HC Deb 24 February 1949 vol 461 cc2026-9

The following Question stood upon the Order Paper in the name of Lieut.-Colonel SIR THOMAS MOORE:

80. To ask the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he is aware of the plight of ex-Service men of Eire nationality and residence, who volunteered and fought for Britain in the late war and who are now in great distress; and what plans His Majesty's Government have to ease their position.

Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. I am in a quandary about this Question and should like your guidance. As Eire has declared herself a foreign country by statute I, naturally, addressed this Question to the Foreign Secretary but, without any explanation, it was passed on or transferred to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. What has the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to do with a foreign country?

Mr. Speaker

I am not concerned with that. I am only concerned with trying to get an answer for the hon. and gallant Gentleman.

Sir T. Moore

I understood it was my right to address Ministers in regard to their own particular responsibilities. I asked a Question of the Foreign Secretary in regard to his responsibility. It was transferred to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, who has no responsibility for a foreign country such as Eire is. How, therefore, can I accept his answer?

Mr. Speaker

Well, then, we will go on to the next Question. Mr. Dodds-Parker.

Hon. Members

Oh!

Sir T. Moore

On a point of Order. Do I not get any answer either from the Foreign Secretary or from the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations?

Mr. Speaker

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman chooses to refuse to have an answer, I can do nothing else but go on to the next Question. I cannot indicate who will answer questions. That is not my business.

Mr. Stanley

With all respect, I did not hear the hon. and gallant Gentleman refuse to have the answer. He did put to you, Mr. Speaker, a case which I have heard put before: under what authority are Questions transferred from one Minister to another?

Mr. Speaker

As I have said before, we are informed who is the Minister responsible for answering the Question. I think the right hon. Gentleman is in error, because I understood the hon. and gallant Gentleman to say he could not accept an answer from the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. That is why I passed over the Question. Sir Thomas Moore.

Sir T. Moore

I want to make clear my position. What I said was, "How can I accept an answer from the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations?" If, however, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations is answering on behalf of the Foreign Secretary, then I will accept his answer.

Mr. Speaker

Might I suggest to the hon. and gallant Gentleman that, as a supplementary, he might ask the right hon. Gentleman who replies how it is that he is answering this Question?

The Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (Mr. Philip Noel-Baker)

If the hon. and gallant Member, or indeed any other hon. Member, will let me have particulars about any Eire ex-Service man who is in distress, I will always be glad to look into it, and to see if there is anything which we can do to help him to work in the United Kingdom, if he so desires.

Sir T. Moore

I am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for the answer he has given on behalf either of himself or the Foreign Secretary, but would he bear in mind that a great number of these ex-Service men, for whom I speak, left valuable jobs in Eire, got over the frontier or even deserted from the Eire Army, to join up and fight for us and now feel themselves completely ignored and forgotten? I will gladly give the right hon. Gentleman details of the cases for which he asks.

Mr. Noel-Baker

I am much obliged to the hon. and gallant Member. The Ministry of Labour have a liaison officer in Dublin, who will always be very glad to give help to any man in that position.

Mr. Wilson Harris

Does the fact that the right hon. Gentleman is answering the Question, mean that, in the view of the Government, Eire is still in the British Commonwealth?

Mr. Noel-Baker

No, Sir. It will be recalled that when the Prime Minister made a statement on this matter he said that in agreement with the other Governments of the Commonwealth it was recognised that Eire had left the Commonwealth, but we were not to regard it as being foreign—[Laughter]—Hon. Members who laugh can look up the statement—and, in consequence of that decision, I should continue to answer questions about Eire.