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Summer Adjournment

I am sorry that the letter has not arrived. I hope that the Deputy Leader of the House has taken that on board, and that her assistants are dealing with it. The hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) spoke about drugs and their impact on the global market. I am sure that all of us in the Chamber are familiar with the distress and havoc that drugs cause, as a result of people coming to see us in our surgeries, and from the letters that we receive. The hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) raised the issue of the closure of a 24-hour clinic for mentally ill people, an issue that causes much concern. Mental illness carries an undue stigma, and it is right that we raise the issue as often as possible, so that we can get rid of that stigma. The hon. Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) gave a learned speech about local education. It is noteworthy that he spoke of the interaction between all the schools in Norwich. Long may his local schools continue to flourish. We then heard a passionate speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing, West (Peter Bottomley), who raised the important matter of British citizens in Australia not getting what can be called a fair pension. I very much hope that the Deputy Leader of the House took those arguments on board and that she will relay them to the relevant Minister. I wish my hon. Friend well in his campaign to get clemency for Krishna Maharaj on his visit to the United States during the recess. The hon. Members for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) and for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) both made eloquent speeches on the need for a referendum on the European treaty. I was struck by the point made by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston when she rightly pointed out that the issue concerns not just a small number of people, but many throughout the country. My hon. Friend the Member for Orpington (Mr. Horam) spoke about Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust and the revelation of an £87 million deficit. That is an extremely serious matter, and I wish him and his community well in their efforts to resolve it expeditiously. My hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess), a regular attender at Adjournment debates, spoke of the breakdown in British society. He was right to point out that the new Prime Minister cannot distance himself from the problems that have emerged over the past 10 years, because he has been closely involved in the running of the country over the past decade. The hon. Member for Glasgow, North-West (John Robertson) raised a number of topics, including community initiatives. He highlighted the good work being carried out by Insight Radio for blind and partially sighted people, a group which is extremely vulnerable in our society. I am sure they welcome all that the radio does for them. The hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) spoke of the need for more council houses. Regrettably, I must inform him that in every year of the past decade less social housing has been built than in every year of the preceding Government. The hon. Member for Hove (Ms Barlow) brought a light touch and a slightly happier tone to the debate by giving a big welcome to the new stadium for Brighton and Hove Albion. I am sure that all the supporters locally will join in those congratulatory messages. The hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) made an argument that comes regularly from Opposition Members about the importance of police officers being present on the street in greater numbers, rather than sitting at desks writing reams of forms. I hope that his point will add to the argument about police officers on our streets. The hon. Member for Keighley (Mrs. Cryer) dealt with the breaches of electoral law—again, a matter that concerns many in the Chamber—and what happens at local elections. She made a valid point about the need to ensure that there is proper training for returning officers and all their officials who look after elections in our constituencies. My hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink), despite having lost his voice, made an enthusiastic speech. As usual, he covered a number of local issues. On the national level he was very serious, and I am sure we share his concern, about the threat to palliative care. We wish him well in his campaign. The hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd) spoke about, among other things, the inaccurate bills and material received by consumers of British Gas. That is a serious matter which affects consumers of other utility companies as well. I wish him well in dealing with his constituents, and I hope that utility companies throughout the country will take note that the complaint is not confined to British Gas. My hon. Friend the Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) spoke in his first recess Adjournment debate, and what a welcome contribution it was, if I may say so. He drew attention to the closure of the GP service in one of his villages, a service that has existed for some 100 years. I hope that the dispute between the two health authorities will be resolved quickly, because people are suffering as a consequence of the failure to arrive at a solution. The hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones) spoke about a number of issues. He raised several serious questions concerning the relationship between council officials and a private company. I believe that some serious answers are required, and I hope that he receives them. The hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy) discussed access to free banking, which many people, particularly in rural areas, obtain through their local post offices. Many rural people are suffering in all sorts of ways with the decline in any number of other services. I hope that the Deputy Leader of the House has taken that point on board and that she will relay it to the relevant Minister. The hon. Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) made his speech in his inimitable style. He raised the serious issue of access for disabled people at Tilbury railway station. I wish him well for his constituents, and that important point needs to be taken on board by railway companies throughout the country. My hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) discussed the enormous difficulty and misery that many of his constituents are experiencing as a result of the flooding that has affected so many people throughout the country. The flooding will, of course, mean costly reparations for both infrastructure and people’s houses and valuables. I think that hon. Members agree that it should be a priority when the House returns after the recess to have a debate in Government time on the lessons to be learned, so that in the event of a threat of future floods, we can avoid the damage and destruction that has occurred on this occasion. Finally, despite being deprived of his full quota of speaking time, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) eloquently put forward all that he had to say. He discussed the noise and disturbance caused by aircraft flying in and out of East Midlands airport. Those of us who are fortunate enough not to live or work in areas where aircraft fly overhead sometimes underestimate the distress that aircraft can cause to those who have to put up with regular noise. The campaign will not be easy, but I know that he is a doughty campaigner on the issue. I wish him well and hope that there will be a resolution that brings a bit of peace to all those concerned. All that remains for me to do is to wish all hon. Members and you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, a happy, peaceful and restful recess. I want to extend that wish to all the staff of the House and particularly to the security staff, who in these difficult times do so much to ensure that we can carry on living, working and trying to look after the interests of all whom we serve.