HC Deb 29 July 1958 vol 592 cc1150-4

The following Question stood upon the Order Paper:

48. Mr. BESWICK

To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to meet Mr. Khrushchev.

Mr. Beswick

rose—

Mr. S. Silverman

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering whether, in the exceptional circumstances—

Hon. Members

Order.

Mr. Speaker

A point of order is being raised.

Mr. Beswick

I was rising to a point of order, Sir.

Mr. Speaker

Then I will call Mr. Beswick.

Mr. Beswick

The point I wish to raise is this, Mr. Speaker. As I am sure that the Government wish to extract themselves from the impossible position in which they have been placed by the summit exchanges, will the Lord Privy Seal give an answer to Question No. 48?

Mr. Speaker

I do not know about that.

Mr. Silverman

As a matter of fact, I was proposing to raise exactly the same point, Sir.

I should like to put to you, Mr. Speaker, that in the very exceptional circumstances in which we find ourselves and because, apparently, Parliament is to adjourn very soon, the natural interest of Members of Parliament in the televising of the opening of Parliament next November ought not to be allowed to displace their more immediate interests in more important matters

Mr. Speaker

It is not a matter of the interest of hon. Members in the televising of the opening of Parliament that is the concern here. It is the Standing Order which limits Question Time to this hour. There is no precedent that I know of which would justify me in allowing Questions after the hour, unless I have been given notice beforehand.

Mr. Gaitskell

May I add a few words in support of my hon. Friends on this matter? Had we supposed that Question No. 48 would not be reached, I think I should have asked you to be allowed to put down a Private Notice Question. I should have thought that most hon. Members were very much concerned with the situation over the Summit Conference, and I am sure the Government are. If the Lord Privy Seal were prepared to answer the Question on behalf of the Prime Minister, I wonder whether, in those circumstances, you would be prepared to allow him to do so, Sir.

Mr. Speaker

A Minister is always entitled to make a statement, with the permission of the House, if he feels that he should do so in the public interest, but not to answer a Question unless he has given notice that he proposes to do so. That is the position under the rules of the House.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)

I am quite ready to make a short statement. It is, in fact, only a holding statement. It is as follows. As the House knows, my right hon Friend the Prime Minister has now received a further letter from Mr. Khrushchev, the full text of which was available only this morning. We shall consult urgently with our allies about this. As regards the arrangement for a meeting, including the representation of other States, I would refer to my right hon. Friend's last letter to Mr. Khrushchev, which was published on Sunday.

Mr. Beswick

Arising out of that statement which the Lord Privy Seal has been kind enough to make to the House, may I ask whether he can say now what is the reason which prevents Her Majesty's Government from naming the date for the Summit Conference? May we have an assurance from the Lord Privy Seal that he will be able to give us a date before the time at present fixed for the rising of this House?

Mr. Butler

Consultations must take place, but nobody can say that my right hon. Friend and Her Majesty's Government have not acted with the utmost dispatch, both in answering Mr. Khrushchev's letters and in the scope and pithiness of our replies. I do not anticipate that my right hon. Friend or Her Majesty's Government will delay in any way in making a further answer to Mr. Khrushchev's letter. I will certainly convey to my right hon. Friend the request of the hon. Gentleman, which, I believe, represents feelings held elsewhere, that the House should receive the maximum information before we rise.

Mr. Foot

Since the Prime Minister's letter of 26th July made no specific reference to the matter, can the right hon. Gentleman say what is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government towards the participation of interested Arab States in the proposed summit meeting?

Mr. Butler

The answer of 26th July suggested that the necessary arrangements should be made with the permanent representatives of the members of the Security Council. It also stated that my right hon. Friend would be ready to go to New York for a meeting, if Mr. Khrushchev would also go. I agree that there is no detailed reference to the point raised by the hon. and learned Gentleman, but I cannot go any further in answering that matter today.

Mr. Gaitskell

First, I should like to thank the Lord Privy Seal for his courtesy in making that statement. May I ask whether he is aware that while we gave our full support to the proposal of Her Majesty's Government that the Summit Conference should take place under the aegis of the Security Council, and while we think it most desirable that it should be associated with the United Nations, we also strongly supported the proposal that there should be private meetings taking place simultaneously? Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will not allow the desirability of this association with the United Nations to obstruct the holding of any Summit Conference altogether?

Mr. Butler

I can give an assurance on behalf of my right hon. Friend that it has always been his intention, and that of Her Majesty's Government, that the procedure should be formal and informal. That would give the opportunities which the right hon. Gentleman desires.

Mr. Bevan

Are we to understand that that would not include the possibility of representatives of the Arab States being present?

Mr. Butler

I would like at this stage to say that it would certainly not exclude the possibility of other States being associated with the talks.

Mr. Gower

May I ask, in relation to the question put by the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Beswick), whether it Is not difficult to understand how this country alone can fix a date until it has consulted all the other countries concerned?

Mr. Butler

That illustrates part of the difficulty of the procedure, but it should not in any way detract from the desire of Her Majecty's Government that such talks should take place as soon as possible.

Mr. S. Silverman

Should it turn out on further investigation that some, though not all, of the nations which might attend a Summit Conference are willing to attend at an earlier date, would the right hon. Gentleman say whether Her Majesty's Government would be in favour of a meeting of those who are prepared to meet while those who are not prepared to meet can stay away?

Mr. Butler

I do not think that I should take my answers any further today. I have done my best to give the House the latest information and to say that we shall give the House any further information we can before the House rises. It is quite clear that it is Her Majesty's Government's wish that a conference of the type suggested should be effective. A definition of what "effective" means must be analysed when we see the reply.