HC Deb 05 May 1936 vol 311 cc1651-4

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, as from the demise of His late Majesty, the salaries of the Treasurer, the Comptroller, and the Vice-Chamberlain of His Majesty's Household shall be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament as part of the expenses of the Treasury."—[Mr. Chamberlain.]

10.19 p.m.

Mr. M. BEAUMONT

I desire on this Motion to address certain questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and to ask for certain assurances which I think are of importance to this Committee. The Motion proposes to remove from the Civil List, and place on the Treasury, the salaries of those officers of the Household who are officers of the Household by virtue of their position as Members of this House and Members of His Majesty's Government. The recommendation, as far as it says anything as to the reasons, tells us that what the Chancellor proposes to do is being done because these members of the Household are primarily political officers, and have duties analogous to those of Junior Lords of the Treasury: and we are given to understand that it has something to do with the question of a future revision of their salaries. No one would grudge them that increase of salary, but the question goes deeper than that.

I am not opposing the Vote, but I want a clear assurance from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. These officers are a link between this House and the person of the Sovereign, and it is most important in my view, and I believe in that of everyone else, that nothing should be done at the present moment to weaken that link in any way. They have political duties but they are at present definitely members of the Household. They are in communication with the person of the Sovereign. They bear messages from him to us and they convey expressions from us to him. They have special privileges, the most important and most notable of which is the right of personal and private access to the person of the Sovereign. I do not think there is any Member of the House who would wish that right to be in any way impaired. I do not know whether it is going to be impaired by this change of the source from which the salary is paid, but before we pass this Vote I ask the right hon. Gentleman to give us a very definite guarantee that their status will not be impaired as members of the Household, that they will still have the privileges that they now enjoy, and that they will still be able to convey, as they can at present, communications between this House and the person of the Sovereign, because I think the Committee would be very loth to pass this Resolution unless such an assurance is given. I have no doubt that the Committee which produced this report has carefully considered these points, but I think it would be wrong if a possible change in the relations between this House and the Sovereign were to pass without thorough examination, and I hope that before we pass the Vote the Chancellor will be able to give us the assurance that I ask.

10.24 p.m.

Mr. MAXTON

This is a constitutional change as well as being a change in the arrangements of the Civil List. I should also like an assurance that this is not making any substantial difference in the general managing of governmental arrangements so far as this House is concerned, and that it does not in any way reduce the connections at present established between this House and the Monarchy.

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

I have no hesitation in giving an unqualified assurance that the proposals of the Committee will not in any way change the status or the functions or the relations of the three officers in question with this House and the Monarchy. The only change brought about by the proposals of the Committee is the transference of the salaries from the Civil List to the Parliamentary Votes. Apart from that there is no change whatever.

Resolutions to be reported To-morrow.