§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Stafford Cripps)I beg to move,
That a Select Committee be appointed to consider His Majesty's Most Gracious Message of the 18th day of this instant November relating to Provision for Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, R.N., on the occasion of their marriage, and to the Civil List and other matters connected therewith.The House has already expressed to Their Majesties the King and Queen, and to Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth, their loyal congratulations on the marriage of Her Royal Highness to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten which is to be celebrated tomorrow.The House will recall that provision for maintaining the honour and dignity of the Crown and for the Royal Family was made by the Civil List Act of 1937 on the recommendation of the Select Committee of this House. In their Report, the Select Committee, after making certain recommendations regarding the provision for Princess Elizabeth, said this:
Your Committee have made no recommendation for any special provision for Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth in the event of her marriage because they are of the opinion that it would be for Parliament to make such provision as may seem proper at that time in the light of the circumstances then prevailing.In the Gracious Message which I delivered to the House yesterday, His Majesty has shown himself, as always, very conscious of the difficulties of his people and, while asking the House to give consideration to the provision to be made for the Princess Elizabeth on her marriage, has offered to make available a sum derived from savings on the Civil List made during the war years, in order that for a period the provision made for the Princess should impose no additional charge on public funds.I am sure that this House will deeply appreciate His Majesty's recognition of our present economic troubles and the generous and characteristic offer that he 1150 has made of assistance. It is not for me, I think, to say any more at this stage. In accordance with precedent, the Gracious Message should be referred to a Select Committee, and I hope that any further discussion of this matter may be deferred until that Committee has reported. I accordingly recommend this Motion to the House.
§ Mr. Eden (Warwick and Leamington)I desire briefly to associate my right hon. and hon. Friends on this side of the House with all that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has said and with the proposal he has made. I only desire to add that we all feel that this characteristically generous offer of His Majesty is fully in temper with the lead that has always been given to the country in times of difficulty by our Royal House.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§
Resolved:
That the Committee have power to examine all witnesses who voluntarily appear before them and to report their observations to the House:
That the Committee do consist of Twenty-one Members:
That the Prime Minister, Sir John Anderson, Mr. Benson, Mr. Butcher, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Churchill, Miss Colman, Mr. Corlett, Mr. Clement Davies, Mr. Eden, Mr. Foot, Mr. Arthur Greenwood, Mr. Howard, Mr. Kirkwood, Mr. Lawson, Mr. McGhee, Sir Hugh O'Neill, Mr. Scott-Elliot, Mr. Stanley, Mr. Maurice Webb, and Earl Winterton be Members of the Committee:
That Five be the Quorum.