Hon. Anthony Berry: Nonsense.
Hon. Anthony Berry: I beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion.
Hon. Anthony Berry: The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (Mr. Anthony Berry) reported Her Majesty's Answer to the Address, as follows:
Hon. Anthony Berry: Mr. Anthony Berry (Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household) indicated dissent.
Hon. Anthony Berry: Will the Minister give the House a little more detail about the date? We in inner London are anxious to know about it as soon as possible.
Hon. Anthony Berry: Is the Minister aware that we are intrigued by the Liberal interest in London, considering that we debated London affairs from half-past eight last night until four o'clock this morning without one Liberal Member being present? Will he bear in mind further that problems in inner London can result in even more problems in outer London? Will he do all he can to speed up progress with the M25...
Hon. Anthony Berry: I am sure that we are all grateful to my hon. Friend for referring to so many hon. Members who have taken part in this debate, but I should like to express my surprise at the absence of the hon. Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Davies), who was one of the 22 Labour Members who entered the Ballot for the debate in which we are now taking part. I am wondering why he is not here, but since he is...
Hon. Anthony Berry: I was fascinated by the argument of the hon. Member for Swansea, East (Mr. Anderson). He seemed to follow his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in suggesting that in a period leading up to a General Election—obviously that can be a year or two years—no Opposition party should discuss any subject in the House or outside which could in any way be considered as electioneering or as being...
Hon. Anthony Berry: If the Government Whip wishs to interrupt me from a standing position, I shall give way to him. I am concerned about the strength of the Metropolitan Police. It is not the point to look back to 1974 and to say that its numbers are now greater. The fact is that the Metropolitan Police is now 20 per cent. under strength. It is extremely worrying that last year 2,072 officers left the force....
Hon. Anthony Berry: Can the Minister give us a breakdown of the figures for the Metropolitan Police? Is it not a fact that more of the senior officers are leaving the force at a younger age than he has suggested?
Hon. Anthony Berry: I opened my remarks to the Parliament of Grenada by commenting that being the deputy leader of a delegation does not of itself suggest a position of importance, whether one is in front or behind. But on this occasion it was, because to be entrusted with the task of representing this Parliament in another Parliament is something that is very special. To go from the Mother of Parliaments to a...
Hon. Anthony Berry: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Hon. Anthony Berry: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Hon. Anthony Berry: Will the hon. Gentlemen give way?
Hon. Anthony Berry: My hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Mr. Jessel) has spoken with great sincerity and in a very special way. I am sure that the Minister will take seriously what he said, because he knows my hon. Friend's depth of feeling on the subject. I feel that I am almost a founder member of the club which debates this subject, having taken part in the one in November 1968 and again last year. It...
Hon. Anthony Berry: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You will have observed that the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr. Bidwell), who was not prepared to give way to me, has been talking nonstop throughout the speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young).
Hon. Anthony Berry: I have been close to the Bill in the last months and I must express my utter disgust at the way in which the Government are leaving the industry in a state of such confusion and doubt. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) for the way in which he has led our team. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King) upon whom much of the...
Hon. Anthony Berry: The hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone would not have expressed a view either way in his manifesto and he is therefore free to vote with a clear conscience. But the Minister claims that all hon. Members on his side of the House expressed their support for the nationalisation of ship repairing in their manifestos. That is not the case. The House of Lords has acted again in the true...
Hon. Anthony Berry: I think not.
Hon. Anthony Berry: I shall give way later, but first I must answer the Minister of State. Since voters in the conurbations tend to vote the same way, the Minister of State might reflect that in Lambeth the swing to the Conservatives was 14·3 per cent. and he would lose his seat if the swing at Manchester, Ardwick was 12·1 per cent.
