HC Deb 01 August 1946 vol 426 cc1223-5
Mr. Churchill

May I ask the Leader of the House before we separate a Question of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether he proposes to give time for an early Debate dealing with the Press of this country, and before any inquiry or commission is set up, in view of the statements which have been made by Members of the Government on this subject?

Mr. H. Morrison

I note the right hon. Gentleman's request and should be prepared to consider, through the usual channels, arrangements for a Debate in the autumn, if possible, should the Government decide to set up an inquiry.

Mr. Churchill

In the meanwhile, before the Debate takes place, will the acting Prime Minister—or the Leader of the House, or the Lord President—will he in all these capacities endeavour to restrain the Attorney-General from prejudicing the issue by all kinds of disordered public statements before any question of an inquiry is decided?

Mr. Morrison

This is rather a curious request. It appears to combine a demand for the freedom of the Press together with a demand for the suppression of the Attorney-General. I am bound to say that, as a friend of the cause of freedom in both and all respects.

Mr. Churchill

Are there not very well known conventions for regulating the conduct of the Law Officers of the Crown in regard to matters which may conceivably assume a judicial aspect; and what has that got to do with the ordinary freedom of discussion which, up to the present, the right hon. Gentleman has allowed us to enjoy in this country?

Mr. Morrison

I am very much obliged for that last admission. I can only say that my recollection is that many Law Officers, including a whole series of Tory Law Officers, have made the most flaming political speeches on all sorts of subjects from time to time and, on the whole, I think my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General is a model of good conduct.

Mr. Churchill

It is, no doubt, true that other Governments, other Labour Governments before this, have hired a pert lawyer to insult their political opponents but without considerable—

Mr. Bowles

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Was the hon. Gentleman rising to a point of Order?

Mr. Bowles

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Speaker

From the noise I thought that was so.

Mr. Bowles

Has this discussion anything to do with Business before the Recess or after the Recess?

Mr. Speaker

I was wondering about that, but I thought we were somehow in a holiday mood.

Mr. Churchill

With the greatest respect to you, Sir, I was of course endeavouring to follow your wishes as to how business should be conducted and had not realised the assistance which the hon. Gentleman wished to offer you in your task. May I complete what I was about to say by saying that if there is to be a serious inquiry, a Royal Commission, into the conduct and character of the British Press, surely it would be desirable that there should be a cessation to these very provocative and controversial statements by the Law Officers of the Crown who, after all, have to advise the Government on many of the very important legal issues which arise?

Mr. Driberg

Will my right hon. Friend be extremely careful, even in a phrase in a supplementary answer, not to lend any countenance to the suggestion that what the Opposition are trying to defend is the freedom of the Press instead of freedom for a few millionaire proprietors to distort the news?

Mr. Churchill

They were very good friends of yours.

Mr. Eden

Beaverbrook's man.

Mr. M. Lindsay

Is the Lord President aware that on 30th April the Prime Minister declined to set up such an inquiry? May I ask him what new factors have arisen since then to cause the Government to reconsider this matter other than, of course, the slump in the popularity of the Government?

Mr. Driberg

The campaign of lies about bread rationing.

Mr. Morrison

rose—

Mr. Speaker

I think we had better get on. We are getting rather personal now.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

The right hon. Gentleman must be aware that news from India has taken a grave turn. Are we going to separate for eight weeks without any indication on the part of the Government that they are aware of the gravity of the situation? Are we not to have a statement from the Government?

Mr. Morrison

We had a Debate quite recently. I agree that the situation is difficult, but I do not think we could improve the situation either by the Government making a statement or us having a discussion about it.