State again clarify the words "exceptional use"? Is he saying that, if a military commander wishes to use land mines, in the interests of the British armed forces, he will go to the right hon. Gentleman and his decision will have to be ratified by the House before he is allowed to use those mines? That seems a strange way of conducting a military campaign.
Dr Jenny Tonge: I should like to expand on the remarks of my hon. Friend the Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes). The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 contains two options. Most trusts were set up under the first, under which they were given the functions of owning and managing what had previously been NHS hospitals. Under the second option, or the alternative, they...
Dr Jenny Tonge: Hear, hear.
Dr Jenny Tonge: I thank the Minister for that reply, but may I press her further? Does she agree that the continuing sale of Hawk jets to Indonesia is damaging human rights in that country and damaging the poor in East Timor? Does she agree that the Government should revoke the export licence granted by the previous Government for Indonesia, especially as no financial penalties would be incurred in so doing?
Dr Jenny Tonge: Will the Secretary of State explain why, given his avowed intention not to trade with countries that have bad human rights records, another 11 arms contracts with Indonesia were signed during the summer recess?
Dr Jenny Tonge: I thank the hon. Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) for allowing me to speak. I am interested in the effects of noise on health. I live in my Richmond Park constituency, where we have had an escalating noise problem over the past 20 years. I am particularly concerned about health issues because I was a doctor in the health service before my election to Parliament. There is an enormous,...
Dr Jenny Tonge: Like the rest of the House, I welcome the White Paper, which is being produced after 20 years. I welcome also the emphasis that the White Paper—after much consultation, on which I congratulate the Government—places on my chief concerns: primary education, health and welfare of women, and women's access to health and family planning services. I suspect, however, that the White Paper is...
Dr Jenny Tonge: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker; I misunderstood the purpose of the statement. I should like to say—[HON. MEMBERS: "Ask a question."] This is a question. I have every confidence in the Secretary of State—if she is able—and in her Department to deliver the aims of the White Paper. I warn her, however, that the road to hell is paved with good questions. Does she carry the rest of the...
Dr Jenny Tonge: Does the Minister agree that it is very sad that a country as rich as ours cannot increase its proportion of aid to developing countries? I understand that the Department is to review and redirect funds over the next two years. Will the Minister give an undertaking that the review will be totally transparent and that the House will be told which countries and organisations are to be the...
Dr Jenny Tonge: The previous Government should die with "Queen Mary's" etched on their collective heart, and I am grateful to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to say that in the House of Commons. Queen Mary's is a spacious site and was once a fine hospital with easy access from all parts of south-west London and the suburbs. The previous Government chose to build that white elephant the Chelsea and...
Dr Jenny Tonge: As a former chair of social services in a London borough, I welcome the Secretary of State's statement and all its good intentions to protect children in care. I welcome especially the commitment to keep residential care going, and to provide adequate training and pay for the staff. Will the right hon. Gentleman, together with his Cabinet colleagues, ensure that this year's local government...