§ 56. Mr. Lewisasked the Prime Minister whether he has considered the communication sent to him from the hon Member for West Ham, North, concerning the question of the salaries of Members of Parliament; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI have studied the communication. The hon. Gentleman will have seen the published correspondence which I have had on this matter with the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition and the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Montgomery, and I have no further statement to make.
§ Mr. LewisYes, but the Prime Minister will be aware that I sent to him an excellent leading article from the Scotsman. As many Englishmen do not take the trouble to read that paper, will the right hon. Gentleman publish the article in HANSARD so that hon. Members on both sides of the House can be fully acquainted with the rights of the argument as outlined by the Scotsman?
§ The Prime MinisterI should imagine, though I have not consulted them, that already a variety of views has been expressed by the newspapers on this subject. I do not propose to make myself responsible for giving them further publicity through the columns of HANSARD.
§ Mr. GaitskellWill the Prime Minister answer one question? If it be the case, as I gather from his letter, that he believes this to be a matter for the House of Commons, will he explain why the Government have not carried out the decision of the House of Commons made in 1954?
§ The Prime MinisterThis Question does not go into that matter. This Question deals with whether I would publish an article which appeared in the Scotsman. I have given my reasons for not doing so. My wider reasons I have expressed in my reply to the right hon. Gentleman, which he has received.
§ Mr. GaitskellI do not think the Prime Minister quite understood my point. It related to the letter which he sent to us and to which he referred in his answer. If, in fact, it is his view that this is a matter for the House of Commons, I am asking why, then, does not he accept the decision of the House of Commons on this matter arrived at with a majority of 114 in 1954?
§ The Prime MinisterI very much regret having had to send a letter in the form I did to the right hon. Gentleman. I very much regret it, and that is true. I was forced to do so. It is our responsibility to try to weigh this matter and think of the right course to follow. I regret very much that it had to be done, but in the circumstances, in the light of what the right hon. Gentleman knows we are trying to achieve throughout the nation, I cannot see that I could possibly have sent him any other reply.
§ Mr. GaitskellMay we press the Prime Minister a little more on this matter? Would he, in view of what he said about the responsibility of the House, be prepared to leave this matter to a free vote of the House now?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think any Government could possibly do that—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—perhaps hon. Members would let me finish my sentence—in the light of the terms of the reply which I sent to the right hon. Gentleman.