HC Deb 28 October 1952 vol 505 cc1741-8
The Prime Minister

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I will now make the statement to which I referred at Question time.

Although I am willing to answer these Questions, the House must understand that there are many points connected with the Coronation of which the Prime Minister or the Cabinet are by no means the sole judges. According to precedent and custom, the arrangements are made by the Coronation Commission, which contains representatives of the Commonwealth countries, of all political parties in the United Kingdom, and various high functionaries, including the Earl Marshal, who has special hereditary duties. The Chairman is the Duke of Edinburgh.

I cannot, therefore, on behalf of myself and my Cabinet colleagues, accept direct or undue responsibility for the conclusions which are reached, after much careful thought, and which, while preserving the traditions of our ancient Monarchy, have no aim but the public welfare and happiness in the many realms owing allegiance to the Crown.

In principle, all valid proposals are discussed by the Coronation Joint Committee, presided over by the Earl Marshal. It is not practicable for all the members of the Commission to be members of this Committee, but all are consulted in the sense that they are informed of what the Committee are proposing, and have full opportunity to make comments before the conclusions are ratified by the Coronation Commission.

In the case of the announcement made last week, no comments or dissent had been received from any members of the Commission, who had been asked to make any such observations before the 21st of July. It is not therefore correct to say that the Commission was not consulted on the announcement, which was made in due course by the Earl Marshal.

However, matters of this complex character, with many novel features, may well be reviewed as the event approaches. There is I feel a broad general opinion, in this country at least—though, as I have said, I accept no personal responsibility for pronouncing—that fuller advantage should be taken of the modern mechanical arrangements now available through television, to enable the many millions of people outside the Abbey to see what is seen by the congregation of notables in the Abbey. I am speaking of the general congregation and not of course of what is seen by the high ecclesiastical dignitaries and State functionaries, whose duties require them to be close to the Sovereign.

It is our hope that it will prove possible in practice to carry into effect the principle that the world should see and hear what the congregation in the Abbey see and hear. But the detailed arrangements will involve highly complicated technical problems which may in themselves raise new issues of principle. Certainly, it would be unfitting that the whole ceremony, not only in its secular but also in its religious and spiritual aspects, should be presented as if it were a theatrical performance.

I believe it would be for the public advantage if the Coronation Commission were to consider any new report which later knowledge and study permit the Earl Marshal's Committee to make to them. More than that I do not feel entitled to say this afternoon, and I am sure it would not be in the public interest that Parliament should become an active debating centre for issues of this character. Above all, let me make it clear the responsibility rests collectively with the Coronation Commission, one of whose duties it is to ensure that the Queen herself is not brought into any form of controversy on the many points about which it is inevitable that opinions should differ.

Mr. Reeves

Does not the Prime Minister feel that, at least, the responsibility does rest upon him to articulate the general view held throughout the country that, in a special way, it is reasonable under the circumstances that the people of this country may be able to see the Coronation Service in the same way as those who are privileged and have a special right to be present?

The Prime Minister

That is what I said, with such command of English as I possess.

Captain Waterhouse

May I ask my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister whether, seeing that he has indicated that he will get the Coronation Commission to review certain arrangements, he will also ask them to review the route of the Coronation procession, with a view to possibly extending it down the Embankment, up Fleet Street and into the Strand—

Mr. Speaker

That is another question.

The Prime Minister

All these kinds of matters are still undergoing consideration, and I am not in a position to give any further information at the moment.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Is it not clear that the original decision to ban television was taken by a small number of advisers completely out of touch with public sentiment, and, in those circum- stances and in order to remove as far as possible any feeling of doubt or resentment, will the Prime Minister do his best to get the ban modified after full and proper consultation with all the interests concerned as, apparently, such full and proper consultation has not yet taken place?

The Prime Minister

That is not true. The actual decision that was made public, and which may well be modified, was sent beforehand to all the members of the Coronation Commission, including all parties, and they were asked, if they had any comments or dissents to make, to let them be known by 21st July.

Mr. H. Morrison

I am a member of the Coronation Committee of the Privy Council which, I gather, is another body from the Coronation Commission and does not carry membership of the Commission with it. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition is a member of the Coronation Commission, but he does not recall any specific request—[An HON. MEMBER: "Let him answer for himself."] I am speaking for my right hon. Friend. Surely one is entitled to the ordinary courtesy when the Prime Minister has asked that this matter shall not be one of party political controversy. My right hon. Friend does not remember receiving a specific request for his opinion. It is possible, of course, that the Committee recorded a decision subject to people making observations, but that is rather a different matter. What I want to ask the Prime Minister—

The Prime Minister

Would it be a different matter if that record of opinion were sent individually and personally to the member concerned?

Mr. Morrison

If minutes of a committee are circulated with all the papers we receive, that is a different matter from a specific letter asking whether—I am speculating a little bit, I admit—my right hon. Friend agreed or disagreed with a certain course. I can only say that my right hon. Friend has no recollection of such a communication being received.

What I want to ask the Prime Minister is this. It has been stated in the Press that the Cabinet were asked for an opinion and gave it. If that is so, will the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to state what were the Cabinet's opinion and advice, and what were the reasons for that advice. I do not want to be party political about this, but may I ask the right hon. Gentleman—[Laughter.] If the Goverinment benches want to be party political about it, then, of course, we can act accordingly, but it is a matter upon which we do not wish to be party political. As I say, if the Government benches wish it to be so, then it will be a free for all.

What I am asking the Prime Minister is this. Is it true as the Press have stated, that the Cabinet have expressed an opinion against television? If so, what was the reason. Surely there can be no objection to a straight television record for the benefit of the millions of the public who are not able to be there, and surely the British Broadcasting Corporation can be trusted to do the thing in a responsible spirit and responsible way? Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that this thing is really going to be put right?

The Prime Minister

I have armed myself with the actual text of the communication sent round. It begins: The attached first report of the Coronation Joint Committee and of the Coronation Executive Committee is circulated by direction of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and the Lord President of the Council as chairmen, respectively, of the Coronation Commission and of the Coronation Committee of the Privy Council to members of those bodies. It is assumed that members of the Coronation Commission and of the Coronation Committee of the Privy Council will not desire that a formal meeting should be summoned at this stage. In the absence of comment by 21st July, His Royal Highness and Lord Wootton, respectively, propose to assume that the Commission and Committee of the Council approve of the report. I am not making any case against the Leader of the Opposition. He had, no doubt, a great many papers to consider and a great many other topics which press upon him from time to time. I am not making any reproaches at all, but I think that with a body so very large as the Coronation Commission and composed as it is, it is impossible for everybody to be called together to discuss each of the thousand points which may occur in this. The only way is to make general reports from the Committee, and if anybody wants to raise a matter then it will be raised. If, for instance, the right hon. Gentleman had said that he was not sure about this and would like it considered, I cannot conceive for a moment that, coming from him above all others and representing as he does one of the great parties of the State, it would not have received immediate attention.

Mr. Lewis

On a point of order. May I ask for your advice and ruling, Mr. Speaker? I placed Question No. 52 on the Order Paper and at the request of the Prime Minister—he asked me among others to await his statement at the end of Questions—I have waited patiently and listened to the whole of his statement, but I have not discovered any answer to my Question. My right hon. Friend the Deputy-Leader of the Opposition rose a few moments ago and put to the right hon. Gentleman exactly the point contained in my Question. Again, the Prime Minister did not answer the question put to him by my right hon. Friend. May I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what action I can take to get my Question answered by the Prime Minister?

Mr. Speaker

I am not aware that that is a point of order, and I have repeatedly stated that it is impossible for the Speaker to compel an answer to a Question. That does not lie within his power. I called the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) because he rose, and he was quite entitled to ask the same question as that put by the hon. Member who has raised the point of order. But, beyond that, I cannot go; I cannot compel answers.

Mr. Lewis

May I now ask my supplementary, as is customary, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member may do that. I was about to call him in any case because he had one of the original Questions.

Mr. Lewis

Will the Prime Minister categorically confirm or deny that it was the Cabinet's advice to the appropriate committee that the Coronation ceremony should not be televised? May I have a definite answer to that?

The Prime Minister

I have nothing to add to the general statement I have made which covers the whole subject.

Mr. Morrison

It has been freely stated in the Press that the Cabinet expressed an opinion. If I may say so, my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. A. Lewis) is on a perfectly fair point. Will not the Prime Minister be forthcoming and frank to the House? Did the Cabinet express an opinion against television and, if so, on what grounds did they do so? We are entitled to know in view of the fact that this was apparently officially inspired.

The Prime Minister

The Cabinet, of course, tendered their opinion to the Commission.

Hon. Members

What was it?

The Prime Minister

I am not going to state in detail and without the necessary documents in matters of this kind. The opinions tendered by Members of the Government or by myself or by Members of the other parties who are associated with the Coronation Commission are confidential opinions, not that I have the slightest fear in disclosing what the facts are. Only those need have fear who are trying to vulgarise the whole proceeding. I think it would be acting contrary to custom if I tried to disclose individual expressions of opinion on these matters and therefore I shall not do so.

Mr. Lewis

I rise to a point of order, Mr. Speaker, to ask your Ruling. On Question No. 52 the Prime Minister definitely said that with permission he would answer my Question at the end of Questions with a statement. In view of that I willingly agreed to withhold my Question until the end in order to obtain an answer in the statement.

With respect, the Prime Minister has completely ignored and evaded the Question. He now refuses completely to answer the Question and I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what remedy I have. [Interruption.] I also ask you if I can be permitted to put my point of order to you without a continuing barrage from hon. Members on the benches opposite. Can I ask you what remedy I have got to prevent the Prime Minister from evading his responsibility to the House when he asks the permission of the House to answer a Question later and then refuses to give the answer?

Mr. Speaker

I have already answered that point of order. May I make an appeal and make a suggestion to the House? We ought to remember that what we are discussing is the Coronation and some time must necessarily elapse. I think that it would be in the general interest and that I would be interpreting the wishes of the House aright if I said that we should pass from this business now.

Mr. Shinwell

I wish to ask for your Ruling, Mr. Speaker. The Prime Minister has categorically refused to say whether the Cabinet to which he is responsible and of which he is the head has tendered any advice on this subject raised in the House. [HON. MEMBERS: "He did say."] Well, the Prime Minister has refused to say what was the nature of the advice which the Cabinet tendered on this matter. I wish to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether Members of Parliament have not the right to extract from the Government information on actions taken by the Government on any particular issue?

Mr. Speaker

It is well established that if a Minister does not answer there is no power in the House to make him. All that can be done is to put down a Motion so that it can be discussed. That is the only remedy that I know.

Mr. Lee

I was one of the hon. Members who deferred to the wishes of the Prime Minister and had my Question postponed from yesterday to today. Am I allowed a supplementary question?

Mr. Speaker

Really there have been so many additional supplementary questions from hon. Members and right hon. Gentlemen on the Front Bench that I ask the hon. Member to defer to my wishes in this matter. The Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister

In my lengthy and very carefully considered answer which I gave I showed the diverse forces and elements represented in our national life who were associated with the Coronation Commission—

Mr. Lee

On a point of order. I deferred to your wishes, Mr. Speaker, that I should not ask a supplementary question because you thought this matter had gone on long enough. The right hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister is taking up a lot of time in making speeches and—

Mr. Speaker

I called on the right hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister in order that he should move the Motion standing in his name. The Prime Minister.