HC Deb 13 June 1951 vol 488 cc2308-13
Mr. Eden

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he will make a statement about the termination of Mrs. Felton's membership of the Stevenage Development Corporation.

The Minister of Local Government and Planning (Mr. Dalton)

Yes, Sir. I have dismissed Mrs. Monica Felton from her post as Chairman of the Stevenage Development Corporation and from membership of the Corporation, because, in my judgment, she is unfitted to continue to hold this appointment.

She was warned as long ago as 20th March last that the Public Accounts Committee of this House would require her presence on 7th June in order to answer questions regarding the Stevenage Development Corporation. She failed to appear before the Committee on this date, not having returned from her travels abroad. I understand that the failure of a witness to appear before this Committee, except on grounds of ill-health, is without precedent. It is, in any case, a grave discourtesy to this House. In my view, it was Mrs. Felton's duty to subordinate all other arrangements, whether public or private, whether at home or abroad, to this summons from the Public Accounts Committee.

When Mrs. Felton left England on 29th April, bound for North Korea, I had received no information that she intended to go abroad. Nor had she informed the Deputy Chairman of the Stevenage Development Corporation, Mr. J. Corina, nor the General Manager of the Corporation, General A. C. Duff. She thus made no arrangements for the carrying on of her duties during her absence. She was absent from a meeting of the Corporation on 29th May, no reason having been given either to the Deputy Chairman or the General Manager. They had no knowledge of her movements apart from Press reports that she was in the Far East. The Corporation met again yesterday. I instructed Mrs. Felton not to attend this meeting, as I was giving consideration to her position as Chairman.

I consider that she has shown neglect of duty which renders her unfit to continue to hold the post from which I have dismissed her.

Mr. Eden

There is one point on which I hope that the right hon. Gentleman can enlighten us. I understand that Mrs. Felton went on this journey without his knowledge or the knowledge of those who were her immediate superiors in the work she was doing. Can he tell us whether any facilities were granted to her by the Foreign Office or any other Government Department to carry out this journey; and how it comes about that a person in that position should have been making this particular journey in a territory against which our armies are fighting, without, of course, paying a courtesy call on the British troops on the other side of the line?

Mr. Dalton

I have no knowledge about that point. That is a question which should, I think, be addressed to the Foreign Secretary, but I did state that she left without my being informed. I wish to add that my departmental duty is to secure the efficient administration of new towns. From that point of view it is a matter of total indifference to me whether Mrs. Felton was absent in Hollywood or the Riviera or anywhere else. The point to me is that she was absent, and neglected her functions.

Mr. Eric Fletcher

May we take it from what my right hon. Friend has said, which has thrown a good deal of new light on this matter, that the dismissal of Mrs. Felton is not related in any way to her presumably perfect right to express her views to the Press.

Mr. Dalton

She neglected her duty to the New Town Corporation.

Sir Peter Macdonald

Will inquiries be made into the circumstances under which this woman was appointed to this very responsible position? Is it not a fact that this woman has held Communist sympathies all the time she has held this and other posts under the Government?

Mr. Dalton

I have no reason to think so, and even if I did it would be totally irrelevant to my decision.

Mr. Bellenger

As my right hon. Friend has stated that this lady was guilty of a grievous dereliction of duty, might I ask whether her appointment was a full-time one and whether her salary was in operation until the date when he dismissed her?

Mr. Dalton

The appointments of all chairmen of new town corporations are part-time appointments. Mrs. Felton's salary, which is £1,500 a year, was paid up to yesterday, when it ceased.

Mr. Eden

I think the House generally will recognise that normal travel abroad and the free expression of opinion are not matters for this House to consider, but is the right hon. Gentleman sure that it is in order for a Government official to travel abroad on a visit to enemy territory, or a matter of that kind? Is not that the concern of the Government?

Mr. Dalton

I chose my words very carefully. I spoke of my own departmental responsibility. What I said, and what I repeat, is that my departmental responsibility is to secure the efficient management of new towns, and the reasons Mrs. Felton has been dismissed by me are the reasons given in my answer. Incidentally, she is not a Government official.

Mr. Eden

Will the right hon. Gentleman accept it from me that it is hard for many of us to believe that the reasons were limited to the answer which he has given?

Mr. Speaker

Hon. Members will be aware that, although it is unofficial, this subject is down for debate on the Adjournment, I think tomorrow night.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

On a point of order. I wish to make it quite clear that I entirely agree with the steps taken; but is it not a fact that the proceedings of a Select Committee or what happens at a Select Commitee are privileged and must remain confidential until the proceedings of that Committee have been reported to this House, and is it not important that that rule should be maintained?

Mr. Speaker

Perhaps a report has been made to this House; I have no knowledge about that. I am afraid I cannot answer that question without notice.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

As a matter of principle, Mr. Speaker, will you not confirm that the proceedings of any Select Committee are privileged until they have been reported to the House?

Mr. Speaker

That is perfectly true. Proceedings that are not reported to the House are not to be mentioned.

Mr. McAllister

On a point of order. I am sure that the House will be delighted with the assurance of my right hon. Friend that the dismissal of Mrs. Monica Felton was on the grounds of Departmental responsibility and her neglect of duty—[Interruption.]—and that no question of the views she expressed on return from her journeys abroad was involved in the decision that was reached.

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order; nor may one make speeches, but only ask questions.

Mr. McAllister

I apologise. May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not agree with me—[HON. MEMBERS: "Order."] I wonder Mr. Speaker, if I might make it clear, in an aside to hon. Members opposite, that I am not raising a point of order. I am rising to ask a question. The question I should like to ask my right hon. Friend is this: Does he not agree with the right hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Eden) and with myself that the House and the country will be left in the gravest doubt whether this is not one of the gravest attacks on civil liberties that we have seen, and is my right hon. Friend not aware that one point in his statement is not entirely accurate and that Mrs. Monica Felton did in fact inform the General Manager of the Stevenage Corporation that she was leaving on foreign travel?

Mr. Dalton

Nobody who reads my answer will fail, I hope, to understand it. I repeat yet once more that the reason for the action I have taken is to prevent the affairs of the new town from being mismanaged through neglect of duty—that, and only that.

Earl Winterton

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Farnham (Mr. Nicholson) has raised a most important question affecting the whole position of Select Committees. May I put it in this form: Perhaps you would look into the matter because, so far as I am aware, there is no previous instance of a Minister announcing to the House an action which has taken place in Select Committee. [Interruption.] It is no use hon. Gentlemen opposite getting angry. This is a matter which affects the rights of the House and is not a party matter at all.

I should like you, Mr. Speaker, to look into the matter, because I understood you to say, in reply to my hon. Friend, that it was quite true that the proceedings of a Select Committee could not be disclosed in this House without the permission of the Chairman of the Select Committee; in other words, without a statement to the House by the Chairman of the Select Committee. I am not making any criticism of the Minister, but here is an announcement that something has happened in a Select Committee—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Certainly. I am raising a point of order. I am not the least concerned about the opinions of hon. Gentlemen opposite; I am speaking to Mr. Speaker. I should like you, Mr. Speaker, if you will, to look into this matter.

Sir Ian Fraser rose—

Earl Winterton

Can you give a decision, Mr. Speaker?

Sir I. Fraser

Further to the point of order, may I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to consider whether the non-appearance of a witness is a proceeding?

Mr. Speaker

I have been asked to consider these various matters. All I can say is that I will consider them. I cannot give an answer now.

Mr. Woodburn

During your consideration of this matter, Mr. Speaker, will you consult Rulings given during the war with regard to the Select Committee on National Expenditure, where it was ruled that witnesses giving evidence or asked to give evidence must inform their Minister; that it was no longer the right of a Select Committee to ask Departmental chiefs or anyone representing a Ministry to come here without the knowledge of the Ministry; and therefore the Minister must know what people in the charge of his Department are doing?

Mr. Speaker

I will have the matter looked into. I shall have all these points considered and let the House know.

Mr. E. Fletcher

Would you consider one other point, Mr. Speaker. As you indicated, the dismissal of Mrs. Monica Felton is the subject of the Adjournment debate one day this week. I had previously understood that a Question by Private Notice could not be put if the matter was coming up in the immediate future on the Adjournment. Would you therefore, Mr. Speaker, be good enough to indicate to the House the circumstances in which Questions like these can be asked by Private Notice?

Mr. Speaker

This matter, as I said, is being raised on the Adjournment by, I think, the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. C. S. Taylor). He may change the subject. It is only unofficial. It is merely for the guidance of Members. It is at the back of the Chair, and it is not on the Order Paper, and therefore the subject does not rule out Questions, as suggested by the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. E. Fletcher).