HC Deb 11 February 1954 vol 523 cc1371-8
Mr. H. Morrison

May I ask the Leader of the House to be good enough to state the business which it is proposed to take next week.

The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. Harry Crookshank)

The business for next week will be as follows:

MONDAY, 15TH FEBRUARY—Supply [2nd allotted Day]:

Debate on Roads.

TUESDAY, 16TH FEBRUARY—Supply [3rd allotted Day]: Committee.

Civil Supplementary Estimates contained in House of Commons Paper No. 76, beginning with:

Class VIII, Vote 9, Ministry of Food.

Class VIII, Votes 1 and 2, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Food Production Services).

Class VI, Vote 10, Ministry of Supply.

Class II, Vote 1, Foreign Office.

WEDNESDAY, 17TH FEBRUARY AND THURSDAY, 18TH FEBRUARY—Report and Third Reading: Cotton Bill, until 7 o'clock on Thursday.

Committee and remaining stages: Royal Irish Constabulary (Widows' Pensions) Bill.

Report and Third Reading: Industrial Diseases (Benefit) Bill.

Third Reading: Hill Farming Bill.

FRIDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY—Private Members' Motions.

We shall ask the House to take today the Money Resolution which the Government have agreed to give to facilitate the progress of the Slaughter of Animals (Amendment) Bill, a Private Member's Bill which will shortly begin its Committee stage.

Mr. H. Morrison

I should like to raise two points with the right hon. Gentleman. One concerns the Drogheda Report on the Overseas Information Services. Can we know whether it is the Government's intention to publish it or, in the alternative, to publish a White Paper setting out their views on the policy and the facts of the Overseas Information Services, and if so, whether they will at the same time include a section on the Home Information Services, as this would be a suitable time for a statement on their scope, on Government policy about safeguards for impartiality, and so on? If the right hon. Gentleman could inform me about this, I should be much obliged.

With regard to the business on Wednesday and Thursday, when we are to take the Report stage and Third Reading of the Cotton Bill until 7 o'clock on Thursday, can the Leader of the House say what decisions the Government have reached about putting right the illegal expenditure that has taken place; is it to be done in this Bill instead of in an Indemnity Bill, which I would prefer; and has he allowed for that in the allotted time of one and a half days?

Mr. Crookshank

On the first point about the Drogheda Report, I will give my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs an account of the representations which the right hon. Gentleman has made about having it published or producing a White Paper. I think it has already been said in the House that publication of a White Paper was not precluded. I have also taken a note of the point about the Home Information Services.

The time allotted for the Report stage and Third Reading of the Cotton Bill was fixed after taking into account what we have to do. The Government, of course, have carefully gone into the issue which was raised by the right hon. Gentleman about the possibility of an Indemnity Bill, and we are advised by those who are most learned in these matters that the moving of suitable Amendments to the existing Cotton Bill would be not only within the Long Title, but would also be according to precedent, since it has happened on other occasions when somewhat similar circumstances arose. That is the course of procedure the Government will ask the House to adopt.

Mr. H. Wilson

Since there was an understanding that there were to be one and a half days for the Report and Third Reading of the Cotton Bill before this question of these indemnity provisions arose, since these indemnity Clauses are to be inserted because of the Government's negligence, and since the President of the Board of Trade can hardly expect to get them on the nod in view of their retrospective effect, will not the Leader of the House agree that extra time should be allowed to take account of that, inasmuch as we had agreed on one and a half days for discussing other very important issues which arise on this Bill?

Mr. Crookshank

No representations have been made to me that one and a half days were insufficient for this purpose. If the right hon. Gentleman looks at the Order Paper and sees what it is proposed to take on the further stages of the Cotton Bill, he will find it hard to believe that the Government Amendments will take that time.

Mr. Wilson

The right hon. Gentleman has not seen our Amendments yet.

Mr. Crookshank

I said the Government's Amendments.

Mr. Hirst

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the great dissatisfaction and disappointment felt at the time allotted for the debate on the Japanese Agreement last night, which gave very little opportunity to you, Mr. Speaker, to call Members representing textile areas, the Potteries and other areas interested, and if that is the fault of the usual channels, will my right hon. Friend kindly see that these usual channels have a better regard for the rights of private Members?

Mr. Crookshank

All I can say about that is that the time allowed for this debate was agreed in the ordinary way and announced by myself last week. I had no protests about insufficient time, and I am sorry if it turned out on this occasion, as it does on every occasion, that a number of hon. Members who wished to speak did not get it. I am afraid the blame cannot be laid upon me for the arrangements which I made.

Mr. H. Morrison

The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that I am informed by my colleagues that the question of the time allowed for the Report stage and the Third Reading of the Cotton Bill was agreed to before this question of the illegal expenditure had come before the House. It is a new factor, and obviously time will have to be taken to debate it. The right hon. Gentleman will understand, therefore, that it may not be possible for us as an Opposition to ensure the passage of the Bill in a day and a half.

Mr. Crookshank

Of course, without giving any promise, I want to try to meet the wishes of the House. The right hon. Gentleman is dealing with Amendments which the Government are going to put down, and, as I have said, these do not number very many. I think we had better see how we get along, and, if necessary, conversations can take place.

Miss Ward

Assuming that Monday's debate will run its full time, can my right hon. Friend give us any news whether the Prayer for the annulment of the regulations in respect of medical auxiliaries will be taken on that particular night?

Mr. Crookshank

I am afraid that I do not get any early notice about Prayers.

Mr. Ernest Davies

With regard to the Drogheda Report, cannot the Leader of the House be more definite in his reply? Does he realise that this Report was received by the Foreign Office on 27th July last, that Questions have been asked frequently in this House, and that the Government have procrastinated? What is holding up the publication of this Report and the decision of the Government in regard to its recommendations?

Mr. Crookshank

Of course, it is a matter which requires detailed and careful consideration by the Government. As I have said already, I will transmit to my right hon. Friend the representations which the hon. Gentleman has added, but it is not my departmental responsibility to decide on a White Paper on Foreign Office matters.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Will the Lord Privy Seal represent to the Foreign Secretary that it might be desirable to publish this Report and to have the views of hon. Members of this House before the Government make their decision?

Mr. Crookshank

I will transmit all the representations made to me.

Mr. G. Thomas

In view of the filling-up nature of the business next week, can the Leader of the House say whether the Government have now dropped the Teachers (Superannuation) Bill and, if they have, will he accept my congratulations?

Mr. Crookshank

I do not know what the hon. Gentleman means by "the filling-up nature of the business." That happens every week.

Mrs. Braddock

On the business for Wednesday and Thursday, may I ask the Leader of the House what method it is intended to use to get the indemnity Clause? Is it intended to recommit the Bill?

Mr. Crookshank

I really must ask hon. Members to look at the Order Paper. It is set out there.

Mr. Emrys Hughes

Is the Leader of the House aware of the great difficulties under which the Scottish Grand Committee is labouring, and in those circum- stances will he give us time for the Motion signed by several Scottish Members which is standing on the Order Paper and give it precedence over the Royal Irish Constabulary Bill?

[That this House, in view of the fact that it is important that honourable Members of the Scottish Grand Committee, who represent constituencies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland should have first hand knowledge of housing conditions in Scotland, and in order that adequate facilities should be available to honourable Members and tenants and property owners interested in the discussions on the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Bill to attend the proceedings of the committee, urges Her Majesty's Government to make arrangements for further sittings of the committee to be held in Edinburgh and Glasgow.]

Mr. Crookshank

I have not got that Motion in mind, but I am sure that the answer is "No."

Mr. Albu

Can the Leader of the House say when the Government intend to bring forward the Industrial Organisation and Development Bill?

Mr. Crookshank

Not next week.

Mr. Albu

Never?

Mr. Jay

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what are the intentions of the Government about that Bill? Is it true, as we are told, that the Government intend to abandon it, in view of the widespread opposition of their own supporters?

Mr. Crookshank

I am dealing only with the business for next week.

Mr. H. Morrison

If the right hon. Gentleman is in serious trouble—I mean with his more right-wing supporters—could we offer our services to help in his difficulty with his own back-benchers?

Mr. Crookshank

This is all very interesting, Mr. Speaker, but I do not know what hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite are talking about.

Mr. Jay

Will the right hon. Gentleman consult his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and also tell him about the opposition which the Bill received?

Mr. Crookshank

If anyone wants my help with his left-wing supporters, it is available.

Mr. Rankin

The Leader of the House has dismissed somewhat lightly the plea made by my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) and I want to press on him the position of the Scottish Grand Committee. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Committee is meeting at the present time in conditions of extreme inconvenience to every hon. Member serving on it? It is now the largest Committee in the House, numbering 74 members, and I want to ask whether it is not possible that the Committee could meet within the precincts of this Chamber instead of in the Scottish Grand Committee room.

Mr. Crookshank

I am afraid that where Committees meet has nothing to do with me.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not think that question is on the business for the week.

Mr. Rankin

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Surely the work of Committees next week is part of the business of the House? May I press the point? If it does not come within the competence of the Leader of the House, will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries to see what he can do to increase the convenience of that Committee?

Mr. Speaker

There is no point of order in that. We are dealing now with the business in this House for next week.

Sir R. Acland

Since we are to have a debate on roads next Monday, does the Leader of the House confirm the impression given yesterday by the Minister of Transport that the Bill on road safety, which has been vaguely promised, is not likely to be introduced this Session? If so, does that mean that road casualty figures are regarded by the Government as less important than the business of getting television into the hands of the advertisers?

Mr. Crookshank

No. Sir, no such deduction must be drawn from anything I have said here this afternoon.

Several Hon. Members rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Mr. Emrys Hughes

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the House has now discovered my Motion on the Order Paper. Now that he has seen it, would I be allowed to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his answer is still "No"?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order.