HC Deb 22 January 1957 vol 563 cc33-5
The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)

I have a short business statement to make, Mr. Speaker.

The Second Report from the Committee of Privileges relating to the complaint of a passage in the Sunday Express newspaper of 16th December last was made available on 9th January. We propose to bring the report before the House tomorrow, Wednesday, and, following precedent, it is thought that the House will want an early opportunity to hear what the Editor of the Sunday Express has to say. Accordingly, a Motion will be proposed ordering his attendance on Thursday. If this course commends itself to the House, it may be felt appropriate not to discuss this matter at length tomorrow, but to reserve the debate until after the Editor has been heard.

Mr. Gaitskell

The course suggested by the right hon. Gentleman is quite acceptable to this side of the House.

Mr. Shinwell

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there will be an opportunity, when this matter comes before the House at the appropriate time, to discuss the general question of the allocation of petrol coupons to all the constituencies in the country, including Members of Parliament?

Mr. Butler

I should have thought that was a matter on which the Chair would rule. There will be, of course, a Motion for me to move tomorrow, simply that the Report be brought forward, or something of that kind. Whenever there is a Motion before the House there is always an opportunity for debate, which we sometimes know to our cost. There will also be another Motion on Thursday on the same subject. Whether the right hon. Gentleman is able to raise such wide subjects as he has mentioned depends upon his points falling within the ambit of those Motions.

Mr. Shinwell

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that it is very difficult for hon. Members to come to a considered judgment on this issue without going into all the details of the allocation of coupons for petrol? Does he appreciate that, and if so, will there he an opportunity for so doing?

Mr. Butler

I think that anybody who has read the Report of the Committee of Privileges will see that the issue is set out and that the facts are given. If the right hon. Gentleman has read it, as I am sure he has, he must be in possession of the facts of the situation. I must leave the Chair to rule as to what is debatable.

Mr. Lewis

The Leader of the House mentioned the Second Report. Is he aware that mention is made in the First Report that an apology had been sent to the hon. Member concerned about two months ago when, in fact, the apology has not yet been received? Can we have some discussion on that? It is not a laughing matter, though the Prime Minister may think it is, it is a serious matter. May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will make arrangements for the First Report to be discussed in the debate on the Second Report if the promise and the pledges therein mentioned have not been carried out?

Mr. Butler

As I understood—and I can only speak as one member of the Committee of Privileges—the particular issue which we regarded as a very important one, which affected the hon. Gentleman himself, was disposed of by the apology made, and, therefore, the Report was not brought before the House. That is the situation with regard to the First Report, the outcome of which I should have thought the hon. Gentleman would regard as satisfactory.

Mr. Lewis

If I may ask again, is the Leader of the House aware that although the Committee of Privileges was told that an apology was sent, the apology has not been sent—at least up to now? It is now four or five weeks after the incident and no apology has been received by the hon. Member concerned. As the Committee was told then that an apology had been sent, what does the Committee intend to do about it?

Mr. Butler

That is a fact which I should like to consider. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put it before me and then I can consult my colleagues on the Committee of Privileges.

Mrs. Mann

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are many people in this House and outside it who regard the allocation of petrol to constituency parties as unpardonably high, and who think that it ought to be reduced? Should not the House have the opportunity of discussing that before bringing anyone to the Bar of the House to make any apology?

Mr. Butler

I think that there are two separate questions. One is the question of contempt—that is, observations about Members of Parliament themselves, which was cleared up by this Second Report. There is a completely different question, the allocation by a Government Department to particular agencies of petrol coupons for their use. The latter question is one which I should have thought ought to be raised as an ordinary matter on the Floor of the House and answered by the Government. The questions should be differentiated.