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er facilities ling debate ament?
pinion that
ate to pro- sh-Helmets waiting a
n. Friend's am afraid ime for a the Sum-
right hon. he is mak- n Recess? lier about f the right an Oppo in, we will a discus-
down the the recess m grateful
what he He knows ays avail-
right hon. -when he ne before egislation ? Is he absolutely
no pros- time for 8 Session. ate Bills. I ask for ve all of up all of
Leader otion No. refugees reference onsibility ng Kong How
a state-
ight hon.
on this aste with
1621
Business of the House
8 MAY 1975
which Marxist refugees from Chile were welcomed here?
[That this House calls upon Her Majesty's Government to declare its readiness to welcome here at least as
many South Vietnamese refugees from Soviet inspired and supported Communist aggression from the north as have been allowed to enter the United Kingdom from Chile after the military coup there that toppled Allende's brutal Marxist régime, and thus show that Socialist political double standards so widely pre- valent in Great Britain today at least stop short of application when considerations of humanity are at stake.]
Mr. Short: Without commenting on the last part of the hon. Gentleman's ques- tion, I understand that the Home Secre- tary has replied to a Question on this matter today.
Mr. Cyril Smith: May I ask the Leader of the House if it is a fact that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has been appointed by the Cabinet to con- duct an inquiry into the textile industry? If this is so, what are his terms of refer- ence, when is he expected to report and when will the House be informed of his appointment?
Mr. Short: As the hon. Gentleman knows, the composition of Cabinet com- mittees is never made known.
Mr. Noble: Would my right hon. Friend note that his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ince (Mr. McGuire) will be disappointing to workers in the textile industry, especially his comment on retaliation? Would he note that the textile workers are beginning to retaliate and that workers in Accring- ton came out on strike yesterday in oppo- sition to the importation of foreign yarn? Will he also note that the situation in other industries, such as footware, is rapidly growing worse, and that there is evidence, which is accumulating, of dumping day by day? Will he give us a debate on international trade?
Mr. Short: I hope that my hon. Friend did not feel that I was treating this matter lightly. I agree that it is an extremely serious matter. All I am saying is that it is a very complex question for the Government. We are studying it actively and I hope to be able to say something on it before very long.
24 P 25
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Business of the House Mr. Kenneth Lewis: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the House and this country are being choked with legislation and that the country is in a mess? the interests of getting things right, will he withdraw some of the Bills that make
no contribution towards this situation?
In
Mr. Short: All our Bills are completely relevant to the problems of this country.
Mr. Roy Hughes: Does the Leader of the House appreciate that the failure of both the Government and the Opposition to provide time for a steel debate is bring- ing this House into disrepute? Thousands of redundancies are taking place, and outrageous statements are being made by Sir Monty Finniston. In addition, there is the information released today by the Heffer) about the effect of Common hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton (Mr. Market membership on the steel indus- try. Does he not agree that this matter is now urgent?
Mr. Short: I agree that it is urgent. I told the hon. Member-but he cannot have been listening-that there will be an opportunity immediately after the
recess
Mr. Hughes: That will be too late.
Mr. Short: -for a debate on this sub- ject. I said that if the House felt that a further opportunity was required, I would try to find time for a debate devoted exclusively to steel.
Mr. Alexander Fletcher: Would the Leader of the House say when we may have an opportunity to debate the motion Affairs? on the Standing Committee on Regoinal
Members of all parties would welcome Is he aware that many hon. this opportunity to take from the Floor of the House some business of a more local nature and would welcome this as a first step, perhaps, towards an English Parliament?
Mr. Short: Without commenting on the last few words, I agree with the rest of what the hon. Gentleman has said. I hope to find time in the near future for a debate on this motion.
Mr. Leslie Huckfield: Is my right hon. Friend aware that, despite the publica- tion of the Ryder Report by the Govern- ment, there are still grave uncertainties throughout the motor industry in this