53. Captain FABERasked the Prime Minister whether he is going to propose a measure for the Disestablishment of the Church of England, and, if so, when?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer is in the negative.
65. Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich)asked if the Chancellor of the Exchequer was expressing the views of the Cabinet as a whole in stating in a recent speech that the question of dealing with the Established Church in England would be considered in certain events: if he was authorised to suggest a bargain in the matter and to intimate that drastic measures would be applied to the English Church if the Government's Welsh Church policy was frustrated; and to what extent the grounds for dealing with the English Church are regarded by the Government as dependent on the passage of the Established Church (Wales) Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy right hon. Friend tells me that he made no such speech. He was reported to have made certain observations with regard to the Established Church in England in the course of a conversation, but the report, 37 he tells me, is absolutely inaccurate, and it shows the inadvisability of departing from the rule of not giving publicity in the Press to statements alleged to have been made in the course of private conversation.