Mr Ralph Howell: Can my hon. Friend give an assurance that the new authority will cost no more than the present one?
Mr Ralph Howell: Does my right hon. and learned Friend accept that we shall never solve this problem until we offer work at work centres, as was designed by Beveridge in his original proposals? Will he give serious consideration to the introduction of a universal workfare scheme?
Mr Ralph Howell: I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his statement. As he said, these obvious questions should have been asked all the way along. I urge him to progress further and to consider the introduction of a workfare system. That system has been very successful in many parts of the United States. It would provide work for those who genuinely want to work.
Mr Ralph Howell: I draw the attention of my right hon. Friend to a report in The Sun last week showing that a family of 13 was receiving something approaching £2,000 a week in benefits at the expense of the ratepayers and taxpayers. Is this not an appalling misappropriation of public funds? Will she give urgent consideration to putting a top limit of, say, £150 a week on what any family can receive in any...
Mr Ralph Howell: May I refer to the approach that has been made to my right hon. Friend by Sir Henry Plumb, the leader of the European Conservative parliamentary group, asking her to call a world food conference on the twin problems of embarrassing food surpluses in the Western world and starvation in the less developed countries? Will she give the House an assurance that she will take the lead and call...
Mr Ralph Howell: What is my right hon. Friends latest estimate of the saving that will accrue due to the passing of the Social Security Bill?
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that in my constituency, which has above average unemployment at almost 15 per cent., one of our biggest problems is the recruitment of labour? Is it not ironic that that should be the case when 3·3 million people are classified as claiming unemployment benefit, even though we know that many of them are not genuinely unemployed? Has my right hon. and...
Mr Ralph Howell: Does my right hon. Friend accept that one of the prime objectives of the Conservative Government in 1979 was to cut both taxation and public expenditure? May I draw his attention to the answer that he gave to me only a few days ago, which proves that public expenditure, in real terms, increased by 11 per cent. in 1984–85, and is forecast to be 8 per cent. above the 1979 level in 1985–86?...
Mr Ralph Howell: Bearing in mind the widespread reports that my right hon. Friend was highly impressed by the recent "Panorama" programme about workfare schemes in the United States, will she now set up a pilot workfare scheme with a view to a nation-wide workfare scheme for all able-bodied and long-term unemployed? Does she realise that such a scheme would make life difficult for hippy convoys, would make it...
Mr Ralph Howell: One wonders how the deputy Leader of the Opposition. the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley), had the nerve to come to the House and trot out the same old rubbish that has failed the Opposition in the past and will fail them again. I am not over-pleased with what I have heard in the debate so far. We have heard from the Government, from the official Opposition and...
Mr Ralph Howell: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Mr Ralph Howell: I shall support the Bill, but with considerable reluctance, because the Government have made a genuine effort to limit the ever increasing cost of the welfare system—I believe that that has to be done—and because the Opposition have shown no concept of responsibility and are constantly asking for more to be spent in every direction. It is no exaggeration to say that the cost of their...
Mr Ralph Howell: That is right. There is no reciprocity in the rest of Europe or anywhere else in the world. It is unacceptable to say that we have to have that arrangement merely because that is what we do for our own people. We must recognise that many people in this country are refusing work at £160 a week or more because they can be better off doing nothing. It is principally because of the unlimited...
Mr Ralph Howell: It will not surprise anyone in the House when I say that I do not intend to support the amendment, although the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) has raised a most important question about the proposals which were suddenly sprung upon us last week. My hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security should tell us whether the proposed cut will apply to the first six months of social...
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my right hon. Friend aware that public expenditure in South Korea accounts for 20 per cent. of GDP and that in this country it is 45 per cent.? South Korea has a thriving shipbuilding industry while ours is in a shambles. Will my right hon. Friend make that point to those of his right hon. Friends who want to increase public expenditure?
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my hon. Friend aware that he has convinced no one with his original answer? Why cannot the ban come into effect immediately?
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my right hon. Friend aware that that argument is convincing nobody? Indeed, I doubt whether he is convincing himself. What possible sense can there be in reducing prices, which will encourage every farmer in Europe to produce more cereals, while talking about a package of set-aside? Could he concentrate his mind on this subject and realise that only a mandatory set-aside throughout the...
Mr Ralph Howell: May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the outstanding part that she played in the success of the Tokyo summit and say how pleased I am that far greater prominence was given to the problems of agriculture than at any previous summit. May I tell my right hon. Friend that the present policy of cutting agricultural prices will fail, and urge her urgently to call a conference of all nations...
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my hon. Friend aware that his answer about the number of retired people included in the unemployment count is totally unsatisfactory? There is no sense in including such people in the figures. What plans has my hon. Friend for introducing a work test to establish exactly how many people are actively seeking work?
Mr Ralph Howell: Will my right hon. Friend explain what he has just said? If a tenant pays for 100 per cent. of the improvement, will he get 100 per cent. of that part of the quota?
