BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 3 April 1952)

§ Mr. C. R. Attlee
May I ask the Leader of the House the business for next week?

§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Harry Crookshank)
The business for next week will be as follows:
MONDAY, 7TH APRIL—Second Reading: Finance Bill.
TUESDAY, 8TH APRIL—We shall resume the Committee stage of the National Health Service Bill.
I hope that by the end of Tuesday we shall have made good progress with the Committee stage of this Bill, and with good will and co-operation I think we may have dealt with all the important issues which arise on the early Clauses.
I recognise that a further day may be required, and accordingly leave open the question of Wednesday's business.
THURSDAY, 10TH APRIL—It is proposed to meet at 11 a.m. and Questions will be taken until 12 noon.

§ Mr. Attlee
In view of the Second Reading of the Finance Bill, could the Chancellor of the Exchequer make his statement about the gold reserves tomorrow? Also, could the right hon. Gentleman say when the Government propose to issue the Economic Survey for the year?

§ Mr. Crookshank
My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make the statement tomorrow. I understand that the Economic White Paper will be available to hon. Members on Saturday. It will be presented tomorrow.

§ Mr. Hugh Gaitskell
Do I understand from the right hon. Gentleman that the Economic Survey is to be published tomorrow?

§ Mr. Crookshank
I understood that it was being presented tomorrow.

§ Mr. Douglas Jay
Is that a categorical undertaking from the right hon. Gentleman to give us the Economic Survey on Saturday?

Hon. Members
Answer.

§ Mr. Crookshank
I apologise to the House. I received a message—perhaps we are talking about a different paper—but the Economic Survey was the paper which I understood the right hon. Gentleman was asking about—

§ Mr. I. Mikardo
Sort it out.

§ Mr. Crookshank
The statement will be presented tomorrow. It will be available on Saturday, so that hon. Members will have it before the debate on Monday.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
I am glad that is to be the case. That being so, could I ask when the White Paper on the balance of payments will be made available?

§ Mr. Crookshank
I apologise to the House. This matter has only been put to me within the last two minutes and it is a little difficult to sort out which it is. [An HON. MEMBER: "Unimportant."] It is not unimportant, but there are two documents under consideration. The statement about the gold reserves is to be made tomorrow. I had not appreciated that there was any White Paper in connection with it, but if the right hon. Gentleman understands there is to be one, and has asked for it, that is another matter. The other paper which was in my mind was the Economic Survey. Perhaps there is some last minute hitch about it; I do not know. I had understood that was to be available on Saturday morning.

Hon. Members
Muddle.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
Could we, then, have, later today, or at any rate tomorrow morning, a clear statement as to what White Papers are to be available. Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that at this time of year, at the beginning of April, it is customary to issue both the balance of White Paper—[Laughter]—I am sorry, the balance of payments White Paper. I am afraid, Mr. Speaker, that sometimes there is an infection of muddle across the Table. May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not agree that we really ought to have at this time of year, as we usually do, both the White Paper on the balance of payments, covering the last six months of the previous year, and also the Economic Survey?

§ Mr. Crookshank
I think I have it clear. I apologise most sincerely if I 1912 inadvertently misled anybody. It is the balance of payments White Paper which is to be presented tomorrow and will be available on Monday, but the Chancellor will be making a statement tomorrow. I will report to my right hon. Friend the right hon. Gentleman's view as to the desirability of the early publication of the other White Paper, but that is not the one for tomorrow.

§ Mr. Jay
Is it not very unsatisfactory to have not merely the Budget debate, but the Second Reading of the Finance Bill, without the Economic Survey? Is this confusion between the Leader of the House and the Financial Secretary due to more disagreements within the Government, or just to general muddle?

§ Mr. Crookshank
No, Sir, but the right hon. Gentleman will realise that the Budget was brought forward this year to an unexpectedly early date—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why? "]—which, obviously, affected the publication of the Survey in view of the figures in it.

§ Mr. Herbert Morrison
It has been customary for some years now for there to be Economic White Paper. [An HON. MEMBER: "Your invention."] I agree, and a very good invention, too. It has been customary for it to be issued in connection with the Budget. Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether or not there is any doubt as to the continuance of the Economic Survey, and whether we are to have one at all? I gather from him that it is not too clear, but I hope he can assure us that an Economic Survey is coming at an early date.

§ Mr. Crookshank
The reason there is a change in the dates, as the right hon. Gentleman apparently still does not follow, is that the Budget was brought forward. Therefore, documents which were made available last year and the year before and the year before that in time for the Finance Bill could not possibly be available in the same way now. For example, two years ago the Finance Bill was not taken until the middle of May. The figures which referred to the full year and were, therefore, under discussion, in so far as they were relevant in the Finance Bill, were then available, but they could not possibly be available by the first week in April. That is the difficulty.

§ Mr. Ralph Assheton
In view of the fact that the Economic Surveys of recent years have contained so many misleading statements, and have proved, in the event, to be so inaccurate in their prophesies, might we not get along better with the debate on Monday if we did not have one?

§ Mr. H. Morrison
The right hon. Gentleman need not worry—we shall not get it for Monday. Is it not the case that this Survey has usually been published before the Budget—I appreciate the change in the Budget date—but at any rate by the last week in March or the first week in April? I should still like to know from the right hon. Gentleman whether we are to get it or whether he is surrendering to the anarchist philosophy which comes from the other side?

§ Mr. Aneurin Bevan
In view of the fact that the Government have such limited time for extremely urgent business, would it not be desirable to postpone the passage of the National Health Service Bill? There is no general anxiety to proceed with the Bill.

§ Mr. Crookshank
We are proceeding with that this afternoon.

§ Mr. Bevan
Does the right hon. Gentleman hope, then, that he will have accommodation over the Army and Air Force (Annual) Bill?

§ Mr. Niall Macpherson
May I point out that the Economic White Paper last year came out during Easter week and that Easter was exceedingly late?

§ Mr. Eric Fletcher
I should like to ask the Leader of the House, first, what are the Government's intentions in regard to the future of the Army and Air Force (Annual) Bill, in respect of which there are still a great many Amendments and new Clauses down for consideration, and, second, when the House will have an opportunity of considering the White Paper on the Lisbon Conference?

§ Mr. Crookshank
That has to be published before it can be discussed.

§ Mr. Fletcher
The White Paper was published ten days ago.

§ Mr. Crookshank
My reply was the reply which I gave on the previous occasion. I was merely repeating it. I 1914 said then that after the White Paper had been published it would be necessary, if the House desired it, and as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary indicated, to have a debate. But it will not be next week. The debate on the Army and Air Force (Annual) Bill will be continued this evening, after the conclusion of business at 10 o'clock.

§ Mr. I. Mikardo
Can the right hon. Gentleman confirm or deny a story contained in one of the more imaginative newspapers today to the effect that he is planning a continuous three days' Sitting, and will he be assured that if he is planning such an event a number of my hon. Friends are in very good training for it?

§ Major H. Legge-Bourke
Arising out of the question of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Bevan), will my right hon. Friend consider bringing forward that part of the Army Act concerned with the reading of the Riot Act, for the benefit of the Opposition?

Hon. Members
Oh.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. There is an unusual amount of noise for so early in the afternoon.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Bing
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House about an entirely non-contentious Measure—the Customs and Excise Bill? If it were possible to get general agreement to pass that Measure through all its stages, I suggest that it would assist hon. Members who are putting down Amendments for the Committee stage of the Finance Bill, because we should be able to amend it from the Customs and Excise Bill. I know that there are a great many Amendments which hon. Members seek to make to that Measure, and it is awkward if we have to go back to past Finance Bills for that purpose.

§ Mr. Crookshank
It is not down for next week, but I note what the hon. and learned Gentleman has said.

§ Mr. T. Driberg
When the right hon. Gentleman is considering future business, either for next Wednesday or another day, will he bear in mind the importance of having a debate on the situation in Malaya, especially in view of the 1915 deterioration of that situation, aggravated by the new and more ruthless policy now being pursued?

§ Mr. Crookshank
Yes, Sir. I have no doubt that will be a very suitable subject for a Supply Day when we return.

§ Mr. Cyril Osborne
I should like to ask the Leader of the House if Monday's business is exempted? If not, would he consider giving an extra hour, as there are so many hon. Members wishing to take part? Second, would he consider whether it is really worth while issuing an Economic Survey, since the forecasts in all the previous five Surveys have proved to be inaccurate?

§ Mr. Crookshank
The Finance Bill is exempted business.