HC Deb 04 April 1957 vol 568 cc581-2
The Prime Minister

With permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a statement about the Council of Europe.

The Consultative Assembly will meet in Strasbourg on 29th April, and I have appointed 18 delegates from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The distribution of the appointments between the parties is the same as in the previous delegation, that is, nine Members of the Conservative Party, eight Members of the Labour Party and a representative of the Liberal Party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.

The appointments of the Labour and Liberal representatives and substitutes have, of course, been made on the basis of nominations by the Leaders of those parties. I will circulate the names of the delegates in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The same delegation will represent the United Kingdom Parliament at the Assembly of Western European Union, which is expected to meet in Strasbourg on 6th May.

Following are the names:

Representatives from the Government benches—

The right hon. Member for Moss Side (Dame Florence Horsbrugh); the hon. Members for Aberdeenshire, East (Sir R. Boothby), Rutherglen (Mr. Brooman-White), Antrim, South (Mr. Knox Cunningham), Henley (Mr. Hay), Scotstoun (Sir J. Hutchison), Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Longden), and Farnham (Mr. Nicholson); and Viscount Stone-haven.

From the Labour Party—

The Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Leeds, South (Mr. Gaitskell), the right hon. Members for Brighouse and Spenborough (Mr. J. Edwards), Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Marquand), and Grimsby (Mr. Younger); and the hon. Members for Oldham, West (Mr. Hale), Stoke-on-Trent, North (Mrs. Slater), Bristol, South (Mr. Wilkins), and Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey).

From the Liberal Party—

The hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt).

The following substitutes have been appointed to act for the delegates when they are absent from Strasbourg.

From the Government benches—

The hon. Members for Torquay (Mr. F. M. Bennett), Fermanagh and South Tyrone (Lieut.-Colonel Grosvenor), Gravesend (Mr. Kirk), Harrogate (Mr. Ramsden), and Wembley, South (Mr. Russell); and the Marquess of Lansdowne.

From the Labour Party—

The hon. Members for Batley and Morley (Dr. Broughton), Bedwelity (Mr. Finch), Motherwell (Mr. Lawson), and Salford, West (Mr. Royle).

From the Liberal Party—

Lord Rea.