HC Deb 27 July 1944 vol 402 cc900-5
Mr. Arthur Greenwood

May I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the Business for next week?

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Eden)

Yes, Sir.

Tuesday, 1st August—We shall, as a result of the statement which my right hon. Friend has just made and as a matter of urgency, ask the House to agree to pass a Bill of Indemnity relating to the Fire Service Regulations, through all its stages, so that it may be sent to another place and receive the Royal Assent before the Adjournment. The House will understand that the Government desire to deal with this matter urgently and as rapidly as possible.

Afterwards, we shall take the Second Reading of the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Bill and the Committee stage of the necessary Money Resolution, as well as the Motion to approve the Electoral Registration Regulations, which we are anxious to proceed with also.

Wednesday, 2nd August—Committee and Third Reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill when, as I have already announced, the Prime Minister will make a statement on the war situation, upon which a Debate will arise.

Thursday, 3rd August—The House will adjourn for the Summer Recess. I ought to add that to-morrow we shall ask the House to take the Motion for an Address relating to the Pensions (Increase) Act (Extension) Order.

Mr. Greenwood

May I raise a point about Tuesday's Business? If the first Bill before the House takes up time, will arrangements be made for an extension of time by a suspension of the Rule, on the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Bill?

Mr. Eden

Yes, Sir. I think we shall have to do that.

Mr. Buchanan

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this first Bill of the Home Secretary's may take up a considerable length of time, and that even with an extension of an hour or two the other matter, which is no less important—it is terribly important—cannot be dealt with properly? A question affecting the housing of the people ought not to be taken at a time when it cannot properly be dealt with, and I would ask the right hon. Gentleman, before he decides to proceed or not to proceed with the Housing Bill, to see how far the Home Secretary's Bill progresses. It would not be fair to have an extension if the Home Secretary's Bill occupied until a late hour. Before the right hon. Gentleman commits himself about going on with this Housing Bill on Tuesday, will he see how Tuesday's Business proceeds?

Mr. Eden

I am, of course, conscious of the importance of the Housing Bill. One cannot pronounce now, but I did have some hopes that my right hon. Friend's Bill would not take a long time. We shall see how we proceed. I do not want to ask the House for anything unreasonable, but at the same time I would like to get both items of Business disposed of if I can.

Mr. Buchanan

I would ask the right hon. Gentleman not to take the Housing Bill at a late hour. It is not fair to start a discussion on one of the most important Bills before the House late in the day. Do not treat housing as a very second-rate issue compared with other matters.

Mr. Eden

I agree that it is not of second-rate interest, but it is urgent. I would not like to pledge myself as to time, but it would be unreasonable to take it at a late hour. It would be best to see how we get on with the other Bill.

Sir John Wardlaw-Milne

With the object of saving time on Tuesday, would the right hon. Gentleman consider the issue of a White Paper, or will the Home Secretary, in presenting this Bill, make quite clear what effect on the subject these illegal orders have had, so that there shall be no doubt in the minds of hon. Members in the first place, and discussion may be curtailed?

Mr. Eden

I think that point will be kept in mind. Either my right hon. Friend or the Attorney-General will deal with it.

Mr. Loftus

Will an opportunity be given, as soon as possible after the reassembly of the House, to discuss the White Paper on the Bretton Woods Conference? May I further ask, in view of the drastic Amendments made in the experts' plan, and the fact that we have never discussed the International Bank, whether. we shall have two days for that discussion?

Mr. Eden

I certainly could not give any undertaking of that kind now. I think hon. Members might well prefer to study the document before they decide on that, Certainly an opportunity for debate will be given.

Mr. Shinwell

On which date does the right hon. Gentleman propose to move the formal Motion for the Adjournment?

Mr. Eden

I thought of doing so on Wednesday.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

As the question of flying bombs is of such vital interest to those people who reside in Southern England, and as that question cannot be adequately debated at Question Time, may I ask whether the Leader of the House is aware that when an open Debate started yesterday on one aspect of the flying bomb attacks——

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and gallant Member is not asking a question. He is referring to what has already happened.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

I wished to ask a question on Business, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and gallant Member had better confine himself to that, and not refer to what has happened previously.

Sir A. Southby

May I ask whether there will be any statement on the issue of the 1939–43 Star before the House rises? The Prime Minister did hold out the hope that he would make a statement before the rising of the House for the Summer Recess and it is a matter about which the Services feel very strongly.

Mr. Eden

Perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will let me have a word with the Prime Minister about it, and I will say something next week.

Mr. Stokes

Reverting to the question raised by the hon. Member for Lowestoft (Mr. Loftus) on the Bretton Woods Conference, will the Leader of the House bear in mind the complete contempt with which the experts have treated the views of this House as expressed in the monetary Debate, and that what they have done, in fact, is to pledge us to return to gold?

Mr. Eden

I do not think the hon. Member is justified in a criticism of that kind. The experts have done their work, and I think his criticism might well await the Government's views on the matter.

Mr. Edgar Granville

Will the Motion for the Adjournment be the first Business on Wednesday, and if there is a Debate on it, will that leave sufficient time to enable the Prime Minister to make his statement and for a possible Debate on the war situation to follow?

Mr. Eden

Tuesday, as hon. Members have observed, is very full. On Wednesday, I hope that the Adjournment will receive unanimous assent.

Miss Ward

I had an idea we had been promised the day to discuss shipping and shipbuilding. Could my right hon. Friend say what is to happen about that?

Mr. Eden

I understand it has been agreed that the Debate will be taken a little later, when we come back.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

I would like to ask on Business, with reference to the Adjournment Motion that will be coming at the end of next week, whether the Government would have any objection if, on that occasion, there was an open Debate on the question of the flying bomb? I should like to have the Government's view on that. I am asking that in view of the fact that yesterday it was stated that this House had indicated that they did not want to have any such open Debate. I have been very careful to go through all the reports, and I find that the House made no such decision. On the contrary they said that there should not be a Secret Debate on the flying bomb.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and gallant Member has asked me about the Adjournment next Thursday. The subjects have already been selected, and I am afraid there would not be an opportunity.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

I am asking the Leader of the House whether, at any time in the future, the Government would have any objection to having such a Debate.

Mr. Eden

I am certainly not going into these hypothetical questions. It is Mr. Speaker who decides on the questions for discussion next Thursday.

Commander King-Hall

In view of the congestion of Business on Tuesday, and the importance of the Housing Bill, is it out of the question that the Home Secretary's Bill should be taken on Monday?

Mr. Eden

I think it is. It would be difficult at this stage to make such an arrangement.

Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore

Would it not be possible to reverse the Business on Tuesday, and so meet the wishes of the House?

Mr. Eden

We have thought about it but I really think the order I have proposed is the right order.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

I want to ask your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, on a point of procedure. I understand, having looked at the rules and regulations of this House, that one is unable to repeat a Debate in the same Session. Could the subject of a Debate that has been held in Secret Session be subsequently discussed in open Session? Would that come under the heading of repetition? I have looked through Erskine May very carefully, but on this matter I see that he keeps a discreet silence.

Mr. Speaker

Of course, to ask me a question of that sort without notice, is really acting very improperly. I must not be asked a question like that without notice.

Mr. Cocks

Has it ever been the practice of the House, on the Motion for the Adjournment, that the Debate should be confined to certain subjects selected beforehand? Cannot any Member raise any subject he wishes?

Mr. Speaker

That is true, but certain hon. Members catch my eye, and I like to indicate if I can, in advance, those who are likely to do so. Otherwise any hon. Member is perfectly entitled to raise anything he chooses, if he catches my eye.

Captain Cunningham-Reid

I realise, Mr. Speaker, that I ought not to have asked that question without notice, and I wish to apologise for having done so. It arose because of what had been said previously to-day. I wonder, though, if you would be good enough, on some subsequent occasion, to give me a Ruling.

Mr. Speaker

Perhaps the hon. and gallant Member will submit his question in writing, and I may be able to give him a considered answer.