Mr Alastair Harrison: Does my right hon. Friend realise that this assistance to the university is about one-third—or even less—of what is going to the University of Papua and New Guinea?
Mr Alastair Harrison: When the Secretary of State introduced this Bill he said that it was not a long Bill but that it was an important Bill. I think that the debate so far has shown that people do regard it as an important Bill for the simple reason that it deals with people, and very often people who are not as fortunate as the general run of members of the community. However, over the last few months or...
Mr Alastair Harrison: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it right that such an important debate should proceed with fewer than 40 Members present?
Mr Alastair Harrison: I find myself largely in agreement with many of the things that the Minister has said. For my part, I regard the run-down in our forces as having started with the 1956–57 White Paper. Our national defence policy has staggered disastrously from then on. We have not had a really constructive Minister of Defence since Lord Head was at the Ministry, and he refused to carry on when Mr. Macmillan...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I am grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention, because I think that that figure of 120,000 will now be proved to be the correct one. We got a figure of just over 165,000 and that was arrived at by statisticians, but not by any basic method of working out the balance required. Today, we have got down to an even lower figure as the one we are likely to get. Then there has been the other...
Mr Alastair Harrison: That observation is not in the least incompatible with what I was saying, which was that an American and British presence throughout the world had been largely responsible for keeping many sea lanes open. They have inter-reacted on each other to achieve that end. Whether or not we like it, we have certain Commonwealth commitments as a result of undertakings given by us. If we are to keep our...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I want to support Amendment No. 45. My reason for doing so is very logical, and perhaps I should declare my interest in that I am a nurseryman importing root stocks, buds, eye slips and some graft-wood. The reason such items are imported at present is that nurserymen are striving to substitute them for finished products which would have to be imported at a very much higher price. Taking, for...
Mr Alastair Harrison: Can the hon. Gentleman guarantee that nursery-men's bank managers will be prepared and permitted to advance the necessary money to cover the import levy?
Mr Alastair Harrison: I and other hon. Members are grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Rye (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine) for bringing up this matter. I have had the privilege of visiting the Pacific territories as often as any hon. Member and I hope to be there again during the next few weeks. In fact some records put me still as being in Fiji. Those of us who have seen the dedicated way in which officers are...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I do not think that there is anyone in the House who has not a great deal of sympathy for the right hon. Gentleman the Minister of Health, who finds himself in such a dilemma. He has frequently come out against the introduction of any form of charges on the National Health Service and now finds himself having to decide either to cut the Service in other directions or reintroduce prescription...
Mr Alastair Harrison: Perhaps the hon. Gentleman is telepathic, because the other exciting thing in my knowledge which has happened in my area is that I have seen long-stay mental patients becoming part of the community again because so much progress has been made. There are certain types of mental illness that should probably be included amongst the exemptions. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for pulling me...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I am glad of this opportunity to give a few reasons why we should receive statements on various matters either before we adjourn or immediately we return. I am pleased to see the Patronage Secretary in his place, because in his combined rôle of Deputy Leader of the House and Patronage Secretary he may recognise his responsibilities to the House and accept the request of most hon. Members,...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I thought that a week was seven days, and it seems to me that the Recess will be a little longer than that. Before we went away would be a suitable time to have a statement on rural transport, which is very necessary if we are to remain healthy as a country. For those reasons, and because of the complete disarray in which we find the organisation of Government, which must be clarified very...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I think that attention should be drawn to the fact that in so important a debate concerning a basic foodstuff there is no representative of the Ministry of Food here to look after the interests of the Department, unless the Secretary of State for Scotland has a watching brief on behalf of the English Department. However, having heard him complain bitterly at other times where there has been...
Mr Alastair Harrison: It is extremely important that the Minister directly responsible should be here. [HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."] Furthermore, it is equally surprising that we have not had any contribution from that Department. I am, however, delighted to see that the Minister directly responsible for sport should be present, because I am sure that he will be able to contribute to the queries which have been raised...
Mr Alastair Harrison: I am grateful to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Ryan) for giving me the opportunity to explain why I was absent from the Committee for only two hours during the whole of this debate. I was in very much earlier, but I was called away on some constituency points. That does not alter the fact that no case has been made for not giving free school milk to this group of children. I very much...
Mr Alastair Harrison: In view of the lack of time, I will not delay the House and, for this reason, I will not comment on the interesting points made by the hon. Lady the Member for Eton and Slough (Miss Lestor). I appreciate that ever since she became an hon. Member she has stressed the importance of the topic she raised. I hope that she will forgive me for not commenting on it. The Bill has been described...
Mr Alastair Harrison: Is my hon. Friend advocating discrimination against Commonwealth migrants as opposed to aliens coming into this country?
Mr Alastair Harrison: Is not the hon. Gentleman aware of the extremely good scheme that is evolving in the Broads whereby a commission has been set up by the two local county councils, with the help of the Sports Council and various other bodies, in order to develop and ensure that the maximum use can be made of this very valuable area?
Mr Alastair Harrison: In the few minutes left to me I am afraid that I shall introduce a rather discordant note into this debate. I think it is tragic that so little is to be done by this Bill. My hon. Friend the Member for Gains-borough (Mr. Kimball) mentioned several matters which have been recommended previously and which he felt should be implemented. The way in which the whole thing has been handled shows a...
