HC Deb 21 November 1955 vol 546 cc1047-61

3.39 p.m.

The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. Harry Crookshank)

I beg to move, That this House will Tomorrow resolve itself into a Committee on the Finance Bill. This Motion—[HON. MEMBERS: "Resign"]—arises from the rather unusual circumstances of Thursday morning when, at about 8 o'clock, a Committee of the whole House unanimously—[Laughter.] Hon. Members who were not in the Committee at that stage are probably more amused than those who were and whose one thought was that by accepting the Motion the Committee would suspend its sitting and they could all go home, having spent a long night here. The Committee accepted that Motion, which itself, as is well known—[Laughter.] I am sorry to be assuming more knowledge in the House than, it apparently thinks it has.

The Motion which was passed by the Committee is an alternative to that for reporting Progress. On this particular occasion the Chairman of Ways and Means had declined, in his discretion, to accept the Progress Motion, so it seemed clear that only by the Motion which was then proposed could we bring the sitting to a close at all. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Well, the Progress Motion was not acceptable and neither side of the Committee wished to continue the debate. Therefore, there was an impasse, which resulted in the other Motion being moved, which had the desired effect. [Laughter.] It certainly had the desired effect. Otherwise, we might still be sitting, for all I know. The Motion was accepted by both sides of the Committee and the sitting came to a close.

The consequence of that was that the Order lapsed, which happens in various other circumstances as well. The Motion I have moved is, therefore, necessary in order to revive the Order and to permit the Committee of the whole House to resume its consideration of the Finance Bill tomorrow.

Mr. Sydney Silverman (Nelson and Colne)

Why should we?

Mr. Crookshank

The hon. Member is very effervescent today. All that the Motion does is to revive the Order. [An HON. MEMBER: "Why?"] Because the majority of this House desires it. The unanimous decision was to bring that sitting to an end, but I quite realise that some hon. Members are not so anxious to see it continued.

Be that as it may, the Motion seeks to make it possible for the Committee to meet and to continue its business at the point where it was interrupted on Thursday morning. That is as clear an explanation as I can give and is apparently—[An HON. MEMBER: "An apology."] There is nothing to apologise for. As hon. Gentlemen appear to think that they know more about the matter than anyone else, I hope that the Motion will be carried.

3.43 p.m.

Mr. Hugh Gaitskell (Leeds, South)

There is clearly a sense of occasion in the House this afternoon. That is not surprising, because we do not often have the opportunity of being in attendance at a ceremony to revive a corpse. I thought that in the circumstances the speech of the Leader of the House was curt and peremptory, more reminiscent of a few muttered words by a grave digger than of a revivalist effort to bring the corpse to life. He accused my hon. Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman) of effervescence; there ought to be a little more effervescence on the Government side of the House.

We shall not have a long debate on this Motion. I understand, after looking at the precedents that the rules of order limit what we can talk about. I believe that we cannot talk about the merits of the Finance Bill in any detail, and another equally important reason is that many of my hon. Friends wish to discuss the Housing Subsidies Bill. Nevertheless, it is right that before we decide this matter of the corpse two questions must first be asked about the situation. The first is: how did the deceased come to his regrettable end? The second is: should the corpse be restored to life again? [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Unlike the Leader of the House, I propose to give reasons in my speech, and they will be to the effect that the corpse should not be revived again.

There are three possible answers to the question of how the death occurred. It certainly was not a natural death. We can all agree that the Bill did not die of old age. It might have been the result of justifiable homicide. It might have been murder. It might have been accidental death. [An HON. MEMBER: "Or suicide."] It is a little difficult to conceive of the suicide of a Bill, but we will let that point pass. I want to make an admission. My right hon. Friend the Member for Huyton (Mr. H. Wilson) has asked me to say that he pleads guilty to justifiable homicide. He will always be able to be proud of his achievement, because on that occasion he successfully, at any rate for the time being, killed a tyrant, and that is something which he can whisper in his old-age to his grandsons and great-grandsons.

We must also consider, since the Leader of the House gave so little attention to the point, the position of the Government in this matter. I do not think anybody would suggest that the Government were guilty—if that is the right word—of justifiable homicide. If they were, they would not be trying to revive the corpse. One's first impression, and the first impression of all of us, was that the whole business was an accident and that the Government did not understand that death would occur.

I was rather surprised when the Leader of the House this afternoon—he did it the other day as well—implied that to the Government there was no accident about it at all. They were prepared to accept the charge and plead guilty of murder in this case. One often hears of a criminal when he stands in the dock pleading that something that has happened was an accident, but I have seldom heard of a case where the man in the dock says that although everybody thinks the death was an accident he really committed murder. The only case when that happens is when the criminal concerned is of unsound mind.

I commend to the Leader of the House the example of the late Stanley Baldwin who, on a similar occasion in 1923, came to the House and said quite frankly, "The truth of the matter is that the Government were caught napping." The Leader of the House would have done better to have pleaded in that way, but if he wishes to have the stain ever upon him that he took part in this murder we cannot do anything about it. It raises the question: why do the Government want to revive the corpse which they took part in killing? They may say that the Bill was nearly dead already—there is some truth in that—and that it was an act of mercy to finish it off altogether.

I suppose the Government are saying that to pass the Motion in the early hours of Thursday morning was the only way in which we could all go to bed. That brings me to the immediate circumstances in which the Government and all of us found ourselves when, as the Leader of the House has said, the Chairman of Ways and Means refused to accept the Motion to report Progress. Probably I might be in trouble with you, Mr. Speaker, if I were to attempt to investigate in any detail the behaviour or conduct of the Chairman of Ways and Means, and I have no intention of doing that. I would only say, in passing, to get it on the record, that we do not accept that the decision as to the interpretation of "Progress" is an appropriate one. I realise that I can say no more than that, and that if we wished to we should have to discuss it on another occasion.

I will, however, say this to the Government. It may be that the decision of the Chairman of Ways and Means put them in this difficulty, but they really got themselves into the difficulty long before that. The situation all began—and I am sorry that I must remind the Chancellor of this—when, on the previous evening, he gave this undertaking: As I have said before, hon. Members will have another opportunity of raising all the points that they desire to raise to their hearts' content, and representing their constituents' points of view."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 15th November, 1955; Vol. 546, c. 364.] I submit that those words could only be understood to mean that the Government had no intention of moving the Closure on our debate. Yet we all know that while there were still at least 12 Members standing up and wishing to take part in the debate—and, as I am reminded, there were Members on the Government side wishing to speak—the Closure was moved. That did not prevent the Government moving the Closure, and it did not prevent the Chancellor speaking to us in the debate which immediately followed in the most aggressive and menacing manner about the intentions of the Government in future. I think that he may now perhaps be regretting what was done that night and what he said that night, because it has certainly not got him anywhere as far as the Finance Bill is concerned, and of course, he then started along the road which eventually led to the death of the Bill.

I should like to ask this question of the Government. In the light of all that has happened and of the really disastrous failure of the intervention by the Patronage Secretary the other night, can we have an assurance that the Closure will not be used again during the passage of the Bill? I am quite willing to give way if the Leader of the House would like to give us that assurance. [HON. MEMBERS: "Answer."] We must assume that, as I rather feared, that is not the view of the Government. They have not learned their lesson. Well, they will have to learn it on further occasions.

The second question, should the corpse be revived, can be answered quite simply. This Finance Bill had a very unhappy first life. It was unwanted from the start. It was neglected by its parents, and the relatives were horrible to it. It was a most unpopular child all round, and it would be really both inhuman as well as stupid to attempt to bring it to life again. It is far better to let it lie and give it a decent burial. That is what we should like to do, and that is why we shall certainly vote against the Motion.

3.53 p.m.

Mr. Sydney Silverman (Nelson and Colne)

I have no desire to continue at any length this second edition of the obsequies of the Finance Bill, and I would not have intervened at all but for my total inability to follow the argument of the Leader of the House. I can understand certain circumstances in which the House may have inadvertently done something, when the Government might ask the House to put it right. I can understand circumstances in which, having been compelled to take a certain course with a certain object, that being the only way in which it could be done, the right hon. Gentleman would come and ask the House for mercy and allow it to be done.

The Leader of the House has said quite deliberately that everybody knew what was the consequence of accepting this Motion. He said that it was only an alternative Motion to a Motion to report Progress. But that is inconsistent with his argument, because had it been only an alternative with the same result, the Chairman of the Committee could not have accepted it. The Chairman had decided that to move to report Progress would have been an abuse of the process of the House and, therefore, refused it. He would have been bound by that ruling to refuse the second Motion, too.

The second Motion was a totally different one with a totally different result. The totally different result was the extinction of the Bill, and the Leader of the House said that everybody understood that when they accepted the Motion, and that the Committee, when it unanimously accepted this Motion, knew that that would mean the end of the Bill. That being so, and the Committee with its eyes open and after full deliberation having accepted the Motion, and the Leader of the House now having said that that is exactly what was intended to be done—that the acceptance of the Motion would kill the Finance Bill—how can the right hon. Gentleman now come to the House and ask us to resuscitate it?

If the Government had said, "That is not what we intended at all. We adopted this course only because the procedure necessitated it. Now let us do what we always intended and bring it back again," that would have been one argument. But the Leader of the House says the exact opposite. He says. "We knew perfectly well that the result of this Motion was to kill the Bill. Everybody knew what would happen. We knew that when we moved it. The Committee knew it when it unanimously accepted it. Now let us reverse our decision." The House cannot reverse this decision when it has definitely and unanimously made up its mind.

The truth is that the Government were afraid of further discussion on Clause 1, because they knew perfectly well that the discussion was getting on to dangerous ground on which they had no vestige of defence. Having deprived every Lancashire Member of any right to say a single word about the effect of the Finance Bill on the textile trade, and the failure of the Government to lend an atom of support or aid or consideration, they were content to deceive the Committee into following a procedure which would have the ultimate result, in their opinion, of bringing the Finance Bill back to the Committee stage but in such a condition as to silence hon. Members on the measures which they wanted to discuss and which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had undertaken should be discussed without limit. I hope that the House, having come to a unanimous decision on Thursday morning, will not change that decision today.

3.58 p.m.

Mr. Eric Fletcher (Islington, East)

I wish to add two words to those which have been said by my hon. Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman) in explaining why the House should not accept this Motion.

This is a most unusual and humiliating experience for the Government, and it is worth while for the House to consider how this situation has come about, and to take steps to prevent it recurring. Those hon. Members who were not present during the early hours of Thursday morning should bear in mind what my hon. Friend has said. The situation which arose at 8 o'clock or thereabouts on Thursday morning arose entirely from the action of the Patronage Secretary in moving the Closure at about 3 o'clock on Thursday morning, and, as is now obvious, his action was not only an admission of failure but was a breach of faith.

It was because of that breach of faith in going back on a solemn assurance which the Chancellor had given the previous evening, that steps were taken to ensure that the Government learned a lesson from their failure to observe assurances that had been given. Anyone who was not here on Thursday and has since read the OFFICIAL REPORT of the debate will recognise that the reason that was given by the Chairman of Ways and Means for not accepting the Motion to report Progress was that he said no progress had been given. Of course, he was entitled not to accept that Motion, and I am not challenging his Ruling. But why had no progress been made? Because of the Chancellor's failure to allow hon. Members on both sides of the Committee to continue the discussion whether Clause 1, as amended, should stand part of the Finance Bill.

When the debate adjourned late on Wednesday night it was apparent that not only my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Exchange (Mrs. Braddock) but a number of other hon. Members on both sides wanted to state the reasons why they were opposed to the Purchase Tax provisions. We all assumed that the debate on the Question, "That the Clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill" would continue until all hon. Members had had an opportunity of expressing their point of view and the point of view in which their respective constituents were interested. The Chancellor found himself, for the first time since he has been Chancellor, faced with the Patronage Secretary moving the Closure. Before this debate is concluded we are entitled to know whether the Chancellor takes responsibility for that decision or whether it was the responsibility of the Leader of the House.

It was most apparent during the debates on the Bill that there was complete lack of support for the Chancellor from his Cabinet colleagues. Hardly any senior member of the Government was present during any part of these important discussions on the Finance Bill. The Chancellor was left with the tenuous assistance, for what it was worth, of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Neither the Law Officers for England nor the Law Officers for Scotland were present. [HON. MEMBERS: "Two words."] The Leader of the House was conspicuous by his absence until, at a late hour, he came in to try to clear up the mess which the Patronage Secretary had caused.

The situation which we are now debating has arisen very largely, as must now be obvious, as a result of the division in the ranks of the Cabinet about the merits of the Bill. If the future proceedings on the Bill are to be considered in an orderly manner, I hope that neither the Leader of the House nor the Patronage Secretary will intervene as they did so unwisely and unhappily on Thursday to prevent the Chancellor from carrying out the policy of which he has always boasted, of giving the Opposition and, incidentally, his own supporters every opportunity of the fullest discussion on the Finance Bill before reaching a decision.

It must now be obvious that nothing was achieved between the Closure which took place at 3 a.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m., five hours later, when the House adjourned, for five hours had been taken in four or five Divisions and in a debate of an earlier Motion to report Progress.

Air Commodore A. V. Harvey (Macclesfield)

On a point of order. [HON. MEMBERS: "The hon. and gallant Member was not there."] I was here. Mr. Speaker, may we have your guidance on this point? When on hon. Member says he intends to say only two words, are there any means of keeping him to that?

Mr. Speaker

I have heard that exordium used frequently by hon. Members and, like the words, "In conclusion, Mr. Speaker," I always think it is a little ominous.

Mr. Fletcher

In view of your advice, Mr. Speaker, I will try to avoid the temptation to use the words, "In conclusion."

I think that before we part from the Motion we are entitled to an assurance from the Chancellor that during the remaining stages of the Bill we shall be allowed to discuss every Amendment adequately and that he will resist any attempt by the Leader of the House or the Patronage Secretary to impose the Closure. He knows perfectly well that neither this year nor on any previous occasion when we have discussed these financial Measures have the Opposition resorted to obstruction. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] The Chancellor has himself said so time and again. Year after year he has acknowledged the serious and constructive contribution which has been made by the Opposition to the Clauses in the Finance Bill. That is a duty we are entitled to discharge.

Mr. Nigel Fisher (Surbiton) rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I fail to see what all this has to do with the Motion before the House. The hon. Member is entitled to argue that the House should not pass

the Motion because of certain events which happened when I myself had not the advantage of being present. I am asking the hon. Member to show some reason for which the House either should or should not accept the Motion.

Mr. Fletcher

That is exactly what I was trying to do, Sir. The Motion has become necessary because the Chancellor, either deliberately or because he was over-ruled by the Leader of the House and the Patronage Secretary, decided on Thursday to depart from his previous custom of allowing the fullest discussion of Clauses in the Finance Bill. Had it not been for that decision taken at 3 a.m. on Thursday, the Motion would not be necessary.

We still do not think it is necessary and we think it should be defeated. We think the Government should accept the conclusions into which they were forced as a result of their hasty, ill-considered action last week and should realise that here is a heaven-sent opportunity of thinking again about the Budget proposals. There is no need to reintroduce the Bill. It would be open to the Government, if they were wise, to recast and reconsider their Purchase Tax proposals, which have been condemned not only on this side of the House but by hon. Members opposite. A situation has arisen, therefore, in which I hoped that the Chancellor or the House would take the opportunity of throwing out the Motion and giving the Government an opportunity to think again about their unhappy financial measures.

Question put:—

The House divided: Ayes 308, Noes 245.

Division No. 54.] AYES [4.5 p.m.
Agnew, Cmdr. P. G. Baxter, sir Beverley Bromley-Davenport, Lt.-Col. W. H.
Aitken, W. T. Beamish, Maj. Tufton Brooke, Rt. Hon. Henry
Alport, C. J. M. Bell, Philip (Bolton, E.) Brooman-White, R. C.
Amery, Julian (Preston, N.) Bell, Ronald (Bucks, S.) Browne, J. Nixon (Craigton)
Amory, Rt. Hn. Heathcoat (Tiverton) Bennett, Dr. Reginald Buchan-Hepburn, Rt. Hon. P. G. T.
Anstruther-Gray, Major W. J. Bevins, J. R. (Toxteth) Bullus, Wing Commander E. E.
Arbuthnot, John Bidgood, J. C. Burden, F. F. A.
Armstrong, C. W. Biggs-Davison, J. A. Butcher, Sir Herbert
Ashton, H. Birch, Rt. Hon. Nigel Butler, Rt. Hn. R. A.(Saffron Walden)
Astor, Hon. J. J. Bishop, F. P. Campbell, Sir David
Atkins, H. E. Black, C. W. Carr, Robert
Baldock, Lt.-Cmdr. J. M. Body, R. F. Cary, Sir Robert
Baldwin, A. E. Bossom, Sir A. C. Channon, H.
Balniel, Lord Bowen, E. R. (Cardigan) Chichester-Clark, R.
Barber, Anthony Boyd-Carpenter, Rt. Hon. J. A. Clarke, Brig. Terence (Portsmth, W.)
Barlow, Sir John Boyle, Sir Edward Cole, Norman
Barter, John Braine, B. R. Cooper, Sqn. Ldr. Albert
Cooper-Key, E. M. Hudson, Sir Austin Lewisham, N.) O'Neill, Hn. Phelim (Co. Antrim, N.)
Cordeaux, Lt.-Col. J. K. Hudson, W. R. A. (Hull, N.) Orr, Capt. L. P. S.
Corfield, Capt. F. V. Hughes Hallett, Vice-Admiral J. Orr-Ewing, Charles Ian (Hendon, N.)
Craddock, Beresford (Spelthome) Hughes-Young, M. H. C. Page, R. G.
Crookshank, Capt. Rt. Hn. H. F. C. Hulbert, Sir Norman Pannell, N. A. (Kirkdale)
Crosthwaite-Eyre, Col. O. E. Hurd, A. R. Partridge, E.
Crouch, R. F. Hutchison, Sir Ian Clark (E'b'gh, W.) Peake, Rt. Hon. O.
Crowder, Sir John (Finchley) Hutchison, James (Scotstoun) Peyton, J. W. W.
Crowder, Petre (Ruislip—Northwood) Hylton-Foster, Sir H. B. H. Pickthorn, K. W. M.
Cunningham, Knox Iremonger, T. L. Pilkington, Capt. R. A.
Currie, G. B. H. Irvine, Bryant Godman (Rye) Pitman, I. J.
Dance, J. C. G. Jenkins, Robert (Dulwich) Pitt, Miss E. M.
Davidson, Viscountess Jennings, J. C. (Burton) Pott. H. P.
D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, Sir Henry Jennings, Sir Roland (Hallam) Powell, J. Enoch
Deedes, W. F. Johnson, Dr. Donald (Carlisle) Price, David (Eastleigh)
Digby, Simon Wingfield Johnson, Eric (Blackley) Price, Henry (Lewisham, W.)
Dodds-Parker, A. D. Jones, A. (Hall Green) Prior-Palmer, Brig. O. L.
Donaldson, Cmdr. C. E. McA. Joynson-Hicks, Hon. L. W. Profumo, J. D.
Doughty, C. J. A. Kaberry, D. Raikes, Sir Victor
Drayson, G. B. Keegan, D. Ramsden, J. E.
Dugdale, Bt. Hn. Sir T. (Richmond) Kerby, Capt. H. B. Redmayne, M.
Duncan, Capt. J. A. L. Kerr, H. W. Rees-Davies, W. R.
Duthie, W. S. Kershaw, J. A. Remnant, Hon. P.
Eccles Rt. Hon. Sir D. M. Kirk, P. M. Renton, D. L. M.
Eden, Rt. Hn. SirA. (Warwick & L'm'tn) Lagden, G. W. Ridsdale, J. E.
Elliot, Rt. Hon. W. E. Lambert, Hon. G. Rippon, A. G. F.
Emmet, Hon. Mrs. Evelyn Lancaster, Col. C. G. Roberts, Peter (Heeley)
Errington, Sir Eric Leather, E. H. C. Robertson, Sir David
Erroll, F. J. Leavey, J. A. Robinson, Sir Roland (Blackpool, S.)
Farey-Jones, F. W. Leburn, W. G. Robson-Brown, W.
Fell, A. Legge-Bourke, Maj. E. A. H. Rodgers, John (Sevenoaks)
Finlay, Graeme Legh, Hon. Peter (Petersfield) Ropner, Col. Sir Leonard
Fisher, Nigel Lennox-Boyd, Rt. Hon. A. T. Russell, R. S.
Fleetwood-Hesketh, R. F. Lindsay, Hon. James (Devon, N.) Sandys, Rt. Hon. D.
Fletcher-Cooke, C. Linstead, Sir H. N. Schofield, Lt.-Col. W.
Fort, R. Lloyd, Maj. Sir Guy (Renfrew, E.) Scott-Miller, Cmdr. R.
Foster, John Lloyd, Rt. Hon. Selwyn (Wirral) Sharpies, Maj. R. C.
Fraser, Hon. Hugh (Stone) Lloyd-George, Maj. Rt. Hon. G. Shepherd, William
Fraser, Sir Ian (M'cmbe & Lonsdale) Longden, Gilbert Simon, J. E. S. (Middlesbrough, W.)
Freeth, D. K. Low, Rt. Hon. A. R. W. Smithers, Peter (Winchester)
Galbraith, Hon. T. G. D. Lucas, Sir Jocelyn (Portsmouth, S.) Smyth, Brig. J. G. (Norwood)
Cammans, L. D. Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh Soames, Capt. C.
Garner-Evans, E. H. McAdden, S. J. Spearman, A. C. M.
George, J. C. (Pollok) Macdonald, Sir Peter Speir, R. M.
Glover, D. Mackeson, Brig. Sir Harry Spence, H. R. (Aberdeen, W.)
Godber, J. B. McKibbin, A. J. Spens, Rt. Hn. Sir P. (Kens'gt'n, S.)
Gomme-Duncan, Col. A. Mackie, J. H. (Galloway) Stanley, Capt. Hon. Richard
Gough, C. F. H. McLaughlin, Mrs. P. Stevens, Geoffrey
Gower, H. R. Maclean, Fitzroy (Lancaster) Steward, Harold (Stockport, S.)
Graham, Sir Fergus McLean, Neil (Inverness) Steward, Sir William (Woolwich, W.)
Grant, W. (Woodside) Macleod, Rt. Hn. Iain (Enfield, W.) Stewart, Henderson (Fife, E.)
Grant-Ferris, Wg Cdr. R. (Nantwich) MacLeod, John (Ross & Cromarty) Stoddart-Scott, Col. M.
Green, A. Macmillan, Maurice (Halifax) Storey, S.
Gresham Cooke, R. Macpherson, Niall (Dumfries) Stuart, Rt. Hon. James (Moray)
Grimston, Hon. John (St. Albans) Madden, Martin Summers, G. S. (Aylesbury)
Grimston, Sir Robert (Westhury) Maitland, Cdr. J. F. W. (Horncastle) Sumner, W. D. M. (Orpington)
Hall, John (Wycombe) Maitland, Hon. Patrick (Lanark) Taylor, Sir Charles (Eastbourne)
Hare, Hon. J. H. Manningham-Buller, Rt. Hn. Sir R, Taylor, William (Bradford, N.)
Harris, Frederic (Croydon, N.W.) Marlowe, A. A. H. Thomas, Rt. Hn. J. P. L. (Hereford)
Harris, Reader (Heston) Marples, A. E. Thomas, Leslie (Canterbury)
Harrison, A. B. C. (Maldon) Marshall, Douglas Thomas, P. J. M. (Conway)
Harrison, Col. J. H. (Eye) Mathew, R. Thompson, Kenneth (Walton)
Maude, Angus Thompson, Lt.-Cdr. R. (Croydon, S.)
Harvey, Air Cdre. A. V. (Macclesfd) Maudling, Rt. Hon. R. Thorneycroft, Rt. Hon. P.
Harvey, Ian (Harrow, E.) Mawby, R. L. Thornton-Kemsley, C. N.
Harvey, John (Walthamstow, E.) Maydon, Lt.-Comdr. S. L. C. Tiley, A. (Bradford, W.)
Harvie-Watt, Sir George Medlicott, Sir Frank Tilney, John (Wavertree)
Hay, John Milligan, Rt. Hon. W. R. Touche, Sir Gordon
Head, Rt. Hon. A. H. Molson, A. H. E. Turner, H. F. L.
Heald, Rt. Hon. Sir Lionel Monckton, Rt. Hon. Sir Walter Turton, Rt. Hon. R. H.
Heath, Edward Moore, Sir Thomas Tweedsmuir, Lady
Henderson, John (Cathcart) Morrison, John (Salisbury) Vaughan-Morgan, J. K.
Hicks-Beach, Maj. W. W. Mott-Radclyffe, C. E. Vickers, Miss J. H.
Hill, Rt. Hon. Charles (Luton) Nabarro, G. D. N. Vosper, D. F.
Hill, Mrs. E. (Wythenshawe) Nairn, D. L. S. Wakefield, Edward (Derbyshire, W.)
Hill, John (S. Norfolk) Neave, Airey Walker-Smith, D. C.
Hirst, Geoffrey Nicholls, Harmar Wall, Major Patrick
Holland-Martin, C. J. Nicholson, Godfrey (Farnham) Ward, Hon. George (Worcester)
Hope, Lord John Nicolson, N. (B'n'mth, E. & Chr'ch) Ward, Dame Irene (Tynemouth)
Hornsby-Smith, Miss M. P. Nield, Basil (Chester) Watkinson, H. A.
Horobin, Sir Ian Noble, Comdr. A. H. P. Webbe, Sir H.
Horsbrugh, Rt. Hon. Dame Florence Nugent, G. R. H. Whitelaw, W.S.I.(Penrith & Border)
Howard, Gerald (Cambridgeshire) Nutting, Rt. Hon. Anthony Williams, Gerald (Tonbridge)
Howard, Hon. Greville (St. Ives) Oakshott, H. D. Williams, Paul (Sunderland, S.)
Williams, R. Dudley (Exeter) Wood, Hon. R. TELLERS FOR THE AYES:
Wills, G. (Bridgwater) Woollam, John Victor Mr. Studholme and
Wilson, Geoffrey (Truro) Yates, William (The Wrekin) Mr. Robert Allan.
NOES
Alnsley, J. W. Gordon Walker, Rt. Hon. P. C. Moss, R.
Albu, A. H. Greenwood, Anthony Moyle, A.
Allaun, Frank (Salford, E.) Grenfell, Rt. Hon. D. R. Mulley, F. W.
Allen, Arthur (Bosworth) Grey, C. F. Neal, Harold (Bolsover)
Allen, Scholefield (Crewe) Griffiths, David (Rother Valley) Noel-Baker, Francis (Swindon)
Anderson, Frank Griffiths, Rt. Hon. James (Llanelly) O'Brien, T.
Attlee, Rt. Hon. C. R. Griffiths, William (Exchange) Oram, A. E.
Awbery, S. S. Grimond, J. Orbach, M.
Bacon, Miss Alice Hale, Leslie Oswald, T.
Balfour, A. Hall, Rt. Hn. Glenvil (Colne Valley) Owen, W. J.
Bartley, P. Hamilton, W. W. Padley, W. E.
Bellenger, Rt. Hon. F. J. Hannan, W. Palmer, A. M. F.
Bence, C. R. (Dunbartonshire, E.) Harrison, J. (Nottingham, N.) Pannell, Charles (Leeds, W.)
Benn, Hn. Wedgwood (Bristol, S.E.) Hastings, S. Pargiter, G. A.
Benson, G. Hayman, F. H. Parker, J.
Beswick, F. Healey, Denis Parkin, B. T.
Bevan, Rt. Hon. A. (Ebbw Vale) Henderson, Rt. Hon. A. (Rwly Regis) Paton, J.
Blackburn, F. Herbison, Miss M. Pearson, A.
Blenkinsop, A. Hewitson, Capt. M. Peart, T. F.
Blyton, W. R. Hobson, C. R. Plummer, Sir Leslie
Boardman, H. Holman, P. Popplewell, E.
Bottomley, Rt. Hon. A. G. Holt, A. F. Price, J. T. (Westhoughton)
Bowden, H. W. (Leicester, S.W.) Houghton, Douglas Price, Philips (Gloucestershire, W.)
Bowles, F. G. Howell, Denis (All Saints) Probert, A. R.
Boyd, T. C. Hoy, J. H. Proctor, W. T.
Braddock, Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard, T. F. Pryde, D. J.
Brockway, A. F. Hughes, Cledwyn (Anglesey) Pursey, Cmdr. H.
Broughton, Dr. A. D. D. Hughes, Emrys (S. Ayrshire) Reeves, J.
Brown, Rt. Hon. George (Belper) Hughes, Hector (Aberdeen, N.) Rhodes, H.
Brown, Thomas (Ince) Hunter, A. E. Roberts, Albert (Normanton)
Burke, W. A. Hynd, H. (Accrington) Roberts, Goronwy (Caernarvon)
Burton, Miss F. E. Hynd, J. B. (Attercliffe) Robinson, Kenneth (St. Pancras, N.)
Butler, Herbert (Hackney, C.) Irvine, A. J. (Edge Hill) Ross, William
Butler, Mrs. Joyce (Wood Green) Irving, S. (Dartford) Royle, C.
Callaghan, L. J. Isaacs, Rt. Hon. G. A. Shinwell, Rt. Hon. E.
Carmichael, J. Janner, B. Short, E. W.
Champion, A. J. Jeger, George (Goole) Shurmer, P. L. E.
Chapman, W. D. Jeger, Mrs. Lena(Holbn & St.Pncs, S.) Silverman, Julius (Aston)
Chetwynd, G. R. Jenkins, Roy (Stechford) Silverman, Sydney (Nelson)
Clunie, J. Johnson, James (Rugby) Simmons, C. J. (Brierley Hill)
Coldrick, W. Johnston, Douglas (Paisley) Skeffington, A. M.
Collick, P. H. (Birkenhead) Jones, Rt. Hon. A. Creech(Wakefield) Slater, Mrs. H. (Stoke, N.)
Collins, V. J.(Shoreditch & Finsbury) Jones, David (The Hartlepools) Slater, J. (Sedgefield)
Corbet, Mrs. Freda Jones, Elwyn (W. Ham, S.) Smith, Ellis (Stoke, S.)
Cove, W. G. Jones, Jack (Rotherham) Snow, R. W.
Craddock, George (Bradford, S.) Jones, J. Idwal (Wrexham) Sorensen, R. W.
Cronin, J. D. Jones, T. W. (Merioneth) Sparks, J. A.
Crossman, R. H. S. Kenyon, C. Steele, T.
Cullen, Mrs. A. Key, Rt. Hon. C. W. Stewart, Michael (Fulham)
Daines, P. Lawson, G. M. Stones, W. (Consett)
Dalton, Rt. Hon. H. Ledger, R. J. Strachey, Rt. Hon. J.
Davies, Rt. Hon. Clement (Montgomery) Lee, Frederick (Newton) Strauss, Rt. Hon. George (Vauxhall)
Davies, Ernest (Enfield, E.) Lee, Miss Jennie (Cannock) Stross, Dr.Barnett (Stoke-on-Trent, C.)
Davies, Harold (Leek) Lever, Leslie (Ardwick) Summerskill, Rt. Hon. E.
Davies, Stephen (Merthyr) Lewis, Arthur Swingler, S. T.
Deer, G. Lipton, Lt.-Col. M. Sylvester, G. O.
de Freitas, Geoffrey Logan, D. G. Taylor, Bernard (Mansfield)
Delargy, H. J. MacColl, J. E. Thomas, Iorwerth (Rhondda, W.)
Dodds, N. N. McGhee, H. G. Thomson, George (Dundee, E.)
Donnelly, D. L. MoGovern, J. Thornton, E.
Dugdale, Rt. Hn. John (W. Brmwch) McKay, John (Wallsend) Tomney, F.
Dye, S. McLeavy, Frank Turner-Samuels, M.
Ede, Rt. Hon. J. C. MacMillan, M. K. (Western Isles) Ungoed-Thomas, Sir Lynn
Edelman, M. MacPherson, Malcolm (Stirling) Viant, S. P.
Edwards, Rt. Hon. Hess (Caerphilly) Mahon, S. Warbey, W. N.
Edwards, Robert (Bilston) Mallalieu, E. L. (Brigg) Watkins, T. E.
Edwards, W. J. (Stepney) Mallalieu, J. P. W. (Huddersfd, E.) Weitzman, D.
Evans, Albert (Islington, S.W.) Mann, Mrs. Jean Wells, Percy (Faversham)
Evans, Edward (Lowestoft) Marquand, Rt. Hon. H. A. Wells, William (Walsall, N.)
Evans, Stanley (Wednesbury) Mason, Roy West, D. G.
Fernyhough, E. Mayhew, C. P. Wheeldon, W. E.
Fienburgh, W. Mikardo, Ian White, Mrs. Eirene (E. Flint)
Fletcher, Eric Mitchison, G. R. White, Henry (Derbyshire, N.E.)
Forman, J. C. Monslow, W. Wigg, George
Fraser, Thomas (Hamilton) Moody, A. S. Wilcock, Group Capt. C. A. B.
Gaitskell, Rt. Hon. H. T. N. Morris, Percy (Swansea, W.) Wilkins, W. A.
Gibson, C. W. Morrison, Rt. Hn. Herbert (Lewis'm, S.) Willey, Frederick
Gooch, E. G. Mort, D. L. Williams, David (Neath)
Williams, Ronald (Wigan) Wilson, Rt. Hon. Harold (Huyton) Zilliacus, K.
Williams, Rt. Hon. T. (Don Valley) Winterbottom, Richard
Williams, W. R. (Openshaw) Woodburn, Rt. Hon. A. TELLERS FOR THE NOES:
Williams, W. T. (Barons Court) Yates, V. (Ladywood) Mr. Holmes and Mr. John Taylor.
Willis, Eustace (Edinburgh, E.) Younger, Rt. Hon. K.