Mr Patrick Wall: I hope that my right hon. Friend the Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell) will forgive me if I do not follow him in his important constitutional point, which he understands thoroughly and I do not. The hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) acknowledged the speed of the Government's action. The basis of his speech was that the restructuring funds should be spent not only on vessels but on...
Mr Patrick Wall: I was including the EEC grant. I gather, however, that I am wrong and that, broadly speaking, the total sum available will be £85 million. That is a large sum. Now that we are building much smaller vessels, that should cover the restructuring of the fleet. I need not comment on statutory instrument No. 1879. My right hon. Friend the Member for Down, South dealt adequately with that....
Mr Patrick Wall: Does that include the Falkland Islands?
Mr Patrick Wall: I add my congratulations to the Minister on achieving at last a sensible common fisheries policy. Will he use his influence on the EC to initiate swap deals with other countries, which could save what remains of the deep-water fleet?
Mr Patrick Wall: I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman. One of the difficulties is that of deciding how far back to go with the redundancy payments. As he said, the disaster for the port of Hull has extended over many years. If we considered redundancies up to seven years ago, the sum of money involved would be substantial.
Mr Patrick Wall: At the beginning of his rather lengthy speech the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) pointed out that this debate would be important in relation to the meeting of Ministers on 12 December. That is true. My right hon. Friend has made many important statements tonight. I am sure that the distant water and in the inshore sections of the industry will both welcome them. I should...
Mr Patrick Wall: The hon. Gentleman has said much about the problems of Hull and the deep-water fleet. He will appreciate that the real key is that the decommissioning money must be available this year as it is based on the 1982 catching capacity. If I understood correctly, that is exactly what the Minister said would be done.
Mr Patrick Wall: I am happy to speak after the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy). He and I had a happy relationship when he spoke from the Government Bench and I was speaking from the Opposition Front Bench, and also in the North Atlantic Assembly, where I am the leader and he is the deputy leader. I agree with him to the extent that the 1981 cuts were a disgrace, and I hope that we shall...
Mr Patrick Wall: Is my hon. Friend aware that the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Duffy) and I recently toured the Atlantic bases, and on each occasion we were told that there were insufficient assets to carry out the tasks that he enumerated? Why does my hon. Friend's statement therefore talk about reducing our frigate force in future years?
Mr Patrick Wall: Have not SACLANT and CINCMAN said that they are desperately short of maritime patrol aircraft? How do the Government intend to rectify that deficiency together with their allies?
Mr Patrick Wall: Is it not unlikely that the Soviet Union will negotiate seriously at either the INF talks or the mutual and balanced force reduction talks until the cruise missiles are deployed, after which we may expect serious negotiations?
Mr Patrick Wall: asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now consider replacing the present rating system by a poll tax.
Mr Patrick Wall: I appreciate that the Government will act to deter excessive rate increases, but does my right hon. Friend agree that that will do nothing to remove the basic unfairness of the present system whereby the occupants of one house may have three incomes, while another house, with a similar rateable value, may be occupied by a pensioner? What will my right hon. Friend do about that unfairness?
Mr Patrick Wall: Is not the most fundamental issue in the defence of the Falklands the provision of a new airfield? When will that decision be made?
Mr Patrick Wall: asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will report the progress of the design for the type 23 frigate.
Mr Patrick Wall: Will my hon. Friend at least assure the House that those vessels will be armed with both surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles as well as the helicopter and towed arrays? Are the lightweight Sea Dart and the lightweight Sea Wolf being considered for those vessels?
Mr Patrick Wall: As there is a grave shortage of escort vessels, will my right hon. Friend undertake not to scrap, but to mothball, frigates until the type 23 frigates are in commission?
Mr Patrick Wall: Are not the Labour party's continued attacks on NATO allies to be deplored? Is it not a fact that the Turkish Government have restored law and order in that country and are now moving rapidly towards parliamntary and democratic government?
Mr Patrick Wall: The Bill has the support of the Opposition and is desired by the fishing industry. That being so, I shall keep my remarks short. First, the Bill refers to areas specified by order. Which waters does my right hon. Friend the Minister have in mind—the exclusive British six miles, the 12 miles, the 50 miles or 200 miles?
Mr Patrick Wall: The 12 miles or the six miles?
