HC Deb 18 December 1956 vol 562 cc1095-7
47. Mr. Bellenger

asked the Prime Minister whether he is now able to announce the decision of Her Majesty's Government on the Report of the Select Committee on Anticipation of Parliamentary Debates.

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir. I would first like to express the thanks of the whole House to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Chertsey (Sir L. Heald) and to the members of the Select Committee for the care and skill which they devoted to their task and for the valuable report they produced.

In their report the Select Committee indicated that upholding the primacy of Parliament was the only justification for any policy of limitation, that any restrictions to give effect to the decision of the House of 30th of November last year should be reduced to the smallest practicable extent, and that the arrangements should be flexible. The Government have therefore considered whether some means other than the 14-day rule could be found of meeting these requirements. We have received assurances from the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Independent Television Authority and the Independent Television Authority's programme companies that if the existing rule is suspended they will continue to act in a way which does not derogate from the primacy of Parliament as the forum for debating the affairs of the nation. They have further assured us that they will act within the spirit of the Resolution approved by this House on 30th of November, 1955.

After consultation with right hon. Gentlemen opposite, the Government have decided to suspend the existing 14-day rule for an experimental period of about six months, and further to consider the recommendations of the Select Committee after that.

Accordingly, my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General is withdrawing the existing rule. I hope that these arrangements may commend themselves to the whole House.

Mr. Gaitskell

As the Prime Minister has mentioned, there were consultations with us on this matter. We are, of course, in general agreement with the statement made by the Prime Minister, but there is one point on which I would ask him a question. He refers to an experimental period of about six months. It was our understanding that it would be for the rest of the Parliamentary Session. In fact, there is not very much difference between them. There is the end of July, and then, presumably, there will be the Summer Recess. I would like the Prime Minister to clear up this matter. Is it indicated that the arrangements for the suspension of this rule will continue for the rest of the Session?

The Prime Minister

I think the phase was "about six months", but I certainly would not quarrel with the view of the House if that view is that it would be better to go to the end of the Session. That would be quite a reasonable arrangement.

Mr. C. Davies

Does the Prime Minister recall that I was one of the original sinners who concurred in this but who quickly repented and confessed to the House? May I not only welcome this announcement but hope that the rule will never be restored, not even after the end of the Session?

The Prime Minister

The right hon. and learned Gentleman has described himself as a sinner. At any rate he was in quite respectable company.

Sir L. Heald

Is my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister aware that the Committee was unanimous in its view that there ought to be the maximum relaxation, but was restricted by its terms of reference; and that members of that Committee will follow with great interest and good will the experiment now announced?

Mr. S. Silverman

Will the Prime Minister bear in mind, in any further consideration he gives to this matter, that all the witnesses heard by the Select Committee, with the exception of the B.B.C., expressed the view that, if there was to be any limitation at all, they would prefer that it should be an express one approved by Parliament, rather than that the matter should be left to their own discretion? Are we to infer from what the Prime Minister said that some unofficial, indirect rule will still be operated?

The Prime Minister

The authorities concerned have gladly given their cooperation and agreement in this arrangement. That being so, it seems a sensible course that the House should give them this period of trial to see how it works out. I have some confidence that, like a good many things in this country, it will work out better in practice even though the theory of it may be difficult to describe in detail.