Mr Michael Latham: Are not the best chances for employment in the city of Leicester and the county of Leicestershire today's Budget and the re-election of the Conservative Government?
Mr Michael Latham: Is my right hon. Friend aware that, since these bodies remain within the civil service, some of us feel that executive agencies are neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring? Will he see what can be done to improve parliamentary accountability for the agencies because, in particular since they are responsible to the Public Accounts Committee, Ministers should be prepared to answer questions...
Mr Michael Latham: Much of what my hon. Friend is saying is also relevant to Leicestershire—particularly his point about remoteness and distance. In Leicestershire, the adult basic education service is not provided in colleges of further education. Sometimes, it is not even provided in community colleges but instead in church halls or even people's homes. Therefore, it is all the more important that it should...
Mr Michael Latham: With regard to next Tuesday's guillotine motion—the weekly guillotine motion—will my right hon. Friend please ensure that the timetable is drawn up so as to allow plenty of time to discuss vocational adult education? Those sections of the Bill are causing concern in Leicestershire.
Mr Michael Latham: Will my right hon. Friend find time next week to debate early-day motion 448, standing in my name and supported by a substantial number of hon. Members from all parties, welcoming the Government's support for the repeal of the infamous "Zionism is racism" resolution of the United Nations? [That this House welcomes the decision of the United Nations general assembly to repeal the notorious...
Mr Michael Latham: In regard to widening the Community, does my right hon. Friend accept that there is now a powerful case for the admission of Austria and Scandinavian countries that are members of the European Free Trade Association? Would they not act as an invaluable bridge extending to the Baltic states and other parts of central and eastern Europe? Will my right hon. Friend try to speed up that process in...
Mr Michael Latham: When my hon. and learned Friend speaks to the Israeli ambassador, in the interests of fairness, does he also discuss with him how much freedom of speech there is in universities in Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia?
Mr Michael Latham: Is my right hon. Friend really happy with the state of the Sunday trading laws and the announcements made by traders in the past few days? Should not the House deal with the matter speedily? Otherwise, it will be assumed that a suspending power is operating.
Mr Michael Latham: Will my right hon. Friend accept the thanks of the whole House for agreeing to extend last night's debate until midnight, thus allowing a large number of Members to be called?
Mr Michael Latham: Hear, hear.
Mr Michael Latham: Since, in practice, most of next week's two-day debate on Europe will be dominated by the thunder and lightning of the twilight of the gods and godesses in the Privy Council, will my right hon. Friend consider extending Wednesday's debate, when there will be no vote, to midnight to give the ordinary squaddie a chance to take part?
Mr Michael Latham: Is it not an essential strategic objective of the NATO powers to assist the forces of democracy and liberalisation in the Soviet Union against the dangers of a counter-coup? Will my right hon. Friend assure us that the NATO powers will do all that they can to assist the Soviet Union in its immense difficulties?
Mr Michael Latham: Is my hon. Friend aware that, after their constructive meeting with my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key), my constituents are optimistic that they will have Rutland back as a unitary authority under the re-elected Conservative Government?
Mr Michael Latham: Is my hon. Friend aware that the traditional industries of the east midlands, including Leicestershire, as well as the non-traditional ones, have greatly welcomed the reduction in interest rates that has taken place in recent months and are looking forward to another one pretty soon?
Mr Michael Latham: Is my right hon. Friend aware that his radical approach to the issue is widely appreciated on this side of the House? If, however, the £256 is to be held, as it must be, will it not require widespread capping and also further progress to be made on the transfer of services to the Exchequer, such as sixth form colleges and colleges of further education, as the Government have already promised?
Mr Michael Latham: Will my right hon. Friend announce next week the results of the inquiry that he promised to carry out into how executive agencies should report through Ministers to the House? Is he aware that, if we continue with the present arrangements, with answers not being given properly in Hansard, the House will lose control of those agencies, which are staffed exclusively by civil servants paid with...
Mr Michael Latham: Will my hon. Friend give way?
Mr Michael Latham: Where not such decisions taken, not so long ago, by local bank managers who knew their customers and worked with them? Now they are often arbitrarily determined decisions made much higher up the line and the local bank manager has no control.
Mr Michael Latham: My hon. Friend is to be warmly congratulated on his statement and on the success of the estate action programme, which he founded about eight years ago when he was previously a Minister in the Department of the Environment. Is he aware that the HAT programme is now being successfully revived because he is integrating the tenants and the local authorities, which unfortunately was not the case...
Mr Michael Latham: If these talks were so robust and constructive, and made as much progress as my right hon. Friend encouragingly stated, can he explain to the House, because some of us are feeling exasperated as we listen, why the politicians locally just cannot go on talking?
