Mr Nigel Forman: I shall try to be fairly brief, in order not to trespass on others' time. I welcome this timely and interesting debate. Having sat through all of it so far, I have found all the speeches interesting, and have learnt a great deal already. It is good for the House as a whole to have effective opportunities to influence the development of long-term policies, and I hope that the usual channels...
Mr Nigel Forman: I am not sure what proportion of the age cohort that I have mentioned is well-off according to my hon. Friend's definition. We would need to have a long discussion about what constitutes being well-off. In the context of large sums of public expenditure, I would prefer to see this approach to looking after a deserving cohort in our population in preference to some other uses of comparable...
Mr Nigel Forman: Does the hon. Gentleman, in his analogy with the travel industry and a failed holiday, mean to suggest that the pension providers should chip in collectively to compensate, or the taxpayer should do so?
Mr Nigel Forman: Can I clarify what the hon. Lady has said, which is open to misunderstanding? If people tragically die before they can be compensated, their families, their estates and their relatives get the compensation.
Mr Nigel Forman: In view of the breathtaking and awesome significance of some of the recent scientific capabilities in the sphere of cloning as it relates to animals, does my right hon. Friend agree that there would be a strong case, if time were available, for the House to have an early debate on the full ethical and practical implications of that emerging technology, since aspects of genetic engineering...
Mr Nigel Forman: Under a responsible Conservative Government, would not one answer to the question be that adherence to the Maastricht criteria would have little effect on the British economy, because we are very likely to meet those criteria whether we are in or out of EMU? Is there not a strong pro-European case for saying that EMU should not go ahead on the timetable that is now being talked about unless...
Mr Nigel Forman: Does the Minister agree that the real point of these exchanges is that we expect better things and higher standards from a privatised railway, and on the whole we are likely to get that? Is he aware that those of my constituents who travel regularly to London Bridge from Carshalton Beeches and Wallington expect the 8.07 from Carshalton Beeches to arrive on time and for that train to go on to...
Mr Nigel Forman: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am grateful for the chance to catch your eye to make a brief speech. I am sure that the whole House supports, as we have heard, the idea of legislation to give the police extra and more effective powers to fight crime, especially organised crime, by what are described, I understand, as firms of big time criminals. That is obviously in the public interest. In so far as...
Mr Nigel Forman: Will my right hon. and learned Friend give way?
Mr Nigel Forman: When trying to assess such matters, I always try to look at such empirical evidence as may be available rather than at what might happen. The Library briefing on the matter states that the Government undertook an exercise, looking at the example of 1995, and found there were approximately 2,100 chief officer authorisations by police and Customs and Excise of intrusive surveillance operations...
Mr Nigel Forman: I am trying to follow the hon. Gentleman's argument and his explanation of the way in which his party's policy has evolved. What is his understanding of the words in clause 91(2): Where it is not reasonably practicable to apply to a Commissioner for advance approval under subsection (1)"? Can the hon. Gentleman give the House a good example, from his own knowledge or from his thought...
Mr Nigel Forman: indicated assent.
Mr Nigel Forman: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on raising an important subject, about which I am sure many of our constituents care deeply. Some of them will have been directly or indirectly involved in the decision-making that my hon. Friend described, which takes place at a time of great grief and difficulty for families. Others will have been involved in their...
Mr Nigel Forman: I agree with much of what the hon. Gentleman says about the desirability of extra investment in our schools, particularly those catering for the younger end of the age range. Does he agree, however, that it is equally important to ensure that the money is spent to best effect? The management of local education authorities, and the way in which they handle such matters as admissions policy,...
Mr Nigel Forman: Can my right hon. Friend find time for perhaps a small debate in the near future on the need for objective, continuous and reliable data on economic and social issues in order to develop sound policy? That would give the House an opportunity to make the case for the continuation rather than the scrapping of the general household survey.
Mr Nigel Forman: Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that all Conservative Members wish him well with his latest development of policy? It is important that we reassure consumers of food safety and of the value of the product. Can he assure the House that, in arriving at today's announcement, he and his ministerial colleagues and officials carefully considered the example of the Food and Drug...
Mr Nigel Forman: I welcome the good sense of seeking to concentrate our university research in a smaller number of centres of excellence, for the reasons that my right hon. Friend has stated, but I wonder whether the process could be advanced with slightly less paperwork than is currently required. Some of the frequent complaints from universities are along those lines.
Mr Nigel Forman: I have listened carefully to the speeches made so far and have sought to clear my mind a little on some of the ideas that have been put forward. I am prepared to accept that my hon. Friend the Minister of State might argue that the Bill is neither the place nor the best legislative vehicle through which to introduce such a measure. None the less, not having had the benefit of attending...
Mr Nigel Forman: As I am sure the hon. Gentleman will have noticed, the essence of most professions is that they make themselves freely and willingly responsible for standards, discipline and status in their professional sphere. It would therefore be a little odd if the teaching profession, which is a noble and long-standing one, were a large exception to that general rule. One point that arises from my...
Mr Nigel Forman: My hon. Friend is in danger of misunderstanding the argument put to him by hon. Members on both sides. We have said that the measure might help. It would be a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition to raise the esteem of the teaching profession in the eyes of the public and would help to remoralise the teaching profession. That is an important point. My hon. Friend should not exaggerate...
