§ Mr. George Wigg (Dudley)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a short personal statement.
On Thursday, 9th December, the Prime Minister, when replying to a question, referred to me as an "Army schoolmaster." I wish, therefore, with your permission, to state that I joined the Regular Army as a private soldier and from the time of my enlistment until my discharge to pension as a non-commissioned officer I served in such capacities and at such stations as I was ordered to do by my superior officers.
At the outbreak of war, I volunteered to rejoin the Army and during my service I held a number of staff appointments, but at no time during my service, either commissioned or in the ranks, did hold the appointment of Army schoolmaster, although, Mr. Speaker, I should have done so with pride had I possessed the necessary qualifications.
§ The Prime Minister (Sir Winston Churchill)I certainly express my regret that I was misinformed upon the subject of the hon. Member being an Army schoolmaster, and this has been made all the more necessary by a letter which I have received from the President of the Ex-Army Schoolmasters' Association. I was very perturbed when I read—
§ Mr. Sydney Silverman (Nelson and Colne)On a point of order. Unless I am mistaken, Mr. Speaker, I thought that it had been repeatedly ruled that a personal statement was not debatable in any way.
§ Mr. SpeakerA personal statement is never debatable. If another hon. Member of this House is involved in the personal statement made by the Member, he is generally allowed to give his own view of the matter and to say whether he accepts it or not.
§ Mr. G. R. Mitchison (Kettering)Further to that point of order. I always understood, Sir, that if a right hon. or hon. Member wished to withdraw, he should withdraw simply and without reading the views on the matter of the President of the Ex-Army Schoolmasters' Association or anyone else.
§ Mr. Michael Foot (Plymouth, Devonport)Further to that point of order. Is it not a well-established custom of this House that there is one rule for the Prime Minister and another rule for the rest of the House?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member really should not make such a suggestion. I understood the Prime Minister to say that he expressed his regret to the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg), and was going to elaborate it with a statement, which, I thought, would probably be of interest and amusement to the House. If objection is taken to that, I must so rule.
§ The Prime MinisterI have expressed regret that I was misinformed on the subject. I was going to express regret in another direction from which I have also been reproached, but as it will be more for the convenience of the House—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—I will make it public in another way.
§ Several Hon. Membersrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerA personal statement is not debatable; we cannot go on with this.
§ Miss Irene Ward (Tynemouth)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You did state that if the House wished to hear the Prime Minister it would be interesting to the House. Am I not entitled to say that I should like to hear the Prime Minister?
§ Mr. WiggMay I make it quite clear, Sir, that I much prefer the Prime Minister's insults to his apologies, because I know that the insults are sincere.
§ Mr. SpeakerI cannot allow this to go on.