HC Deb 28 October 1948 vol 457 cc240-1
The Prime Minister

I beg to move, That Mr. Bowles be the Deputy-Chairman of Ways and Means. The House heard last Tuesday, with much regret, of the resignation of Mr. Beaumont from the office of Deputy-Chairman. We are all indebted to him for the services which he has rendered and wish him a speedy recovery. The hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Bowles), who is proposed as his successor, has been a Member of the House since 1942, a Member of the Chairman's Panel since 1945, and has experience of Committee procedure upstairs, having been nominated by Mr. Speaker as Chairman of Committees which have considered important Bills. I believe the hon. Member has acquitted himself well in the conduct of this business.

Mr. Eden

I have already expressed —and I repeat now—our deep regret at the resignation which makes this change necessary. It is well known to Members of the House who have long experience of these matters that the choice of an hon. Member to be Chairman or Deputy-Chairman of Ways and Means is one which is always made by the Government of the day without consultation and without any previous notice to the House. The practice used to be that the resignation and appointment took effect on the same day, and the Prime Minister will probably remember that in 1943, when I was Leader of the House, and you, Mr. Speaker, were appointed Chairman of Ways and Means, we created a precedent then by allowing for a delay of one day before the new appointment was made following the announcement of the resignation.

All I wish to do now is to suggest to the Prime Minister that these appointments, although technically entirely the Government's responsibility, do affect the House of Commons as a whole. It is for consideration for the future whether it might not be well for that interval to be a little prolonged and for there to be some form of consultation with the House, as there is in connection with your appointment, Mr. Speaker, although that cannot, of course affect the final responsi- bility of the Government in any decision which is taken.

The Prime Minister

We have been following precedent in this matter. There has been an interval, but I am certainly ready to give full consideration to the right hon. Gentleman's suggestion.

Mr. Eden

Thank you very much.

Question put, and agreed to.