Mr Iain Sproat: That was before my time. It is not my business to interfere in local authority matters. One thing that hon. Gentlemen opposite fail to realise is that we are not telling anybody to do anything. We are giving other people the power to do it if they want to. I made this point to the hon. Member for Oldham, East. If his lot are thrown out in May, which I hope they are, the new lot coming in will...
Mr Iain Sproat: That is a matter of opinion, but I advise the hon. Gentleman not to make it a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc. It does not mean that just because they were anti-comprehensive education they were thrown out. I think that the hon. Gentleman may get a big shock next May. Hon. Gentlemen opposite seem to hold the curious opinion that if everybody cannot have something, then nobody should have...
Mr Iain Sproat: I am very sorry if I have wronged the hon. Gentleman. I thought he said "Nonsense", but if he did not do so I apologise to him.
Mr Iain Sproat: It is certainly true to say that the non-fee-paying schools in Scotland give a very good education indeed. That has been admitted, although some disturbing things were said by the hon. Member for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles about this which I sincerely hope are not true in Edinburgh. They do give a good education, but it is also equally indisputable that fee-paying local authority schools...
Mr Iain Sproat: Not at all. This is a perfectly fair thing to say. Ask the Archbishop in Glasgow what he thinks about it.
Mr Iain Sproat: I think there is a difference of opinion between what you hold and what other hon. Members opposite hold in this matter.
Mr Iain Sproat: I apologise, Mr. Deputy Speaker. However, returning to the question of freedom of choice in education, I hope that my hon. Friend will confirm tonight that we on this side of the House believe that, within an acceptable educational framework, what we want to do is to give maximum choice to the parents and to exercise minimum compulsion by the Government. That is our maxim. That is what we...
Mr Iain Sproat: I agree with the implications of my hon. Friend's remark. It is a tragedy. In Aberdeen, we had, and thankfully still have, some of these splendid schools which were "mucked about" by the gentlemen of Aberdeen Town Council, of the same party as hon. Gentlemen opposite, who look like spoiling an excellent school with traditions long-rooted in Scotland's past, which has given great service to...
Mr Iain Sproat: I understand that it is a custom of the House that maiden speakers should pay a tribute to the Member who preceded them and say something about their constituency. I am happy to do this. My predecessor was Mr. Donald Dewar. I know that his reputation as a Member of Parliament in the constituency was as a man of industry, integrity and impartiality in dealing with the queries and problems of...
Mr Iain Sproat: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in view of the importance of a dual carriageway connecting Aberdeen with the Forth Road Bridge, and also with Stirling, whether he will give it priority in his roads programme over the period of this Parliament.
Mr Iain Sproat: Is my hon. Friend aware that there has already been considerable delay in getting on with this project? Can he give an assurance that he will exert the utmost pressure to ensure that there are no further delays? Is he aware that better communications are absolutely vital if we are to attract more industry to the North-East?
Mr Iain Sproat: asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for discussing the future of comprehensive education with local authorities, with particular regard to Aberdeen.
Mr Iain Sproat: Is my hon. Friend aware of the very great concern and apprehension felt by parents that in Aberdeen schools of the highest academic excellence are liable to be destroyed? Would he give an assurance that he will bring the greatest reasonable pressure to bear on local authorities to see that these schools are preserved for children of ability from every section of the community?
