§ 46. Mr. Osborneasked the Lord President of the Council if, in view of the serious position abroad and the grave economic position at home, he will now introduce legislation to enable him to suspend all further work on the Festival of Britain and postpone its opening in order to concentrate the nation's will power on the problems of rearmament and greater production.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonSince the hon. Member put down this Question he has stated his views in the discussion on the motion for the Third Reading of the Festival of Britain (Sunday Opening) Bill and I see 979 no reason to differ from the answer which the House had already given him on that occasion.
§ Mr. OsborneMay I ask the Lord Chancellor—[Laughter.]—I mean the Lord President—[HON. MEMBERS: "The Lord Festival."]—what he personally thinks we have to be festive about, either in Korea or in the coal mines; and since the position has altered so drastically since the proposal was first put forward, will not he reconsider the decision?
§ Mr. MorrisonI quite agree there is plenty to be anxious about in the state of the world, but we do not know how long this anxiety without large-scale war is going on, and I suggest that hon. Members might take the broad view—I think most hon. Members do—that in this situation, which may continue, it is profoundly important that we should keep the self-respect and morale of the British people on a high level.