§ Mr. AttleeMay I ask the Lord Privy Seal whether he will state the business for next week?
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. Harry Crookshank)Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:
§ MONDAY, 14TH MARCH—Debate on the Opposition Motion of Censure relating to world disarmament.
§ TUESDAY, 15TH MARCH—Supply [7th Allotted Day]: Committee stage of the Navy Estimates, Votes 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15; the Army Estimates, Votes 1, 2, 8, 9, 10 and 11; and the Air Estimates, Votes 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 11.
§ WEDNESDAY, 16TH MARCH—Supply [8th Allotted Day]: Committee.
§ Class II, Vote 9—Colonial Services;
§ Class II, Vote 4—United Nations, of the Civil Supplementary Estimates.
§ At 9.30 p.m., under the provisions of the Standing Order, the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Estimates, Supplementary Estimates and Excess Votes required before the end of the financial year.
623§ Consideration of the Motions to approve the Draft Police Pensions Regulations relating to England and Scotland.
§ THURSDAY, 17TH MARCH—Supply [9th Allotted Day]:
§ Report stage of the Navy, Army and Air Estimates and the Civil Supplementary Estimates.
§ At 9.30 p.m., under the provisions of the Standing Order, the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Estimates, Supplementary Estimates and Excess Votes required before the end of the financial year.
§ FRIDAY, 18TH MARCH—Consideration of Private Members' Bills.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the right hon. Gentleman indicate whether the Government intend to give any time for discussion of the Ministry of Defence pamphlet on the treatment of prisoners of war in Korea? Is he aware that there are damaging statements in that pamphlet, damaging either to the Ministry of Defence if they are not true, or damaging to the individuals concerned if they are? Is he also aware that the matter cannot be left where it is at the moment?
§ Mr. CrookshankI have not considered that for the immediate future—at any rate, certainly not for next week.
§ Mr. GaitskellCan the right hon. Gentleman announce the date of the Budget?
§ Mr. CrookshankI am afraid not.
§ Mr. GaitskellCan the right hon. Gentleman say when he will announce the date of the Budget? It is getting late.
§ Mr. CrookshankAs soon as possible.
§ Mr. RankinIn view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman cannot name the date of the Budget, can he assure us that we shall be meeting next week?
§ Mr. CrookshankI do not quite understand. I shall be here. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman is not coming.
§ Mr. MellishWould the Leader of the House take note that the Motion standing in my name for tomorrow makes 624 serious allegations of corruption against the party opposite, and in view of his known concern to remove these allegations, will he have a chat with his hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) to find out whether the subject of his hon. Friend's Motion would not be a better subject for a Motion to be discussed in Government time?
§ Mr. CrookshankThe hon. Gentleman is trying to supplant one of my hon. Friends, who has the first Motion for tomorrow. He cannot do that.
§ Mr. Harold DaviesMay I ask the Leader of the House if, in view of the importance of the statement on agriculture made today, a chance will be given in the near future to both sides of the House to discuss this important matter in Government time and not on a day when most hon. Members are away?
§ Mr. CrookshankThis matter is down for debate tomorrow, and will be in order arising out of my hon. Friend's Motion. If it is not convenient for hon. Members to be here, that is not my fault.
Mr. T. WilliamsDoes not the Leader of the House know full well that nobody will be able to debate legislation tomorrow?
§ Mr. CrookshankThere was nothing about legislation, as far as I know, in the statement made by my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. PeartWill the Leader of the House bear in mind what my hon. Friend has said, that tomorrow is a Private Members' day? It is a Private Member's Motion on agriculture and it is essential that we should have time to discuss the implications of the Price Review.
§ Mr. CrookshankSo far as debating a matter is concerned, there is no difference in whether it is Government time, Opposition time, or Private Members' time. The point is that it should be debated and there is an opportunity for that tomorrow.
§ Mr. PannellWill the Leader of the House remember that my right hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) asked him what action the Government propose to take on the Report 625 of the Select Committee on Accommodation? The Leader of the House has twice stalled on this issue. Can he provide us today with an answer whether the Government propose to implement the Report?
§ Mr. CrookshankNo, I am not going to provide an answer today because the right hon. Gentleman himself has a Question down on the Order Paper. We shall have to wait and see what answer is given to the Question when it is asked.
§ Mr. StokesThat may well be, but can the Leader of the House say that, when we have the answer, he will pay immediate attention to it, and give an opportunity for the necessary action which we hope will be involved?
§ Mr. CrookshankI think we had better see first what the answer is.
§ Mr. Harold DaviesAm I now to understand from the right hon. Gentleman that the party opposite thinks so little of British agriculture that it can pass over a matter of major policy on agriculture to a Friday on a Private Member's Motion?
§ Mr. CrookshankIt is very much the other way round. Presumably my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) guessed that this statement would be made today and put down his Motion for tomorrow.
§ Mr. AttleeThe right hon. Gentleman will realise that we shall require Government time to discuss this, and the mere fact that someone, by chance, has a Private Member's Motion on the Paper 626 does not relieve the Government of the necessity for giving time to debate it.
§ Mr. CrookshankI never said it did. All I said was that there is a good opportunity tomorrow. Of course, if the right hon. Gentleman wishes the matter to be further considered, it can be done through the usual channels, but that does not affect the debate tomorrow.