§ Mr. GaitskellMay I ask the Lord Privy Seal whether he will state the business for next week?
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:
§ MONDAY, 16TH APRIL—Report and Third Reading of the Transport (Disposal of Road Haulage Property) Bill.
§ Committee stage of the second Money Resolution relating to the Road Traffic Bill.
§ TUESDAY, 17TH APRIL—My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will open his Budget.
§ WEDNESDAY, 18TH APRIL and THURSDAY, 19TH APRIL—General debate on the Budget Resolutions and the Economic Situation, which will be continued and brought to a conclusion on Monday, 23rd April.
§ FRIDAY, 20TH APRIL—Consideration of Private Members' Motions.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanWill the right hon. Gentleman now give us any information about the further stages of the Death Penalty (Abolition) Bill? Can he, in particular, confirm the statement appearing in one newspaper this morning that the Committee stage will be taken on 24th and 25th April? Will he bear in mind that there really is nothing to be gained by further delay?
§ Mr. ButlerThere is no question of inviting or encouraging further delay. It is simply a case of fitting this in with the rest of Government business. I cannot confirm the report of Government business published in a newspaper, because Government business is settled through 392 the usual channels in this House. No decision has been made on the exact dates when the later stages of the Bill will be taken, but they will be taken reasonably early and as soon as we can possibly fit them in. I hope that the hon. Member will accept that assurance.
§ Mr. HirstWill my right hon. Friend say whether, in the reasonably near future, he will find time for discussion of a Motion standing in my name and in that of 35 other hon. Members about the unfair discrimination of Purchase Tax on wool cloth?
That this House views with increasing concern the unjust discrimination against wool cloth consequent upon the removal of Purchase Tax on non-wool fabrics, and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to remove the tax on wool cloth and thus redress the existing disparity so that fair competition is maintained.
§ Mr. ButlerThat is a matter which may be considered in relation to the economic situation which we shall be discussing, but I can give no definite undertaking that time will be available for this important matter to have a day devoted to it.
§ Mr. ShinwellCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is likely in the course of next week's proceedings that a statement will be made about the situation in the Middle East?
§ Mr. ButlerThat is a matter which had better be discussed through the usual channels, because it raises important issues and I would rather not make a statement about it at present.
§ Mr. ShinwellWill the right hon. Gentleman take note that sometimes it is desirable to pay some attention to the unusual channels?
§ Mr. ButlerYes, Sir. We have every opportunity of taking notice of them, and the more often the right hon. Gentleman classes himself as being in that sphere the more happy we shall be. It must be remembered that there is an opportunity of questioning the Foreign Secretary in the ordinary way on these important questions.
§ Mr. M. StewartCan the Leader of the House say when it will be possible for the House to debate the White Paper on Technical Education?
§ Mr. ButlerWe have that in mind and perhaps the Opposition will bear it in mind for one of their Supply Days.
§ Mr. Ernest DaviesWill the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that ample time will be given for discussion of the Order which increases freight charges? Does he appreciate that the Opposition will want a better explanation than has yet been given of the unwarranted action of the Minister in ignoring the advice of the Transport Tribunal?
§ Mr. ButlerWhile not wishing to take up the hon. Member's animadversions upon this subject, or his reflections upon the attitude of my right hon. Friend, I will say that when the Order is laid there will be time for it to be debated.
§ Mr. StewartWhen the right hon. Gentleman mentions a Supply Day for the White Paper on Technical Education, does he remember that some of his present colleagues and some of his former colleagues have laid very great stress on the importance that the Government are supposed to attach to this subject? Could not their sense of its importance be expressed by the provision of an opportunity in the time-table of business for a discussion of the White Paper?
§ Mr. ButlerIt is simply a case of finding time for this important matter in the midst of many other pressing questions. I understand that the Opposition also attach great importance to it, so perhaps we can reach friendly agreement about the time.
§ Mr. D. MarshallWill my right hon. Friend consider discussing through the usual channels whether, next Wednesday, the winding-up speeches may be an hour later, because many hon. Members will no doubt wish to speak in the debate?
§ Mr. ButlerIt is usual for this sort of time to be given for the Budget discussions and I think that by the time we reach Monday, 23rd April, the House will have had ample time. I will, of course, consider the suggestion, but I think that precedent shows that we shall have enough time.
§
Motion made, and Question put:—
That the Proceedings on the Restrictive Trade Practices Bill be exempted, at this day's Sitting, from the provisions of Standing Order No. 1 (Sittings of the House).—[The Prime Minister.]
§ The House divided: Ayes 211, Noes 174.
397| Division No. 139.] | AYES | [3.38 p.m. |
| Agnew, Cmdr. P. G. | Channon, H. | Green, A. |
| Allan, R. A. (Paddington, S.) | Conant, Maj. Sir Roger | Gresham Cooke, R. |
| Alport, C. J. M. | Cooper, Sqn. Ldr. Albert | Grimston, Sir Robert (Westbury) |
| Amory, Rt. Hn. Heathcoat (Tiverton) | Cooper-Key, E. M. | Grosvenor, Lt.-Col. R. G. |
| Anstruther-Gray, Major W. J. | Cordeaux, Lt.-Col. J. K. | Gurden, Harold |
| Arbuthnot, John | Corfield, Capt. F. V. | Hall, John (Wycombe) |
| Astor, Hon. J. J. | Craddock, Beresford (Spelthorne) | Hare, Rt. Hon. J. H. |
| Atkins, H. E. | Crosthwaite-Eyre, Col. O. E. | Harris, Reader (Heston) |
| Baldock, Lt.-Cmdr. J. M. | Crouch, R. F. | Harrison, A. B. C. (Maldon) |
| Baldwin, A. E. | Crowder, Petre (Ruislip—Northwood) | Harrison, Col. J. H. (Eye) |
| Balniel, Lord | Cunningham, Knox | Harvey, John (Walthamstow, E.) |
| Barber, Anthony | Currie, G. B. H. | Heald, Rt. Hon. Sir Lionel |
| Barlow, Sir John | Dance, J. C. G. | Heath, Rt. Hon. E. R. G. |
| Barter, John | D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, Sir Henry | Henderson, John (Cathcart) |
| Beamish, Maj. Tufton | Deedes, W. F. | Hill, Rt. Hon. Charles (Luton) |
| Bell, Ronald (Bucks, S.) | Digby, Simon Wingfield | Hill, Mrs. E. (Wythenshawe) |
| Bennett, F. M. (Torquay) | Donaldson, Cmdr. C. E. McA. | Hinchingbrooke, Viscount |
| Bennett, Dr. Reginald | du Cann, E. D. L. | Hirst, Geoffrey |
| Bevins, J. R. (Toxteth) | Dugdale, Rt. Hn. Sir T. (Richmond) | Holland-Martin, C. J. |
| Bidgood, J. C. | Duncan, Capt. J. A. L. | Holt, A. F. |
| Biggs-Davison, J. A. | Duthie, W. S. | Hope, Lord John |
| Birch, Rt. Hon. Nigel | Eden, Rt. Hn. Sir A. (Warwick & L'm'tn) | Horobin, Sir Ian |
| Bishop, F. P. | Farey-Jones, F. W. | Horsbrugh, Rt. Hon. Dame Florence |
| Bossom, Sir A. C. | Fell, A. | Howard, Hon. Greville (St. Ives) |
| Boyd-Carpenter, Rt. Hon. J. A. | Fleetwood-Hesketh, R. F. | Howard, John (Test) |
| Braine, B. R. | Fletcher-Cooke, C. | Hudson, W. R. A. (Hull, N.) |
| Bromley-Davenport, Lt.-Col. W. H. | Fort, R. | Hughes-Young, M. H. C. |
| Brooke, Rt. Hon. Henry | Fraser, Sir Ian (M'cmbe & Lonsdale) | Hutchison, Sir Ian Clark (E'b'gh, W.) |
| Bryan, P. | Freeth, D. K. | Hyde, Montgomery |
| Buchan-Hepburn, Rt. Hon. P. G. T. | Gammans, Sir David | Hylton-Foster, Sir H. B. H. |
| Bullus, Wing Commander E. E. | Gibson-Watt, D. | Irvine, Bryant Godman (Rye) |
| Butcher, Sir Herbert | Glover, D. | Jennings, J. C. (Burton) |
| Butler, Rt. Hn. R. A. (Saffron Walden) | Gomme-Duncan, Col. Sir Alan | Johnson, Dr. Donald (Carlisle) |
| Campbell, Sir David | Gough, C. F. H. | Johnson, Eric (Blackleg) |
| Carr, Robert | Gower, H. R. | Jones, Rt. Hon. Aubrey (Hall Green) |
| Cary, Sir Robert | Grant, W. (Woodside) | Joseph, Sir Keith |
| Joynson-Hicks, Hon. Sir Lancelot | Nairn, D. L. S. | Spearman, A. C. M. |
| Keegan, D. | Noble, Comdr. A. H. P. | Speir, R. M. |
| Kerby, Capt. H. B. | Nugent, G. R. H. | Spens, Rt. Hn. Sir P. (Kens'gt'n, S.) |
| Kerr, H. W. | Oakshott, H. D. | Stevens, Geoffrey |
| Kershaw, J. A. | O'Neill, Hn. Phelim (Co. Antrim, N.) | Steward, Sir William (Woolwich, W.) |
| Kimball, M. | Orr, Capt. L. P. S. | Stuart, R. Hon. James (Moray) |
| Lagden, G. W. | Page, R. G. | Summers, C. S. (Aylesbury) |
| Langford-Holt, J. A. | Pannell, N. A. (Kirkdale) | Taylor, Sir Charles (Eastbourne) |
| Leavey, J. A. | Partridge, E. | Teeling, W. |
| Lindsay, Hon. James (Devon, N.) | Peyton, J. W. W. | Thomas, Leslie (Canterbury) |
| Lindsay, Martin (Solihull) | Pickthorn, K. W. M. | Thompson, Lt.-Cdr. R. (Croydon, S.) |
| Linstead, Sir H. N. | Pitman, I. J. | Thorneycroft, Rt. Hon. P. |
| Lloyd, Rt. Hon. Selwyn (Wirral) | Pitt, Miss E. M. | Thornton-Kemsley, C. N. |
| Low, Rt. Hon. A. R. W. | Pott, H. P. | Tiley, A. (Bradford, W.) |
| Lucas, P. B. (Brentford & Chiswick) | Powell, J. Enoch | Tilney, John (Wavertree) |
| Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh | Price, David (Eastleigh) | Touche, Sir Gordon |
| Macdonald, Sir Peter | Prior-Palmer, Brig. O. L. | Turner, H. F. L. |
| McKibbin, A. J. | Profumo, J. D. | Turton, Rt. Hon. R. H. |
| Mackie, J. H. (Galloway) | Raikes, Sir Victor | Vaughan-Morgan, J. K. |
| McLaughlin, Mrs. P. | Redmayne, M. | Vickers, Miss J. H. |
| Maitland, Cdr. J. F. W. (Horncastle) | Rees-Davies, W. R. | Vosper, D. F. |
| Maitland, Hon. Patrick (Lanark) | Renton, D. L. M. | Wade, D. W. |
| Manningham-Buller, Rt. Hn. Sir R. | Rippon, A. G. F. | Wakefield, Sir Wavell (St. M'lebone) |
| Marlowe, A. A. H. | Robertson, Sir David | Walker-Smith, D. C. |
| Marshall, Douglas | Robinson, Sir Roland (Blackpool, S.) | Ward, Hon. George (Worcester) |
| Mathew, R. | Robson-Brown, W. | Waterhouse, Capt. Rt. Hon. C. |
| Maude, Angus | Rodgers, John (Sevenoaks) | Whitelaw, W. S. I. (Penrith & Border) |
| Maudling, Rt. Hon. R. | Roper, Sir Harold | Williams, Paul (Sunderland, S.) |
| Mawby, R. L. | Ropner, Col. Sir Leonard | Wills, G. (Bridgwater) |
| Maydon, Lt.-Comdr. S. L. C. | Russell, R. S. | Wilson, Geoffrey (Truro) |
| Malson, A. H. E. | Schofield, Lt.-Col. W. | Wood, Hon. R. |
| Moore, Sir Thomas | Scott-Miller, Cmdr. R. | Woollam, John Victor |
| Morrison, John (Salisbury) | Shepherd, William | Yates, William (The Wrekin) |
| Mott-Radclyffe, C. E. | Smithers, Peter (Winchester) | |
| Nabarro, G. D. N. | Smyth, Brig. Sir John (Norwood) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES: |
| Mr. Legh and Mr. Godber. | ||
| NOES | ||
| Ainsley, J. W. | Ede, Rt. Hon. J. C. | Lipton, Lt.-Col. M. |
| Albu, A. H. | Edwards, Rt. Hon. Ness (Caerphilly) | Mabon, Dr. J. Dickson |
| Allaun, Frank (Salford, E.) | Edwards, Robert (Bilston) | McGhee, H. G. |
| Allen, Arthur (Bosworth) | Edwards, W. J. (Stepney) | McKay, John (Wallsend) |
| Anderson, Frank | Evans, Albert (Islington, S. W.) | McLeavy, Frank |
| Awbery, S. S. | Evans, Edward (Lowestoft) | MacPherson, Malcolm (Stirling) |
| Bacon, Miss Alice | Fletcher, Eric | Mahon, Simon |
| Baird, J. | Fraser, Thomas (Hamilton) | Mallalieu, E. L. (Brigg) |
| Balfour, A. | Gaitskell, Rt. Hon. H. T. R. | Mallalieu, J. P. W. (Huddersfd, E.) |
| Bartley, P. | Gibson, C. W. | Mann, Mrs. Jean |
| Benson, G. | Gordon Walker, Rt. Hon. P. C. | Marquand, Rt. Hon. H. A. |
| Beswick, F. | Greenwood, Anthony | Mellish, R. J. |
| Bevan, Rt. Hon. A. (Ebbw Vale) | Grey, C. F. | Messer, Sir F. |
| Blackburn, F. | Griffiths, Rt. Hon. James (Llanelly) | Mikardo, Ian |
| Blenkinsop, A. | Hamilton, W. W. | Mitchison, G. R. |
| Blyton, W. R. | Hannan, W. | Monslow, W. |
| Boardman, H. | Harrison, J. (Nottingham, N.) | Moody, A. S. |
| Bottomley, Rt. Hon. A. G. | Hastings, S. | Morris, Percy (Swansea, W.) |
| Bowden, H. W. (Leicester, S. W.) | Hayman, F. H. | Mort, D. L. |
| Braddock, Mrs. Elizabeth | Henderson, Rt. Hn. A. (Rwly Regis) | Moss, R. |
| Brockway, A. F. | Herbison, Miss M. | Mulley, F. W. |
| Broughton, Dr. A. D. D. | Hobson, C. R. | Oliver, G. H. |
| Brown, Rt. Hon. George (Belper) | Howell, Denis (All Saints) | Oram, A. E. |
| Burton, Miss F. E. | Hubbard, T. F. | Oswald, T. |
| Butler, Herbert (Hackney, C.) | Hughes, Cledwyn (Anglesey) | Owen, W. J. |
| Butler, Mrs. Joyce (Wood Green) | Hughes, Emrys (S. Ayrshire) | Pannell, Charles (Leeds, W.) |
| Carmichael, J. | Hughes, Hector (Aberdeen, N.) | Parker, J. |
| Castle, Mrs. B. A. | Hynd, J. B. (Atterclilfe) | Paton, J. |
| Chapman, W. D. | Irvine, A. J. (Edge Hill) | Pearson, A. |
| Chetwynd, G. R. | Irving, S. (Dartford) | Plummer, Sir Leslie |
| Clunie, J. | Isaacs, Rt. Hon. G. A. | Price, J. T. (Westhoughton) |
| Coldrick, W. | Jay, Rt. Hon. D. P. T. | Pryde, D. J. |
| Collick, P. H. (Birkenhead) | Jenkins, Roy (Stechford) | Randall, H. E. |
| Collins, V. J. (Shoreditch & Finsbury) | Johnson, James (Rugby) | Redhead, E. C. |
| Corbet, Mrs. Freda | Jones, Rt. Hon. A. Creech (Wakefield) | Reid, William |
| Craddock, George (Bradford, S.) | Jones, Jack (Rotherham) | Rhodes, H. |
| Cronin, J. D. | Jones, J. Idwal (Wrexham) | Roberts, Goronwy (Caernarvon) |
| Cullen, Mrs. A. | Jones, T. W. (Merioneth) | Robinson, Kenneth (St. Pancras, N.) |
| Daines, P. | Kenyon, C. | Rogers, George (Kensington, N.) |
| Dalton, Rt. Hon. H. | Key, Rt. Hon. C. W. | Ross, William |
| Darling, George (Hillsborough) | King, Dr. H. M. | Shinwell, Rt. Hon. E. |
| Davies, Ernest (Enfield, E.) | Lawson, G. M. | Short, E. W. |
| Davies, Stephen (Merthyr) | Lee, Frederick (Newton) | Silverman, Julius (Aston) |
| Deer, G. | Lee, Miss Jennie (Cannook) | Silverman, Sydney (Nelson) |
| Donnelly, D. L. | Lever, Leslie (Ardwick) | Simmons, C. J. (Brierley Hill) |
| Dugdale, Rt. Hn. John (W. Brmwch) | Lewis, Arthur | Skeffington, A. M. |
| Snow, J. W. | Thomson, George (Dundee, E.) | Willey Frederick |
| Sorensen, R. W. | Thornton, E. | Williams, David (Neath) |
| Sparks, J. A. | Ungoed-Thomas, Sir Lynn | Williams, Rev. Llywelyn (Ab'tillery) |
| Stewart, Michael (Fulham) | Usborne, H. C. | Williams, Rt. Hon. T. (Don Valley) |
| Stones, W. (Consett) | Viant, S. P. | Williams, W. R. (Openshaw) |
| Strauss, Rt. Hon. George (Vauxhall) | Warbey, W. N. | Willis, Eustace (Edinburgh, E.) |
| Stross, Dr. Barnett (Stoke-on-Trent, C.) | Watkins, T. E. | Woodburn, Rt. Hon. A. |
| Summerskill, Rt. Hon. E. | Wells, Percy) (Faversham) | Woof, R. E. |
| Swingler, S. T. | Wells, William (Walsall, N.) | Yates, V. (Ladywood) |
| Sylvester, G. O. | West, D. G. | Zilliacus, K. |
| Taylor, John (West Lothian) | Wheeldon, W. E. | |
| Thomas, George (Cardiff) | White, Mrs. Eirene (E. Fint) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES: |
| Thomas, Iorwerth (Rhondda, W.) | White, Henry (Derbyshire, N. E.) | Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Holmes. |