HC Deb 02 November 1938 vol 340 cc200-2
Mr. Attlee

May I ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to ask the House to come to a decision to-day on the Motion for the Anglo-Italian Agreement?

The Prime Minister

That is what I intimated yesterday.

Mr. Attlee

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the House has had extremely short notice to deal with this very important question, that we have had no White Paper and nothing to tell us whether or not any of the conditions laid down have been fulfilled? Is it not unreasonable to ask the House to come to a decision at such short notice, and is there any pressing reason why there should not be extra time given for the Debate?

The Prime Minister

I confess that I am rather surprised that the right hon. Gentleman should spring this objection upon me at the very last moment. Nothing was said by the right hon. Gentleman yesterday about time being short. It does not occur to me that it is a matter which requires very long notice. It has been discussed a great deal in the newspapers, and it has been generally understood that we were going to make this Motion. There is no occasion to lay any White Paper. In proposing the Motion I intend to give the reasons why the Government think that the Agreement should be brought into force now. I cannot see that there is any necessity for any Debate extending over more than one day upon that very limited Motion. If the right hon. Gentleman thinks that the time that is allotted to-day is insufficient, of course it would be possible for the Motion which the party opposite have put down for to-morrow to be moved as an Amendment to the Address next week. If it would facilitate matters in any way I am ready to give extra time for the Debate on the Address for the purpose of the discussion of that Motion if that meets the right hon. Gentleman. I do not see how else I can meet him.

Mr. Attlee

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will recognise that no time should be lost in answering the very grave allegations about Defence made by the Press generally. Statements have been made by responsible officials which require answering as early as possible. With regard to the notice being given that the Anglo-Italian Agreement was likely to be brought into force, he will realise that nobody could imagine that any of the conditions have been fulfilled, and it naturally has taken everybody by surprise. I should like to ask him whether from the point of view of this country, there is any pressing reason why the Motion should go through now and not in the next Session?

The Prime Minister

I regard this Motion as a step towards the appeasement of Europe, and in order to promote that object it is desiarble that the matter should be disposed of at the earliest possible moment.

Sir Archibald Sinclair

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether, in the event of the Motion being passed by the House of Commons, the Anglo-Italian Agreement would be brought into operation at once or, as is stated in some newspapers, in a fortnight's time?

The Prime Minister

Certainly not at once, because the two Governments will have to decide upon the date.

Sir A. Sinclair

Would it not then be possible to postpone the Debate?

The Prime Minister

It is possible, but I think it would be very undesirable.

Mr. Charles Williams

Is the Prime Minister not aware that the country wants him to get on with his policy?

Mr. Mabane

May I ask, for the guidance of the House, as there seems to be some misunderstanding, whether the Debate to-morrow will be confined to air-raid precautions and passive defence, as I understand is anticipated in some quarters, or whether the Debate is likely to range over the whole matter of antiaircraft defence? It would help hon. Members if we could have some guidance on that point.

The Prime Minister

That is not a question for me to answer. It is for Mr. Speaker to decide how far the Debate can go.

Miss Wilkinson

Is it not due to the House that we should have a White Paper on these matters before coming to a decision, principally because of the unvarying answer of the Foreign Office to questions intimately connected with this Agreement, namely, breaches of the Non-Intervention Agreement, in which they have always said that they have no information. Should not the House have some information before it votes?

The Prime Minister

It may appear in the course of the statement which I shall make that that is not a matter which affects this particular subject.