§ 48. Mr. W. Shepherdasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent in 1946 goods were supplied against sterling balances which accrued from other than current transactions.
§ Mr. DaltonI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for East Aberdeen (Mr. Boothby) last Tuesday.
§ Mr. Shepherd rose—
§ Mr. Churchill rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe Front Bench must not gatecrash on a back bencher. Mr. Shepherd.
§ Mr. ChurchillI rise—[Interruption]—to a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. With very great respect, I would like to submit to you that I had no idea that the hon. Member who asked the Question was rising in his place—[HON. MEMBERS: "Look round."] May I also submit to you, Sir, that your application of the 240 word "gatecrash" is wholly unwarranted?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt is always my custom that when an hon. Member asks a Question he is entitled to the first supplementary, and if a Member on the Front bench wants to get up, surely he can look round to see if the hon. Member who put the Question has risen. Personally, I do not see, if the right hon. Gentleman does not look round, what the difference is between that and gatecrashing.
§ Mr. ChurchillWith great respect, Mr. Speaker, as you have gone out of your way to inflict this censure on me, may I— [Interruption]—to inflict this censure on me in terms of unusual Parliamentary language—"gatecrash" is a slang expression—[Interruption]—may I place on record, as a very old Member of this House, my regret that you should have thought it necessary to take such action?
§ Mr. SpeakerIf the right hon. Gentleman takes offence at the expression "gatecrash," I am very sorry, but I thought it explained exactly what I meant.
§ Mr. ChurchillIt is not your cheer.
§ Earl WintertonYou got a cheer from Mrs. Braddock.
§ Mr. W. Fletcher rose—
Mrs. Braddock—to make reference to myself by my own name instead of as the hon. Member for the Exchange Division of Liverpool?
§ Mr. SpeakerI did not hear a thing, as a matter of fact. I do not know what the noble Lord said.
§ Earl WintertonOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker, may I—
§ Mr. GallacherHe is always being offensive.
§ Mr. KirkwoodHe is the rudest man in the House.
§ Earl WintertonI am delighted to hear that the hon. Member thinks so. On a point of Order, Sir, may I—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerHon. Members should let the noble Lord say what he wants to say.
§ Earl WintertonMay I say that I apologise to you, Sir, for having inadvertently used the hon. Lady's name when I should have referred to her by her constituency? I am very much ashamed of having used such a name.
§ Mr. ChurchillIf I am not gatecrashing now—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—perhaps I may be permitted to ask a supplementary question—
§ Mr. KirkwoodIf you behave yourself.
§ Mr. ChurchillThe supplementary question which I wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer was about the 1946 goods supplied against sterling balances which accrued from other than current transactions. I was going to ask whether in the total statement of exports from this country, there was account taken of the fact that a large proportion of the exports of this country are merely the payment off of sterling balances which 242 bring in no reciprocal contribution to the wage fund?
§ Mr. DaltonThere is, of course, such an element, as the right hon. Gentleman indicates, contained in the export trade. It is not, I am glad to say, at present very large, and I hope that as a consequence of the negotiations which we have embarked upon, and which we have in mind to continue, it can be kept well within bounds.
§ Mr. DribergMr. Speaker, is it not clear from the events of last night and this afternoon that the party opposite—
§ Mr. Speaker rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerIf I am on my feet, everybody else should remain silent. I do not think the last supplementary question had anything to do with the Question on the Order Paper.