§ 50. Mr. LESLIE SCOTTasked the Prime Minister whether he will take the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown as to whether the Home Secretary, representing the central executive Government, is ultimately responsible to this House for the maintenance of due law and order in this country; and, if the Law Officers are of opinion that the Home Secretary is not so responsible, whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that, in this case, the executive Government may be made responsible to Parliament, in accordance with the general principles of the Constitution?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs I have every reason to know that the Lord Chancaller and the Attorney-General concur in the statement of the law which I made last week, I see no ground for such a reference, nor for such a change in the law as is suggested in the second part of the question.
§ Mr. STUART WORTLEYCan the right hon. Gentleman cite any judgment of the Courts of Law, any passage in a text book or any previous declaration of a responsible Minister in support of his doctrine?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI cannot answer without notice, but I am perfectly certain my statement is correct, and I am borne out by the highest legal authority.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYAre we to take the right hon. Gentleman's statement the other day to mean that the Home Secretary is not more responsible than any other Minister for law and order except in the Metropolitan area?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, my statement must be taken in the words in which I expressed it and none other.
§ Mr. CASSELDoes the right hon. Gentleman say the Home Secretary is not responsible to this House for the preservation of law and order in the United Kingdom?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI must refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to what I said last week.