§ 46. Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEasked the Prime Minister whether he will take 1377 action to have the Standing Orders of the House altered to allow of annual discussion of the three services together with relation to each other?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government have stated on several occasions that they are in favour of an opportunity being given for a Debate to take place on defence as a whole after the Estimates have been issued and before they are debated separately by the House. This year such an opportunity was given. They are not, however, in favour of amending the Standing Orders.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEIn view of the difficulty of getting a Debate of this kind, would not the Prime Minister try to let us have one another year at any rate?
§ Captain P. MACDONALDIs it not a fact that these Debates invariably develop into Debates on foreign policy and that we never have a real Debate on the Services?