HC Deb 22 October 1952 vol 505 cc1004-5
46. Mr. Emrys Hughes

asked the Prime Minister if he will publish his speech made at the Pilgrims' dinner on 14th October as a White Paper.

The Prime Minister

Sir, it is not usual to issue to the House of Commons as White Papers the speeches of Prime Ministers or other Ministers.

However complimentary the hon. Member's wish may be, I should not like to claim unusual privilege on this occasion.

Mr. Hughes

In view of the fact that this was rather an unusual speech, in which the Prime Minister said that the next war would be entirely different from any other war that had ever taken place; that the main decisions would be taken in the first month or the first week, and that there would be indescribable torments of the civilian population, could not the Prime Minister amplify this and circulate it to the various Services so that we can have a recasting of our defence strategy?

The Prime Minister

There were a certain number of sentences in this speech to which I gave a great deal of thought. If the hon. Gentleman has any passage in mind about which he wishes to be informed, if he would put down a Question I could give him that passage—if it were not too lengthy—in the ordinary way as a circulated answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.