CLASS Z RESERVE (DEFERMENTS) (Hansard, 13 June 1951)

§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Strachey)
With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I should like to answer Question No. 102.
I have now decided that, if Class Z reservists who can furnish evidence that their wives are expecting their first babies within the period for which they are due to be called up apply to the appropriate Record Office, the date of their call up will be altered or, if this should not be possible, their call up will be cancelled. This is a new decision, and Z reservists whose appeal on these grounds has been disallowed should re-apply. This decision will, of course, apply to Mr. Spence and Mr. Gee.

§ Earl Winterton
On a point of order. I should like to seek your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, on a matter which, I think, is of some importance. In seeking your Ruling I do not imply any criticism of the Chair; but what is the proper procedure when a Member or a Minister thinks it desirable that a Question should be answered? What is the criterion? For example, suppose one of us has a Question which is 2306 not reached, have we the right to come to you and ask that it shall be answered? I do not remember this system by which Ministers get up and state "With permission, I will answer this Question, which has not been reached." Possibly you can given consideration to this matter, and give a considered Ruling for the future?

§ Mr. Speaker
I will, but my impression for the moment is that the Minister is entirely responsible. However, I will look it up and make certain.

§ Earl Winterton
Yes, but with great respect, Sir—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] I am perfectly entitled to seek this guidance. It affects the privileges of the House. May I say, Mr. Speaker, that I hope that, in giving consideration to the matter, you will have regard to the fact that in the past Ministers have not been the judges, so far as I am aware, of whether, when a Question has not been reached, it should be answered or not? It seems to me to introduce a slightly dangerous principle.

§ Mr. Speaker
I will consider it, but that was my impression. Anyhow, I can look into it.

Mr. Silverman
Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the new decision which he has announced in the answer that he has just given will be welcomed, I think, by every Member of the House and by the country at large as removing what has become—in a small number of cases—a serious grievance that has been causing a good deal of hardship? Will he bear in mind that the decision will be gratefully accepted by the country? May I also ask—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—whether, in the cases of the two persons who are named in the Question it will be necessary for them to make a new application, or whether their notices—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] I want to ask my right hon. Friend whether, in the cases of the two people who are named in the Question, it will be necessary for them to make a new application, or whether their call-up notices—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—will be cancelled? [Interruption.]
On a point of order. I am anxious to ask the Secretary of State a question which, I think, is an important one. I am anxious that you, Mr. Speaker, shall hear what it is, and I am anxious that my right hon. Friend shall hear, so that he will be able to answer. Is there any way 2307 of preventing this constant background of muttering intervention, which is as harmful to the House as it is evidence of the consistently bad manners of the Opposition?

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Gentleman is slightly provocative in his statement. [An HON. MEMBER: "What about Members opposite?"] Yes, I know. I hope the hon. Gentleman will be as short as possible in asking his question because—

Mr. Silverman rose
—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order! I am still on my feet; and the hon. Gentleman must wait, for I have not stopped talking. Let me tell the House that there are two Private Notice Questions to come, that then there is to be a statement by the Colonial Secretary, and that then there is a Private Notice Question to me after that, so that it will be some time before we get to the Orders of the Day.

Mr. Silverman
Further to that point of order. The only reason why my question seems unduly long, Sir, is that, so far, I have had to repeat it three times without being able to conclude it. I now propose to ask it again and I shall go on asking it until it can be heard.

§ Mr. Speaker
We must be reasonable about this matter. The hon. Gentleman says, "I shall go on asking it until I get an answer," but, after all, I have to keep order. I quite understand that the hon. Member is also a little annoyed at the interruptions he has had. I am asking the House to get on with business quickly.

Mr. Silverman
What I said was that I shall ask my question as soon as it can be heard, and not before. I am asking my right hon. Friend whether, in the case of the two people mentioned in the Question, they must renew their applications or whether, in the procedure he announced when he gave his answer, their call-up notices will be automatically cancelled.

§ Mr. Strachey
I think they had better apply, like everyone else.

§ Commander Noble
Would it not have saved a great deal of time if the right hon. Gentleman had given a Written answer to this Question and left the rest to his public relations officer?

§ Mr. Strachey
I considered that as this was a new decision which applied retrospectively to a certain number of cases that have already been turned down it was important that it should get the maximum attention.

§ Miss Bacon
Would my right hon. Friend consider extending this decision to apply in the case of children other than the first, having regard to the fact that where there are other young children in the house there is considerable hardship?

§ Mr. Strachey
All these cases are, of course, considered on their merits on compassionate grounds if there is difficulty in looking after the children, but I do not think we can extend this decision as a principle to other cases.