§ 45. Mr. AMERYasked the Prime Minister in view of the imminent reassembly of the bureau of the Disarmament Conference, whether he can give an assurance that His Majesty's Government will not commit themselves to any such proposals as those now being put forward for the total abolition of military and naval aviation, coupled with international control of civil aviation, and for the abolition of warships over 10,000 tons without first affording Parliamentary opportunity for their discussion?
46. Captain GUESTasked the Prime Minister if he will give an assurance that nothing shall be done at the forthcoming Disarmament Conference which will impair the proved value of the air arm as an efficient, economical, and humane method of maintaining peace and security in both India and the Middle East, without first consulting Parliament?
§ 47. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Prime Minister whether the new French disarmament plan has yet been considered by His Majesty's Government; and whether he will undertake to secure the approval of Parliament before our representatives at Geneva commit us to any restatement of Article 16 of the covenant, to any reversion to the Protocol de Genêve, or to anything that would extend the guarantees of Locarno to the rest of the frontiers laid down in the peace treaties?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald)As hon. Members are aware, the House has been kept fully informed of the policy of His Majesty's Government in respect to Disarmament. It is not intended to make any departure from the normal practice when Governments are engaged in important negotiations. I should add that His Majesty's Government have not yet received the full details of the new French disarmament plan to which my right hon. and gallant Friend the. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) refers.
§ Mr. AMERYAre we to understand from that answer that the policy of the Government with regard to Disarmament will not go beyond the policy laid down in the White Paper presented to the House of Commons in the summer?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI wish my right hon. Friend had given me notice so that I might refresh my memory as to what is in the White Paper, but the House knows perfectly well that, when Governments are engaged in negotiations like this, they have to use their judgment as to what the opinion of the House is, and when the negotiations have been completed, or at a stage before that if the Government wish, the Government communicate to the House what they are doing, and the House is then in a position to say either Yea or Nay in regard to that communication.
§ Mr. AMERYThe Prime Minister does not assume that the view of the House is that the Air Force should be abolished?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWe have had a White Paper on the question of Disarmament, but we have had no paper on the question of Article 17, or the Government attitude towards the Protocol de Geneve. Is the practice hitherto adopted by the Government of refusing to commit this country to any further liabilities, military or naval, in Europe to stand?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe House may be assured that the Government will not commit the country to any further commitment without the consent of the House.
Captain GUESTWill the right hon. Gentleman state in more specific terms whether it is clear that nothing in the line of the abolition of the Air Force can possibly take place without the permission of the House?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government must be free to negotiate the abolition or the extension of anything, but the negotiations will be conducted with the full knowledge that final consent remains with this House.
§ Mr. ATTLEEDoes the right hon. Gentleman expect that he will be in a position to make a fuller statement on Disarmament if the matter is raised in the near future in Debate in the House?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI could not say at the present moment.
§ Mr. LANSBURYMay we take it that, when the discussion on Disarmament takes place, either the right hon. Gentleman or the Foreign Secretary will be here to give as full information as is possible in the circumstances?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhen the question of Disarmament is brought before the House, the House may assume that a responsible Minister will be able to take part in the Debate.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODWill the Prime Minister see to it that he is not browbeaten by the armament ring?
Captain GUESTI wish to extract one further word from the Prime Minis- 1783 ter, that the House will not only be able to register consent but dissent if it feels so inclined.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI said so—either Yea or Nay.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the questions put from behind him, and the spirit represented by them, are dissented from by a great mass of people in the country?