§ 45. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Prime Minister if he will introduce legislation which will enable His Majesty's Government to take action against Communist agitation on the lines of the action recently taken by the Governments of India and of France.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)No, Sir. His Majesty's Government do not consider that any amendment of the law for this purpose is either necessary or desirable.
§ Sir W. SmithersDoes the right hon. Gentleman really mean business about his anti-Communist campaign? Is he aware that I am forced to the conclusion that he is a fellow-traveller?
§ Mr. AttleeI do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has studied the somewhat drastic measures that are being taken by Provincial Governments in India, and whether he and his party generally support the power to detain without trial on suspicion of subversive activities, and a number of other things which are generally regarded as rather dangerous here.