HC Deb 19 January 1943 vol 386 cc49-52
The Chairman of Ways and Means (Sir Dennis Herbert)

Mr. Speaker, with your permission and the assent of the House, I have a brief statement to make. As the Chairman of Ways and Means and Chairman of Committees, and being an officer of the House elected by the House, it is to the House that I should submit, as I now do, my resignation of that post. I should like first of all to dispose of one, fortunately mistaken, idea which has got into the Press in some quarters, namely, that I am doing this on the ground of ill-health. It is true that I had a bad illness not long ago, but if the House will pardon this personal matter, I am glad to be able to say that my doctor tells me that there is no reason of that kind why I should not continue in the exacting post which I have held, and I hope I may have a further useful time yet in the future.

But there may be various reasons, some good, some less good, why I should take this course. One reason if good and sufficient is all that is required, and that one reason I venture to give—the one which has weighed with me. The history of the House of Commons has been one of constant change over the centuries. At this time of world upheaval and, we hope, of subsequent reconstruction, there must be big changes in the near future in the methods and procedure of the House, and in those changes, if I am not mistaken, two matters will be particularly affected—one the procedure in Committees of the Whole House, including the Committees of Supply and of Ways and Means, and the other in the arrangements regarding Private Bill legislation, which, as the House will recollect, is practically in the management of the Chairman of Ways and Means. Those changes must take time, and, fit as I may feel at the present time, I should not be justified, and the House would not feel justified, in feeling confident that I should be equally fit to go on with that work until those changes are completed. It is highly undesirable that when changes of that kind are in progress one of the persons principally concerned should suddenly become unable or inefficient to carry on that work. Under those circumstances the House, I feel, would be very well advised to find as a Chairman a Member who can, with greater confidence than in my case, be regarded as likely to see all those changes completed. I am happy to say that the Prime Minister permits me to say that the course I am adopting has his approval.

There remains one duty for me to do, and that is to express my gratitude to the House for their kindness to me during the whole of the time I have held this office. It has been particularly pleasing to me that among some of my best friends in the House are some of those to whom I have been most deaf, most blind, or whose eloquent speeches I have been obliged to torpedo at their first start. It shows the general good nature and good will which have always been a distinguishing feature of this House, and I am grateful. Mr. Speaker, if I may say so with respect, I could not have served under anyone more pleasing to serve under than yourself, and I must mention, too, my right hon. and gallant Friend the Deputy-Chairman (Colonel Clifton Brown), who, as I think the House will agree, has justified most thoroughly the choice which was made when our late good friend Captain Bourne left us. Mr. Speaker, I thank the House, and I am grateful to them for having listened to me.

Mr. Attlee

I am sure the whole House will have heard with regret that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Watford (Sir Dennis Herbert) will no longer preside over our deliberations and will desire to thank him for the long and devoted service which he has rendered to this House. For more than 12 years now he has carried out with distinction and impartiality the duties of his high office. The Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy-Speaker has, as we all know, much work besides that of presiding in the House and in Committee. In particular, he has great responsibilities in connection with Private Bill legislation, especially in peace-time. In peace-time that alone is a heavy task. In addition, the right hon. Gentleman has presided over two very important Committees—that of Offices of Profit under the Crown and that on the Disposal and Custody of Documents. In all these activities his wise knowledge of procedure, his fair-mindedness and his accessibility have won him the esteem and, I think, the affection of this House. In this House the occupant of the Chair must have something more than knowledge of procedure. He must have a knowledge of human nature and human understanding, not only of formalities, but of the atmosphere of this House. Many Members in the course of Debate have from time to time been pulled up, as I have, by our Chairman of Ways and Means, but despite his difficult duties the right hon. Gentleman has always managed to retain the friendship of Members in all parts of the House. I am sure we shall all wish our retiring Chairman of Ways and Means a full measure of health and strength, so that he may for a long time in other capacities continue his services to his country.

Mr. Greenwood

On behalf of Members outside the Government circle, may I add my word of tribute to the right hon. Gentleman who is relinquishing his very high office? I speak as one who has been oftener in Opposition than in office, and in earlier days on many occasions I was seriously admonished by the right hon. Gentleman, no doubt for my own Parliamentary good, and I have no complaint to make. I am very glad that, notwithstanding the right hon. Gentleman's retirement from his great office, his political wisdom and Parliamentary experience are not to be lost to Parliamentary life, and I am sure all Members of the House will wish him a long and happy future.

Sir P. Harris

May I add a very few words of thanks, as a personal friend and on behalf of my hon. Friends, for the loyal and devoted service which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Watford has given to the House of Commons? He is a great House of Commons man and also a great master of procedure. I do not think it is realised by all hon. Members what a terrific amount of work is involved in holding the office of Chairman of Ways and Means. That work is by no means limited to work in the Chair; it requires an immense study of Bills and of legislation and of all the, details of procedure. My right hon. Friend has been a fine guardian of the best traditions of the House of Commons, and he has shown the greatest possible impartiality. I know he will not mind my saying that I regard him as a good Tory, but whatever his political opinions, he has never shown bias or partisanship in the great office of Chairman of Ways and Means. I hope he will be long spared to give the advantage of his wide experience to work as a Private Member in the House.