HC Deb 29 November 1955 vol 546 cc2122-3
51. Mr. Daises

asked the Prime Minister if he will now undertake to inform the House of recommendations of the Conference of Privy Councillors on public security relating to the tightening of existing security precautions.

The Prime Minister

Successive Governments have communicated to the House those features in their security policy which can be disclosed consistently with the public interest. If as a result of the Conference any changes in that policy are adopted, we shall follow this practice.

Mr. Daines

Is the Prime Minister aware that there is a complete discrepancy between his statement in the House and the statement made by Lord Woolton in the other place? If the answer of the right hon. Gentleman today means that he accepts the answer of Lord Woolton as being on behalf of the Government. I am prepared to accept it.

The Prime Minister

I would rather accept my own answer.

Mr. Bellenger

Does the Prime Minister recollect that this conference was only arranged owing to the disturbed feeling amongst hon. Members of this House and the public outside, and although we cannot ask the Prime Minister to disclose the security arrangements of Her Majesty's Government, nevertheless the House must look for something tangible to come out of this Conference—and to be reported to this House too.

The Prime Minister

We have explained this before. A number of steps have been taken. Of course it will be open to the Conference to look into those steps and to consider if it wishes to add to them. If there are steps which can be made public as a result of that Conference, of course there will be a report to this House; still more so if there should be any steps that require legislation. But all that is hypothetical at the moment.

Mr. C. Pannell

In any inquiries that may be made into this matter, will the Prime Minister keep firmly in his mind the spirit of equity, namely, that there shall be equity between officials in the Foreign Office and especially fitters on the factory floor, who have been disadvantaged in all the security arrangements up to now? Had there been security arrangements in the Foreign Office comparable with those which the Ministry of Supply has inflicted on members of my union, this episode would not have occurred.

The Prime Minister

I think we all have in mind that what we want to get from this effort is to ensure that nothing like we have experienced shall ever happen again. It is a little difficult to make some of the comparisons which the hon. Gentleman has just made.