In the House... Questions in the House of Commons 1997

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): I am sure that many people in Scarborough and Whitby, and indeed in the rest of the nation, will support the Government's intention to introduce legislation on foreign donations to political parties. Does my right hon. Friend agree that not only should the terms of reference--[Interruption.]

Madam Speaker: Order. All hon. Members who are on their feet will be heard. Others do not have to listen, but hon. Members who are speaking will be heard.

Mr. Quinn: Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Committee on Standards in Public Life should not only be given the widest terms of reference but be asked to deliver its deliberations at the earliest opportunity, not only from the point of view of the people in the country, but with the widest support of the House? [Laughter.]

The Prime Minister: Conservative Members may laugh, but they refused to have such an investigation when they were in power. We announced at the time of Sir Patrick Neill's appointment as successor to Lord Nolan that his remit would be extended to cover all aspects of party funding. I can confirm that we are asking Sir Patrick to consider the whole area of party funding: whether donors should be disclosed; whether the size of donations should be disclosed; whether there should be a limit on individual donations; whether there should be a limit on overall spending; and whether there should be different arrangements altogether, such as increased state funding. The investigation is long overdue; it is one that we urged in opposition, when the Conservative Government refused to have it. Sir Patrick Neill will be able to make his recommendations, and we will all then be playing on a level playing field.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress towards ensuring that all bridges within the United Kingdom meet maximum axle loading requirements for freight transported by road. [9380]

Ms Glenda Jackson: We are confident that all bridges in England carrying trunk roads will be capable of bearing the heaviest lorries that will be permitted from 1 January 1999. The Government do not believe that it is necessary for all bridges on local roads to be able to carry such traffic. Local authorities are concentrating on ensuring that bridges on roads of greatest importance to such lorries are able to bear them.

Mr. Quinn: I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I have spent most of my professional life building bridges. Does my hon. Friend agree that bridges are an important part of transportation and that the forthcoming review of transportation and the move towards an integrated transport system should take account of the needs of both freight and passenger traffic? Does she agree that all bridge authorities throughout the country should be allowed to participate fully in that debate?

Ms Jackson: My hon. Friend will be aware that it is the Government's overriding priority to see more freight moved by rail. That is why we hope to improve the freight grant scheme in order to ensure that the annual budget is fully spent. As part of the integration of the Departments of the Environment and of Transport, we hope that the planning regime will prevent the sale of land that could be used for freight terminal facilities.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Will my right hon. Friend please outline how he intends to consult communities in peripheral rural areas such as the North York moors and his own constituency in Cumbria before the proposed reforms come into effect?

Dr. Cunningham: My hon. Friends the Minister of State and the Parliamentary Secretary and my noble Friend in the other place are already involved in regional consultation on a regular basis, as are all right hon. and hon. Members. I can assure my hon. Friend that, having represented such a constituency for 27 years, I shall ensure that the voices of farmers in the hills, the dales and less-favoured areas are heard.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Will my right hon. Friend please outline how he intends to consult communities in peripheral rural areas such as the North York moors and his own constituency in Cumbria before the proposed reforms come into effect?

Dr. Cunningham: My hon. Friends the Minister of State and the Parliamentary Secretary and my noble Friend in the other place are already involved in regional consultation on a regular basis, as are all right hon. and hon. Members. I can assure my hon. Friend that, having represented such a constituency for 27 years, I shall ensure that the voices of farmers in the hills, the dales and less-favoured areas are heard.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made in setting up the food standards agency. [4931]

Dr. David Clark: We have consulted on the report from Professor James. I propose to make a statement before the summer recess, and it will include a summary of the responses. We aim to produce a White Paper in the autumn and will consult further on a draft Bill thereafter.

Mr. Quinn: I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. Although I am interested to hear of the progress on the timetable for the setting up of the food standards agency, will my right hon. Friend say something about any interim measures--[Interruption.]

Madam Speaker: Order. I have just called this House to order. Conversations are far too noisy. I can hear the hon. Gentlemen on the Bench behind the Member who is speaking. Settle down.

Mr. Quinn: Thank you, Madam Speaker. What interim measures does my right hon. Friend propose before he can set in motion the timetable that he outlined? On behalf of the pensioners in my constituency of Scarborough and Whitby, I can say that we urgently want a food standards agency. We want to know what interim measures are proposed.

Dr. Clark: My hon. Friend has raised a serious point. Clearly, it will be some time before the food standards agency is established. We have worked together to ensure that a whole raft of proposals will guarantee that food safety is improved as much as possible. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has established a food standards and safety group to bring together areas central to food standards and food safety issues within his Department--all, we hope, under one roof and one chain of command. Accordingly, the Department of Health is revising its codes of practice on inspections of premises and on the enforcement of food hazard warnings. I assure the House that we are considering a number of proposals to ensure that interim arrangements are in place to guarantee that we can, with confidence, recommend British food to British people.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): On behalf of the fishing communities of Scarborough and Whitby, it is important that we have broken the deadlock on this whole issue. The reason I am here to represent those communities is that the Conservative party failed to deliver the consultation that it long promised, and its many other promises to fishing communities in Scarborough and Whitby. I should like know in some detail what my right hon. Friend the Minister proposes to do about regional initiatives to ensure that we conserve fishing stock, and about taking a more global approach to ensure that we achieve regional solutions to regional problems. After all, fish do not know any boundaries.

Dr. Cunningham: My hon. Friend has the distinction of representing two fishing ports; most of us are lucky to represent one. I cannot give him the detail now about how we intend to develop our thinking on regional involvement. It is exactly for that reason that we want to begin talks with fishing community representatives. There would be little point in having talks if I were going there simply to impose on them a blueprint that we had already decided; but, again, I assure him that his constituents in Scarborough and Whitby will have every opportunity to be involved in those discussions.

Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for pensioners.[878]

The Secretary of State for Social Security and Minister for Women (Ms Harriet Harman): The Government will tackle poverty in retirement, and are determined that all pensioners shall share fairly in rising national prosperity.

Mr. Quinn: On behalf of my constituents in Scarborough and Whitby, I welcome my right hon. Friend to the Dispatch Box.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the work that needs to be done for pensioners throughout the country involves other Departments as well as hers? Should not all Departments pay due regard to the need for a national concessionary travel scheme for pensioners and the disabled? Certainly, one of the commitments that I made to the electorate in my constituency was that I would work in the House to bring about such a scheme and promote it.

Ms Harman: I welcome my hon. Friend to the House, where I know that he will be a champion of pensioners in Scarborough and Whitby. He has already made a number of proposals which my Department is considering, and I am happy to respond to his question about concessionary fares for pensioners on public transport.
Pensioners have retired from work, but they have not retired from life. It is important for all Departments to ensure that they have not only good incomes, but access to public transport. Many pensioners work for voluntary organisations and are an important part of the community, but they cannot perform such a role if they are isolated in their homes. Part of that isolation is due to inadequate incomes, and part is due to inability to travel--a subject that I am discussing with the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson).

Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO