§ 45. Lard H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the policy of the Government offers little hope of a speedy settlement by agreement of the mining dispute, the Government will announce its intention of accepting the Report of the Royal Commission and ail that it implies?
The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Bald- win)The position of the Government in relation to this Report has been stated in this House on several occasions, and I cannot attempt to restate it within the limits of a Parliamentary answer.
§ 47. Mr. LAWSONasked the Prime Minister whether the speech of the First Lord of the Admiralty at the Aldwych Club on 9th July represents the policy of the Government in respect of the coal industry, particularly with regard to the adoption of district and even pit settlements?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy right hon. Friend informs me that in the speech referred to in the question he was expressing his own views on the subject of the alleged failure of private enterprise, and in his reference to the risks of excessive centralisation did not profess to he laying down any policy on behalf of the Government. The Government's view is that the extent to which various agreements should be national or local is primarily a question for the coalowners and miners to settle between them, and in this connection the hon. Member will recall that the necessity of having regard to the different capacities of different districts and of varying settlements accordingly, to which my right hon. Friend referred, was irecognised by the Royal Commission on the Coal Industry.
§ Mr. LAWSONDo I take it that the Government do not stand by a national agreement or national minimum terms?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, the hon. Member must not infer anything of the kind. I said in my reply that this question of agreement must depend on negotiation between the two parties and, in spite of what is so frequently said on those benches, we are not taking sides in this matter.
§ Mr. STEPHENWill the Prime Minister see that members of his Cabinet., in making these statements, will make it clear that they are not voicing the opinion of the Government, but their own individual opinion?
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs it not a fact that the first Lord of the Admiralty did make that clear, and is this not substantiated by everyone who was present and heard the speech?
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYHow can the Prime Minister say that the Government have no part in these negotiations, in view of the millions of money which have been spent and of the Government's interference already?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI only said that these are matters primarily for settlement between the two parties.
§ Mr. LAWSONIf an important Minister expresses an opinion of that description what becomes of the theory of Ministerial responsibility?
§ Mr. LEEHas the Prime Minister any information to prove that there is a likelihood of the owners and the miners agreeing at all?
§ Mr. LAWSONMay I put it to the Prime Minister, if an important Minister of the Cabinet can express a private opinion about an important matter of this description, what becomes of the theory of Ministerial responsibility?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANMay I answer the hon. Gentleman? My private opinion, which I expressed and which I have just as much right to express as anybody else, in no way was that there should not be any national agreement, and if the hon. Member had read a complete report of what I said, he would have seen that I said nothing which was in conflict with the Commission's Report.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs it not a fact that the right hon. Gentleman said—and this is in italics—that "it was impossible to get a national formula which would fit every coalfield in the country"?
§ Mr. RAMSAY MacDONALDAre we to understand quite clearly that the right hon. Gentleman expressed his own private opinions and was not expressing the opinion of the Cabinet, although he was selected by them only a day or two before, in order to voice their views tin this House?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI must correct the last statement. The right hon. Gentleman was not selected to deliver this speech.
§ Mr. MacDONALDI said he was selected by his colleagues here to express their views in this House on the same subject.