Mr Robert Maxwell: Further to the point of order. Was not my hon. Friend addressing himself to aircraft matters? It is true that he was discussing the Select Committee, Mr. Deputy Speaker, but he was surely in order to do so.
Mr Robert Maxwell: Before the hon. Gentleman leaves the TSR2—this aircraft would have cost several hundreds of millions of pounds to bring into service. I respect what the hon. Gentleman says because of his great experience. The aircraft had immense operational capability, but what aspect of defence expenditure would the hon. Gentleman have cut to have accommodated that £500 million or £600 million?
Mr Robert Maxwell: Was not one of the rockets inherited from the former Administration Blue Streak? Can my right hon. Friend say whether E.L.D.O. has now decided to purchase some of these rockets for the European launcher or not?
Mr Robert Maxwell: Will my right hon. Friend tell us whether the Secretary of State for Defence has considered his statement about a regrettable incident in Malaya and whether, in the light of his statement yesterday, he will issue a further statement either today or some time next week?
Mr Robert Maxwell: I agree wholeheartedly with the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro).
Mr Robert Maxwell: Having listened to the remarkable statistics of progress as presented to the House my hon. Friend the Minister of State in response to the non-facts presented by the Front Bench spokesman for the Opposition, I can only deplore, as I am sure will the whole country, that the instrument of censure should be so debased as it has been tonight in a Motion on such a deplorable basis and on which the...
Mr Robert Maxwell: Since the wording of the Motion does not specify smokeless fuel, could I have the advice of the Chair?
Mr Robert Maxwell: Is it not headed "Smokeless Zones and Pollution"? I am merely trying to bring to the notice of the House the terrible sufferings caused not just to constituents in my area, but to people all over the country because of industrial pollutants emitted by motor vehicles and industry.
Mr Robert Maxwell: Of course I accept your Ruling, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Mr Robert Maxwell: I accept your Ruling, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I hope that the Government have heard what the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South has said and will do something promptly to put the kind of arresters on the chimneys of the brick and cement works in my area. We should be eternally grateful if that were possible. I fear, however, that this is not likely to happen tomorrow. I conclude by appealing...
Mr Robert Maxwell: Has my hon. Friend, as a lawyer working in the newspaper industry, any concrete suggestions to make as to how the public could be protected against the kind of investigatory journalism which, by slander and innuendo, goes out in search of a story? What protection would he provide to the public where in such investigatory journalism a person is slandered and libelled? Since the law does not...
Mr Robert Maxwell: Before the hon. Gentleman leaves the principle which he objects to the Bill introducing for the first time into our laws—namely, a right of privacy directly instead of, as it has been, indirectly—would he not agree that the public are of the opinion that the right of privacy exists, but that the trouble is that that right has been given only so far in our legislation indirectly and that...
Mr Robert Maxwell: Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that, despite the many good reasons of State given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary for maintaining a supply of arms to the Federal forces of Nigeria, this country is urgently desirous that Her Majesty's Government do something about giving relief to Biafra? Will he not say, firmly, when the Government propose to answer the excellent...
Mr Robert Maxwell: No date.
Mr Robert Maxwell: Why has my right hon. Friend decided not to allow the Gas Council the right to go in for exploration overseas? Is he not aware that the battle for energy on national scales with nationalised companies is going on and that our competitors have nationalised companies? Will he not reconsider giving the Gas Council the same rights outside our territorial waters that he is now proposing to give...
Mr Robert Maxwell: I appreciate that the Minister was entirely right in providing public funds for this attempt to gain a foothold for the Beagle in an advanced market, but will he say what steps he is taking, in consultation with his European colleagues, about the possibility of their joining in saving Beagle as a European company? Furthermore, in the light of Beagle's future, what steps is he taking to...
Mr Robert Maxwell: Will my right hon. Friend consider bringing in legislation to prevent the rise in the numbers of people abandoning their parents at a cost to the public purse? In particular, will he consider introducing legislation so that when children do abandon their parents some of their wages can be attached for assistance, instead of allowing these people to fall as a burden on the public purse?
Mr Robert Maxwell: Will my right hon. Friend tell the House whether the restric- tions imposed by the Treasury on local authority borrowing overseas has anything to do with the advice tendered to the Bank of England and the Treasury by merchant banks which are attempting to regulate themselves so as to prevent so many local authorities from getting into the queue for borrowing?
Mr Robert Maxwell: I congratulate my right hon. Friend on this good progress report on public sector purchasing. Although it is not exciting, it is a vital issue for British industry. Will public sector co-ordinating be under the Treasury? Will there be a more interventionist policy in future than there has been in the past? Finally, have Treasury directives to Departments of State about purchasing been amended...
Mr Robert Maxwell: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker.
