§ Mr. ChurchillMight I intrude upon these affairs so far as to ask the Leader of the House whether, by chance, he has any statement to make about Business?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonYes, Sir. The Business for next week will be as follows:
Monday, 28th October.—Debate on Welsh affairs. In view of the publication of the White Paper and the special circumstances of the Debate on this occasion, the Government have tabled a Motion in general terms in order that the House may have an opportunity of discussing the system of Government in Wales and Mon-mouthshire.
Tuesday, 29th October.—There will be an opportunity for a Debate on the Press, which will conveniently arise on the Motion standing on the Order Paper in the name of the hon. Member for South West St. Pancras (Mr. H. Davies), and others.
[That, having regard to the increasing public concern at the growth of monopolistic tendencies in the control of the Press and with the object of furthering the free expression of opinion through the Press and the greatest practicable accuracy in the presentation of news, this House considers that a Royal Commission should be appointed to inquire into the finance, control, management and ownership of the Press.]
The Government, believing that this is a matter for the House, have decided to leave the question to a free vote, in the event of a Division being called.
Wednesday and Thursday, 30th and 31st October.—Debate on the central organisation for defence. 35 Friday, 1st November.—Committee and remaining stages of the Supreme Court of Judicature (Circuit Officers) Bill [Lords] and Public Notaries (War Service of Articled Clerks) Bill [Lords]; Consideration of Motions relating to Double Taxation Relief (Canada and Southern Rhodesia) and any other outstanding Business.
We hope that it will be agreeable to the House to take the Committee and remaining stages of the Roosevelt Memorial Bill as first Order on Thursday if, as is expected, the Bill is reported from the Joint Committee tomorrow.
It may be convenient for me to inform the House that we propose to take the Motion relating to Parliamentary Elections as the second item of Business tomorrow.
§ Mr. ChurchillWe cordially endorse the hope of the Leader of the House that the Committee and remaining stages of the Roosevelt Memorial Bill will be expeditiously passed. The only question I have to ask the right hon. Gentleman is in respect of the Debate on the central organisation of defence. That will, I presume, take place on a Government Motion, after a Government statement.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonYes, Sir. There is actually a Motion on the Order Paper this morning and it will be moved by the Government.
§ [That this House approves the proposals in Cmd. 6923 for the Central Organisation for Defence.]
§ Mr. RankinWill my right hon. Friend consider providing time for a Debate on the Scottish report dealing with the care of homeless children?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI should have thought that if and when that subject is debated—and I cannot yet make a promise—it would be better for the Debate to cover not only Scotland but England and Wales as well. I understand the Scottish report is very short.
§ Mr. RankinWill it be taken in conjunction with the Curtis Report?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonIf there is a Debate; but I cannot enter into commitments at the moment.
§ Mr. HollisWill the House get an opportunity to consider the Motion standing in 36 the name of 95 hon. Members in various parts of the House, concerning the acquisition of land by Service Departments, and the possibility of a public inquiry?
§ [That, while appreciating the need for adequate training areas for the forces, this House, in view of the difficulties put in the way both of agricultural production and of rural rehousing by the acquisition of land by service departments and of the destruction of rural beauty, calls for a public inquiry into the whole policy of service acquisitions and demands that where-ever possible any acquisitions that may be made in the future be under the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act, 1945, which permits of a preliminary public inquiry.]
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am afraid I see no prospect of being able to give special facilities for that Motion.
§ Mr. WarbeyIn view of the fact that the Leader of the Opposition, in his speech yesterday, reaffirmed the position taken by him in his speech at Fulton, U.S.A., will the Leader of the House give time for a discussion on the Motion concerning that speech which still stands on the Order Paper?
§ [That this House considers that proposals for a military alliance between the British Commonwealth and the U.S.A. for the purpose of combating the spread of Communism, such as were put forward in a speech at Fulton, Missouri, U.S.A., by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Woodford, are calculated to do injury to good relations between Great Britain, U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R., and are inimical to the cause of world peace; and affirms its view that world peace and security can be maintained, not by sectional alliances, but by progressively strengthening the power and authority of U.N.O. to the point where it becomes capable of exercising, in respect to world law, order and justice, the functions of a world government.]
§ Mr. ChurchillBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers that question, might I ask him whether, if he should give facilities for such a discussion, he will, before it takes place, allow a copy of the speech to be circulated to hon. Members as a White Paper?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI think the proposal of my hon. Friend the Member for Luton 37 (Mr. Warbey), and the later and consequential proposal of the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition, are both somewhat novel. I do not know if my hon. Friend wishes to flatter the right hon. Gentleman rather heavily, but I really think it is getting beyond reason when it is suggested that if the right hon. Gentleman makes a speech, wherever he makes it, we are to have a Motion and a special Debate in the House of Commons. The right hon. Gentleman made his speech yesterday, and various people commented upon it. I do not think it is right to suggest that, if any particular Member of the House makes a speech outside the House, we must be driven into a Debate. This is a free country and the right hon. Gentleman can make all the speeches he likes.
§ Lieut.-Commander Gurney BraithwaiteCan the right hon. Gentleman, for the convenience of the House, say whether he is in a position to indicate the date the Government have in mind for Prorogation?
§ Mr. MorrisonNot yet. I will make a statement as soon as possible in regard to the likely date of Prorogation which, of course, depends on the progress of Business now outstanding in both Houses of Parliament.
§ Mr. WarbeyIn regard to the point which I raised, I realise the difficulty of my right hon. Friend, and in order to help him, I suggest that the scope of the Debate on the Defence White Paper next week should be such as to include the discussion of the suggestion of a military alliance between this country and the United States?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonNo, Sir. This White Paper relates to the organisation of defence in the United Kingdom. It has nothing to do with alliances with other countries. That is foreign policy. If that matter was to be raised, I should have thought it could have been raised yesterday or the day previously.
§ Mr. WarbeyMay I suggest—
§ Mr. SpeakerIn order to save time, I can point out to the hon. Gentleman that I shall be bound by the White Paper too, and therefore anything that goes outside the White Paper, as far as I am concerned, will be out of Order and cannot be raised
§ Mr. WarbeyWith due respect, I suggest that it would be in Order to discuss such matters as joint staff consultation and proposals for the coordination of the training and equipment of our forces with those of another country.
§ Mr. SpeakerIf that was in the White Paper, it would be in Order—but if it is not, it will not be in Order.
§ Mr. ScollanOn the same point may I ask if it will be in Order to deal with the question of the report on the dispersal of atomic bombs in this country?
§ Mr. SpeakerI must have notice of that question.