HC Deb 08 March 1951 vol 485 cc664-8
Mr. Eden

Will the Lord President of the Council tell us the business for next week?

The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)

Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:

MONDAY, 12TH MARCH—Supply (7th Allotted Day).

It is proposed to move Mr. Speaker out of the Chair on Navy Estimates, 1951–52, and to consider Votes A, 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13 and 15 in Committee.

TUESDAY, 13TH MARCH—Supply (8th Allotted Day).

Report stage of the Civil Vote on Account, which will be taken formally.

Debate on the Gambia Egg Scheme until 7 p.m. and afterwards a debate on the policy of the Durham County Council towards its employees and union membership. These debates will arise on Motions to be tabled by the Opposition.

WEDNESDAY, 14TH MARCH—Supply (9th Allotted Day).

Committee stage of Civil Supplementary Estimates beginning with Class IX., Vote 1, Ministry of Supply; Class VI., Vote 1, Board of Trade; Class IX., Vote 3, Ministry of Food.

At 9.30 p.m. the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Estimates and Supplementary Estimates required before the end of the financial year.

THURSDAY, 15TH MARCH—Supply (10th Allotted Day).

Report stage of Civil Supplementary Estimates beginning with Class VI, Vote 9, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Food Production Services); and Vote 21, Department of Agriculture for Scotland (Food Production Services); Class II, Vote 2, Foreign Office Grants and Services.

Report stage of Army, Navy and Air Estimates, 1951–52.

At 9.30 p.m. the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Estimates and Supplementary Estimates required before the end of the financial year.

Consideration of Double Taxation Orders.

FRIDAY, 16TH MARCH—Consideration of Private Members' Motions.

It may be convenient for me to inform the House that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will open his Budget on Tuesday, 10th April. Also that it is proposed to adjourn for the Easter Recess on Thursday, 22nd March, and meet again on Tuesday, 3rd April.

Mr. Eden

As regards Monday's business, I understand that the Government would prefer not to deal with the question of the Supreme Commander on that day but that they may at a later date have some information to give us on which we can have a discussion. The right hon. Gentleman knows that we did put off this debate previously at the request of the Government, and I should like to know if the Government can tell us, supposing that we do not discuss it on Monday, when they think that a discussion will be possible from their angle, apart from anything we may want to do?

Mr. Morrison

I am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman and for the cooperation of the Opposition in adjusting the day on which that subject would otherwise have been debated, namely today. I had hoped that we would, given a little more time, see a bigger picture of the various Commands under the Atlantic Treaty, but that has not taken place. The procedure is inevitably a little lengthy and, therefore, we are not ready. I think that the House could debate the matter more advantageously if it had a more complete picture. We would propose at a later date to publish a White Paper giving, I would hope, a fullish picture of the whole set-up, and the House could then debate it. The House will appreciate that it has to go to the Standing Group and the Defence Committee and the Governments that are concerned, so I do not think that it can be done this side of Easter. But I would assure the right hon. Gentleman that I should like it to be as soon as possible.

Mr. Eden

The right hon. Gentleman will accept that we have done our best to meet the Government on this difficulty, but I really cannot give an undertaking that we shall not raise the matter before Easter; the delay is really rather too long. So today all that we can say is that we will consider what the right hon. Gentleman has said, and perhaps further pursue the matter through the usual channels. But I do not want any misunderstanding. I cannot give any undertaking that we can possibly leave this matter over until after Easter.

Mr. Morrison

I am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman. I quite understand. He will accept that I am not trying to evade the issue or the House at all. I only wish the House to have as full a picture as possible of the mechanism in these matters. I do not think that it can be through before Easter but I cannot have any grievance if the Opposition want to debate it on Monday.

Mr. Eden

Is this an awful warning of what will happen in operational practice?

Mr. Morrison

Not at all. Heaven forbid that it should.

Mr. Churchill

We think it a very good suggestion that a White Paper should be published. I hope that it might be published at least the night before the debate so that we should have a chance of reading it. There would be no objection to that, would there?

Mr. Morrison

I presume that the right hon. Gentleman means before such a debate takes place.

Mr. Churchill

Yes.

Mr. Morrison

Of course if it takes place on Monday we cannot have a White Paper, but if we could agree about a further debate then the House certainly ought to have a White Paper before that debate takes place, even if only the night before.

Mr. Churchill

I understood that the Government have no further statement to make to us on this subject before Monday's debate, though if there was a White Paper Monday would naturally not be the date when that would be discussed. Certainly we would be ready to wait until the Government had their proposals completed but we would not agree to an indefinite putting off the matter until after Easter. I hope that when it is settled we shall have a White Paper, if possible, at least 24 hours before the debate takes place, as these matters require careful study.

Mr. Morrison

Yes. The position of the right hon. Gentleman is quite reasonable and we shall do our very best in that direction. We want to get the fullest picture possible as soon as we can. It is a question of what is possible. However, I do not dissent from what the right hon. Gentleman has said.

Mr. Hamilton

Would my right hon. Friend give any promise of time for a debate on the appointment of an American cox to the Oxford boat crew?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Does the fact that the business announced for next week does not include the Committee stage of the Supplies and Services (Defence Purposes) Bill, the Second Reading of which was taken on 21st February, indicate that the Government no longer regard it as an urgent Measure?

Mr. Morrison

I am very sorry that we have not been able to get that Bill through as quickly as we should, but I cannot be held responsible for that. The discussion in the House must be responsible.

Mr. Geoffrey Cooper

Can my right hon. Friend see any prospects of a debate on civil aviation at a fairly early date? We have not had one for some time.

Mr. Morrison

I am afraid not, unless it happens to come up some time on a Supply Day.

Brigadier Prior-Palmer

During the debate on Class Z reservists the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour read out a very long and complicated statement about reserved occupations. Would it be possible to have time to debate that before the Easter Recess?

Mr. Morrison

As I understand it, when the Bill was in Committee my hon. Friend, with the authority of the Minister of Labour, obtained permission to make such a statement on Third Reading, and he made it, and the Bill was open to debate. I cannot see that any further debate on it is necessary.

Professor Savory

When does the right hon. Gentleman propose to lay before the House the Indemnity Bill for the former hon. Member for West Belfast?

Mr. Morrison

Quite shortly, Sir. I hope the hon. Gentleman put the question in a friendly spirit, in which case we can leave it there—otherwise I could say something else. But it will be quite soon.

Brigadier Prior-Palmer

On this question of the statement by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, I think you, Mr. Speaker, ruled at the time that it was not debatable in that debate on Third Reading of the Bill. It was read at great speed and we could hardly hear what was being said. We have read it since, and it is really very important that we should get a chance to discuss it.

Mr. Morrison

Either it could be raised on the Adjournment some time—[HON. MEMBERS: Oh!"]—or it could be raised on Supply. But I do not think it would be reasonable, in the existing circumstances, to expect the Government to give special time for it.