ENEMY AIR RAIDS. (Hansard, 10 July 1917)

§ Mr. BILLING
I ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, to call attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "the lack of defence of England against enemy air raids, as proved by last Saturday's air raid over London."

§ Mr. SPEAKER
That is a matter which was discussed last night.

§ Mr. BILLING
The Prime Minister told us last night that if the House was not satisfied with the result of the Secret Session, we should be given an opportunity of debating it in public, and I beg your leave to put to the House whether there are at least forty Members here who are of that opinion.

§ Mr. SPEAKER
The first thing to do is to ask the Leader of the House what day he will be prepared to give, if any. Perhaps the hon. Member will do that.

§ Mr. BILLING
I should like to ask the Leader of the House if he is prepared to give us an early day for an open Debate on the question of our Air Services?

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
As I said yesterday, if there is any general desire in the House for such a discussion, I should be prepared to arrange for it, but I should have thought that, after the discussion yesterday, and the fairly full Report which you, Sir, have issued, it would not have been desired to take it.

§ Mr. BILLING
Is the Leader of the House aware that all that we had last night was long speeches by the supporters 1748 of the Government policy, and that no private Member was given any opportunity of asking any questions. There were no questions asked, there were no reasons given, and there was nothing stated in the whole of that Session which could not have been stated in public Session with the exception of the numbers of our anticipated deliveries. May I ask your leave to move the Adjournment of the House here and now, for the purpose of finding out who is responsible for the hopeless defence of this City?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
That matter was discussed yesterday.

§ Mr. BILLING
On a point of Order—

§ Mr. SPEAKER
I have answered on the point of Order.

§ Mr. BILLING
May I ask you, on another point of Order, what action a private Member of this House has under these circumstances? We were distinctly given an assurance by the Prime Minister that this House should have an opportunity of expressing its opinion. I ask you to give this House an opportunity here and now of either voting for or against, by the usual manner of rising in their places, a Debate this evening on the Adjournment of the House. May I ask that you should do so?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
I have no such power to give leave.

§ Mr. BILLING
Would you advise me what action I can take so that this House shall have an opportunity of expressing its opinion on this matter of urgent public importance?

Sir H. DALZIEL
May I ask the Leader of the House whether he accepts the statement of the Prime Minister last night that if, after the Debate, any Members desire an opportunity of discussing the subject, he will grant it? Does that stand at present?

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
I heard my right hon. Friend's statement, but I certainly did not understand that he said anyone. I thought his statement was the same as my own, that if there was a general desire—I do not mean a majority, but anything like a general desire—we would give it.

§ Mr. BILLING
May I ask the Leader of the House whether here and now he will give the House an opportunity of proving whether or not it has this desire? Will 1749 he appeal to the Chair to do so? May I ask him for an answer? Will the right hon. Gentleman answer that question here and now—whether he will now give the House an opportunity?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
The hon. Member is not entitled to go on repeating questions of that kind. He has addressed the Minister, and he has had an answer. He has addressed a question to me, and I have given him an answer.

§ Mr. BILLING
Is a private Member of this House not to have an opportunity of obtaining a reply from a Minister on the Front Bench? I have put a definite question to the Leader of the House—whether he is prepared to prove his words, and to give this House an opportunity of expressing its opinion. The least the House can do is to refuse it.

§ Mr. SPEAKER
The hon. Member goes on repeating the same question over and over again. He has had his answer. He will get nothing more by going on asking the same question. I point out to him that he may very shortly become disorderly.

§ Mr. BILLING
I regret if I have to rise from ray place again, and ask you what action I can take to endeavour to give the public an opportunity of having a debate in this House on the question of our air defences. I appeal to the Leader of the House to state definitely now whether or not he will give the House an opportunity of expressing an opinion.

§ Mr. SPEAKER
I have already informed the hon. Member more than once that he has put his question, and has had his answer. He is not entitled to go on putting the same question. I warn him of the provisions of Standing Order 20.

§ Mr. LYNCH
May I ask the Leader of the House what steps he proposes to take in order to ascertain whether there is a considerable body of opinion in this House favourable to another debate?

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
During the time I have occupied my present position there has never been any doubt as to whether or not any large body of Members desired facilities of this kind. I have found no difficulty in finding out.