51 and 52. Mr. Robertsonasked the Minister of Supply (1) what new buildings he has authorised to be erected for the production of penicillin; and will he state their extent, cost, completion dates, occupiers and owners;
(2) what existing buildings he has authorised to be used for the production of penicillin; and for whom were the premises requisitioned.
§ Mr. PeatIt is regretted that it is not in the public interest to publish the information asked for.
Mr. RobertsonOn a point of Order. Members are sent here to serve this country and their constituents, and surely there can be nothing against the public interest in this Question.
§ Mr. A. BevanMinisters hide behind that formula all the time.
§ At the end of Questions—
§ Mr. A. BevanOn a point of Order, I wish to raise a matter, Sir, which affects the protection of Members against the Government at Question Time. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, in refusing to answer Questions 51 and 52, pleaded the public interest. If you will turn to the Order Paper, I think you will find it difficult to understand how the public interest can be at all affected by a reply to these two Questions. Is it not a fact that you, Sir, are our protector in this matter, and that the Government have, on many occasions, abused this formula to conceal from Members information to which they are undoubtedly entitled? May I respectfully submit that, in this instance, it is not the public interest which is involved, but the protection of certain monopolies, to which the Ministry of Supply are giving certain favours, in this regard as in others? I ask for your protection, Sir, in such a case.
§ Mr. SpeakerAny Minister can refuse to answer Questions. The responsibility is his. I cannot direct the Minister to give an answer on this matter, though the House may be dissatisfied with the Minister.
§ Mr. BevanDoes it not go slightly further than that? It would be perfectly 1768 proper for the Government, over a whole range of issues, to adopt this formula and we would be in no position to say whether they were telling the truth or not. Is there not an obligation also imposed on you, Mr. Speaker, to see to it that Question Time, which is the privilege of hon. Members, is not eaten into by the abuse of another privilege?
§ Sir Percy HarrisIs not the real remedy for the hon. Member to raise the question on the Adjournment?
§ Mr. SilvermanWhile it is, no doubt, perfectly true that a Minister may refuse to answer Questions at all, is it not equally true that, if he does choose to give an answer, the answer he gives ought to be a truthful answer? The Minister ought not to rely upon a formula of this kind in order to cover up unwillingness, on other grounds, to give information at all.
§ Mr. BevanIs it not a fact that a Minister cannot, in his refusal to answer a Question, injure the public interest? Is not the Minister charged with a special responsibility, not only of protecting the Members of the House, but of protecting the Government from injuring the public interest by an abuse of privilege?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am afraid it is impossible for me to go into all the various reasons. I have to accept the Minister's words just like any other hon. Member. If Members are dissatisfied they have, as the right hon. Baronet the Member for South West Bethnal Green (Sir P. Harris) has said, the opportunity of raising the matter on the Adjournment. That is the answer to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. PeatI take full responsibility for the answer which was given to-day. You, Mr. Speaker, are not in a position to know what answer is going to be made to a Question and I cannot control the Questions that are asked—
§ Mr. MaxtonDoes the hon. Gentleman want to?
§ Mr. PeatNo, I do not want to, but in the case of the two Questions under review, if they had been answered in detail, the answer would have given full information as to the position and the scope of the production and development of penicillin in this country.
§ Mr. PeatI believe that penicillin, at this moment, is as vital to us as the most secret weapon we are producing, and if I gave this information, it would lay our production of penicillin open to air attack, because if this Question had been answered, it would have given the location——
§ Earl WintertonOn a point of Order. Is there any Question before the House?
§ Mr. SpeakerThere is a point of Order before the House. I have allowed the Minister to make his explanation. If hon. Members are not satisfied they have their remedy.