Mr Frederick Gough: I support the Amendment, and in doing so I must immediately declare an interest. I happen to be the Chairman of the Royal Areo Club, which is a unique club. It has its own social side, but for 50 years it has been responsible for all the private and sporting flying in this country. We have been advised by our legal and accountancy experts that as the Clause stands there is a danger that the...
Mr Frederick Gough: asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied with the manner in which public inquiries dealing with the proposed closure of passenger train services are carried out; and if he will introduce legislation to ensure that, at transport users' consultative committee hearings on proposed rail closures, adequate time is allowed for the hearing of objections, and that no hearing is closed until...
Mr Frederick Gough: Would my right hon. Friend not agree that the recent proceedings at Steyning fell very far short of what he is saying? Does he not agree that a public poster appeared all over the countryside saying that the hearing would be for two days, whereas it took only one day? Is he further aware that there is grave dissatisfaction in the whole area that the grievances have not been properly aired?
Mr Frederick Gough: May I bring my right hon. Friend back from Scotland to Sussex? Has he seen this copy of the poster which I have in my hand and which I will hand to him? Will he please look into the matter again and realise that the only way that there can be satisfaction and fair play is for him to call another meeting at Steyning to hear all the objectors, hundreds of whom, including myself, have not been heard?
Mr Frederick Gough: In view of the very unsatisfactory nature of my right hon. Friend's reply I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.
Mr Frederick Gough: While congratulating my right hon. Friend on this very interesting experiment, may I ask whether he is aware that it will cause a large additional expense to the diary trade? Does he agree that his predecessor informed those who make diaries—[Laughter.] This is a serious question. Diary makers work 18 months ahead. Millions of diaries have already been printed for 1965. Will my right hon....
Mr Frederick Gough: Since there are, apparently, only three American firms contending for this order, will my right hon. Friend give an absolute assurance that each of these different helicopters will be given the same impartial and thorough examination? Bearing in mind the considerable differences in costs, will he also assure us that the decision will be given in the interest both of the Army and the taxpayer?
Mr Frederick Gough: Could the hon. Gentleman tell us what he means by "increasing the status of the local authorities"?
Mr Frederick Gough: This Bill gives us an opportunity once again to hold what generally is a parish pump type of debate, since most hon. Members present represent constituencies containing new towns. The surprising thing is that the two speakers on the other side of the House have tried, rather whimsically, to introduce an element of party politics. I am prepared to admit that the original Act was introduced by...
Mr Frederick Gough: I could give a monosyllabic reply, but may I call it just bunkum.
Mr Frederick Gough: I seem to have raised a bit of a hornet's nest. I am not running away from the problem. Hon. Members opposite live in hope. They make a plan. This is what was said by the hon. Member for Widnes, who has a most charming disposition and puts things over most beautifully. He referred to "twelve wasted years". I thought my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House had disposed of that point....
Mr Frederick Gough: No; I do not send advance copies of my speeches to the editors of national newspapers. I do not set such high value on the remarks which I make. Joking apart, I know very well that the siting of new towns is a tremendous problem. Hon. Members on both sides have referred to this. Is it not time, therefore, for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government to talk to his...
Mr Frederick Gough: The hon. Lady asked me a question and then answered it at great length. Let me answer it in my own way. I did not say anything about the officials. I am not here referring to either party, but in local authority elections there would be the danger of someone saying independently of anyone else, "Vote for me and the rents will be reduced". It is obvious that there would be the danger of power...
Mr Frederick Gough: rose—
Mr Frederick Gough: The population is a very young one and I am glad to confirm the hon. Lady's figures.
Mr Frederick Gough: I am intensely interested in what the hon. Lady is saying on this point. It is a very human matter. It may help her to know that in Crawley, along with others, we have discussed this, and there the older people are only now beginning to come along. When at first the young people went there—and it was the young people—they tended to go back to their old homes every weekend because they...
Mr Frederick Gough: I did not take any contemptuous view. I said that I am always against concentration of power in too few hands. There would be far too much power if the affairs of a new town were put into local authority hands. That is all I said.
Mr Frederick Gough: The hon. Member has got this quite wrong. All I say is that this is a very large financial and national proposition in which the taxpayers' money is invested to the tune of over £500 million, and I do not think it right for that to be parcelled out to various towns. It belongs to all the taxpayers.
Mr Frederick Gough: May the record be put right? It is not a motorway yet. It is a dual carriageway, but we hope that it will be a motorway soon.
Mr Frederick Gough: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask whether we are on Second Reading or on Committee stage?
