Morris, Alfred, b 1928

Born 1928; educated Ruskin College and St Catherine's College, Oxford University, and the University of Manchester; former schoolmaster and university lecturer; parliamentary candidate (Labour & Co-op), Liverpool Garston 1951; Labour MP, Manchester Wythenshawe 1964-1997; Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1964-1967, and the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons 1968-1970; Member, General Advisory Council of the BBC, 1968-1974 and 1983-1997; Chairman, Parliamentary Labour Party Food and Agriculture Group 1971-1974 (vice chm 1970-1971); Britain's first minister for the disabled 1974-1979; Chairman, World Planning Group (appointed to draft Charter for the 1980s for disabled people worldwide) 1979-1980; Opposition front bench spokesman on social services 1970-1974 and 1979-1981, and for the disabled, 1981-1992; Chairman, Co-operative Parliamentary Group, 1982-1984; Chairman, Anzac Group of MPs and Peers, 1982-1997 (President 1997-); Joint Treasurer, British-American Parliamentary Group 1983-1997; piloted Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970) through Parliament as a private member, also the Food and Drugs (Milk) Act (1970) and the Police Act (1972); first recipient of Field Marshal Lord Harding Award for distinguished service to the disabled, 1971; Louis Braille Memorial Award for outstanding services to the blind, 1972; Trustee, Crisis at Christmas and Earl Snowdon's Fund for Handicapped Students; Chairman, Managing Trustees of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme, and the House of Commons Members' Fund 1983-1997; appointed to Select Committee on Privileges, 1994-1997; President, Co-op Congress 1995; President, Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists 1998; Chairman, Haemophilia Society, 1999. Publications: The growth of Parliamentary scrutiny by Committee (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1970); Needs before means: an exposition of the underlying purposes of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970 (Co-operative Union, Manchester, 1971); No feet to drag: report on the disabled (Sidgwick and Jackson, London, 1972).