§ 46. Mr. Lewisasked the Prime Minister if he will introduce legislation making it mandatory upon Her Majesty's Government before commencing armed conflict with any country to discuss the political and economic issues involved in the House of Commons.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave last Tuesday to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Clackmannan and East Stirlingshire (Mr. Woodburn).
§ Mr. LewisI anticipated that Reply. May I now ask the Prime Minister to say whether he agrees that it would have been better, particularly as we all know now that there was a split in the Cabinet and that Ministers resigned, if, before commencing war with Egypt, he had discussed it in this House and thus saved us the difficulties of petrol rationing, unemployment, and the millions of 850 pounds which he and his previous Government let the people of this country in for?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman may be interested to know that the words which I used in my reply last Tuesday were precisely the same, with the necessary substitution in the Royal title, as those used by Lord Attlee on 14th March, 1946.
§ Mr. GaitskellIs the Prime Minister aware that a matter of this kind is best left to the judgment of the Prime Minister concerned and the strength of mind of the members of the Cabinet, and that in both cases, in our opinion, they were deficient in recent months?
§ The Prime MinisterWhile not wishing to enter into needless controversy, I think that the right hon. Gentleman, if he looks back upon his record, has very little to be proud of.