HC Deb 11 September 1941 vol 374 cc304-7
Mr. Erskine Hill (by Private Notice)

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to make any public statement as to the arrangements for fulfilling the Government's pledge regarding the appointment of an Advisory Council on post-war planning in Scotland?

The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. T. Johnston)

Yes, Sir. I am glad to announce that a Council has been formed to collaborate with me for the purpose of surveying problems of postwar reconstruction in Scotland. The Council will select the subjects of inquiry and will determine by whom the inquiries will be made. The members will be all the living ex-Secretaries of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friends the Members for Caithness and Sutherland (Sir A. Sinclair), Kelvingrove (Colonel Elliot), North Midlothian (Colonel Colville), and Leith (Mr. E. Brown), and Lord Alness who held the office of Secretary for Scotland. The work of the Council over which I shall preside will be carried on in close touch with the organisations set up by the Government for the purpose of examining all post-war problems of Great Britain as a whole. I am confident that the appointment of this Council, constituted as it is on a basis of national unity, will commend itself to public opinion in Scotland as a guarantee of the Government's intention to see that Scottish problems of reconstruction are competently and authoritatively surveyed and reported upon.

Mr. Henderson Stewart

Is my right hon. Friend aware that his statement will be much welcomed in Scotland? May I ask what is to be done now, or within any measurable period, to solve the problem that was raised in the House on the last Sitting Day? Is a practical answer to be given to that Question?

Mr. Johnston

This Council will select the personnel and subjects for inquiries which will be instituted forthwith.

Mr. McGovern

Could not the right hon. Gentleman get any more die-hard Tories to put on this organisation? Does he think these people have the mind for any progress for the ordinary people of Scotland?

Mr. Mathers

Will education as well as matters of physical reconstruction be brought within the purview of the Council—

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Gordon Macdonald.

Mr. Maxton

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. The Secretary of State for Scotland has made a most important announcement, and you are allowing only one Supplementary Question on the subject from one quarter of the House and then proceeding to other Business.

Mr. Speaker

The last supplementary question seemed to me to be rather a frivolous one, and, therefore, I stopped further questions.

Mr. Mathers

I hope the question I was proceeding to put does not come within that category.

Mr. Maxton

May I submit, Mr. Speaker, that when a Minister makes an important statement at the end of Questions, it is the usual practice for you to allow one or two questions from different quarters of the House on the statement that has been made? I am asking that that practice should be continued now.

Mr. Speaker

I am very well acquainted with what my duties are on this point. When supplementary questions become what I call frivolous, I generally do not allow any further supplementary questions. On this occasion I am prepared to overlook that mistake, and I will allow the hon. Member to put a question.

Mr. Maxton

I apologise, Mr. Speaker, if there has been the faintest suggestion that I was criticising your conduct of the proceedings. I wish to ask my right hon. Friend whether other representatives are not available in Scotland, other than these four men, who are very heavily involved on important national tasks at the present time, who could consider the question of post-war reconstruction and direct the activities of those studying the subject?

Mr. Johnston

Those whose names I have mentioned will not themselves participate in any inquiry. They will collaborate with me in selecting the personnel to conduct inquiries.

Mr. Kenneth Lindsay

How much time does my right hon. Friend imagine these five gentlemen will be able to give to this very important task, and what is to be the relationship between this council and the Minister Without Portfolio and Lord Reith?

Mr. Johnston

To answer that question would be taking us a little too far. As I understand it, Lord Reith's functions deal especially with physical reconstruction of this country as a whole, and the Minister Without Portfolio deals with all aspects of post-war reconstruction including questions relating to foreign affairs, Dominion contracts and so on. I would point out to the House, however, that I am speaking without having the precise terms of their work before me. The particular Council I have mentioned to-day is a Council to select personnel, on an impartial, all-party and authoritative basis, to conduct inquiries in Scotland on matters which primarily relate to Scotland.

Mr. Maxton

Does my right hon. Friend really think that the Secretary of State for Air can be pulled away from his job to give consideration to problems of this kind?

Mr. Mathers

Does not my right hon. Friend's latest pronouncement make my supplementary question one which could be properly answered, namely, whether this council will have under its purview educational matters as well as questions of physical reconstruction?

Mr. Johnston

No, Sir, this council will select personnel for the committees of inquiry on any subject held to be advisable for consideration which deals with postwar Scottish reconstruction.

Mr. Henderson Stewart

In view of the great importance of this matter, and in view of the obvious difficulty my right hon. Friend has in explaining what is meant, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the question on the Adjournment.