HC Deb 15 April 1921 vol 140 cc1443-5
Mr. ASQUITH

May I ask the Leader of the House whether he has any statement to make on the industrial situation?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN (Leader of the House)

The House, I think, is well acquainted with the proceedings that took place yesterday. After the second meeting upstairs, some hon. Members who had been present proceeded to Downing Street about midnight, to inform the Prime Minister of what had passed, and to report to him that Mr. Hodges had made a new proposal. The Prime Minister has found very considerable difficulty in ascertaining what that proposal was, but this morning, in consequence of that report, he addressed the following letter to Mr. Hodges: Dear Mr. HODGES, Several Members who were present at your House of Commons meeting last night have conveyed to me the purport of your concluding offer. They have not taken down the actual words you used, but the general impression made on their minds was that you were now prepared to discuss with the owners the question of wages, without raising the controversial issue of the Pool, provided the arrangements to be made were of a temporary character, and without prejudice to a further discussion of proposals for a National Pool, when a permanent settlement comes to be dealt with. If this is a fair representation of your suggestion, I invite you and your fellow delegates to meet the owners at the Board of Trade at eleven this morning, to consider the best method of examining the question of wages. A similar letter was sent to the owners, and at 11 o'clock the Prime Minister and his colleagues proceeded to the Board of Trade, where they found the owners, but not the miners. We waited for some 40 or 45 minutes, and we still had received no communication from the miners. We therefore adjourned.

Since I have come to the House, I have had a message stating that an answer from the miners might be expected in about half-an-hour. Under these circumstances, I think my right hon. Friend and the House will feel that we ought not at this moment to enter upon the discussion we contemplated. What I would propose is that, as soon as the Government are in a position to make any statement, the Prime Minister should come into the House, and move the Adjournment; and subject to your permission, Mr. Speaker, and with the general consent of the House, whatever information the Government can give, should be at once imparted to the House, and, if necessary, a discussion should take place. If the Bills which are before the House do not last—and at a moment when the public mind, and the mind of the House, is preoccupied with other matters, discussion is apt to be very much shorter than usual—I suggest that attention should be called to the fact that 40 Members are not present—the House cannot be counted out before four o'clock—and it could, therefore, resume to hear any statement, instead of being dispersed into space. I believe, Sir, that that is the best arrangement in the public interest, and I submit it to the House.

Mr. CLYNES

In case events do not travel as calculated, would the right hon. Gentleman consider the wisdom of assembling the House to-morrow?

Mr. HOGGE

What about the time this afternoon? Could the Government not make such arrangements that, if necessary, the House should not rise at Five o'clock to-day?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I understand that could only be done in the same way in which, on Friday last, by general consent, and on the invitation of Mr. Speaker, we continued sitting, although the hour for closing, according to the Standing Order, had been reached. I have no doubt if there were any prospect of the House being needed, or the Government being in a position to give further information to the House, some such arrangements might be made to-day, again with your consent, Sir, and the general consent of the House. As regards a Saturday sitting, I should like to take a little time to consider that suggestion. It is very difficult to know what is best at a moment when circumstances change so rapidly.