HC Deb 25 May 1944 vol 400 cc932-4
Mr. Arthur Greenwood

May I ask the Leader of the House if he will state the Business to be taken on the resumption?

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Eden)

Yes, Sir.

Tuesday, 6th June.—Supply: Committee (8th Allotted Day). A Debate will take place on Colonial Affairs.

Wednesday, 7th June.—Supply: Committee (9th Allotted Day). A Debate will take place on the Location of Industry.

Thursday, 8th June.—Committee, and, if agreeable to the House, remaining stages of the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Bill. Motion to approve the Fish Sales {Charges) Order.

Friday, 9th June.—Supply: Committee (10th Allotted Day). The Ministry of Food Vote will be considered.

Mr. Greenwood

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in view of the fact that the White Paper on Full Employment will be out to-morrow, he will make arrangements for a full and adequate discussion of it as soon as possible?

Mr. Eden

Certainly the House might like a full and adequate discussion, but I think they would also like a bit of time to study the proposal. I was not proposing, anyhow, to put it down this week.

Sir Percy Harris

In the Debate on the Location of Industry, can my right hon. Friend indicate whether, in addition to the President of the Board of Trade, who, I understand, is to take part, the Minister of Town and Country Planning will also be present?

Mr. Eden

He will be present, but whether he will take part or not I cannot say.

Mr. W. J. Brown

May I ask the Leader of the House whether he has considered the request made by the Leader of the Labour Party a fortnight ago—and by the Leader of my party—for an early Debate on the issue of equal pay in the public service?

Mr. Eden

Since that event, the Government have announced their decision to set up a Royal Commission.

Mr. Brown

This request was made after that announcement was made to the House, and the Deputy Prime Minister, who was speaking for the right hon. Gentleman, on that date, undertook to give consideration to the matter. I wonder what was the upshot of that consideration.

Mr. Eden

I have not given the consideration to it that I should no doubt have given in the interval, but I should think, speaking without notice, that it would not be very useful to have a Debate of this kind now that we have set up a Royal Commission.

Mr. Muff

In view of the fact that the Town and Country Planning Bill was to have been put on the Paper to-day and given the First Reading and that that has not been done, can the right hon. Gentleman say when we may expect to see that Bill in print?

Mr. Eden

I did know that notice had been given of the First Reading of the Bill, to withdraw it. It may be that further improvements can be made—as the Government are always anxious to do, before they present work to the Ho use.

Sir I. Fraser

May I ask my right hon. Friend if, in considering the Supply Days for the period between Whitsun and the Summer Recess, he will allot one of those Supply days to the Vote of the Ministry of Pensions?

Mr. Eden

I will certainly bear that in mind.

Sir Irving Albery

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will bear in mind a request which has been made by a number of hon. Members for a day to debate the detention of an hon. Member of this House? If he is unable to state now when such a Debate will take place, will he endeavour to fix a date as soon as possible?

Mr. Eden

I did say that I would bear that in mind but I am not in position to fix a date at the present time.

Captain Peter Macdonald

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman in connection with the Debate on Colonial Affairs, in view of the very wide field that has to be covered, and the importance of the subject, whether he will consider giving another day later on, for a discussion of special area Colonial Affairs, since one day is not enough?

Mr. Eden

I would rather see the way in which we discuss the matter first; we can always make subsequent arrangements.

Sir William Davison

On the point raised by the hon. Member for Gravesend (Sir I. Albery) as to fixing a day for a Debate on the detention of an hon. Member, having regard to the fact that the hon. Member in question has now been detained for over four years, and in particular bearing in mind the change of circumstances which has since occurred, is it not a matter of urgency that this matter should be discussed by the House without delay?

Mr. Eden

I have taken note of what my hon. Friends have said, and I have said that I will make arrangements. What I said I could not do was to give a date now.