§ 50. Mr. G. Brownasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the Government's decisions for further re-organisation and integration of the defence services.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave on Tuesday last to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wells (Lieut.-Commander Maydon).
§ Mr. BrownAs that reply simply said that the Prime Minister was not making a statement, may I press him further on the subject? Is not this clearly a subject on which decisions will affect the position far beyond the span of life of the present Government? Would not the Prime Minister therefore agree that it is a subject on which the House and the country ought to have the earliest and fullest possible information? In view of the vast flurry of obviously inspired stories in all the newspapers, will the Prime Minister be able to take the House of Commons, as well as newspaper correspondents, into his confidence?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree about the importance of the matter, but I take no responsibility for what the newspapers say, nor for their accuracy. However, the first stage, before making a statement, is to reach a conclusion.
§ Mr. BrownIf no conclusions have yet been reached, and in view of what happened on Tuesday when the Air Council decided in its frustration to make some decisions for the Prime Minister, is not the right hon. Gentleman encouraged to think that he ought to hurry up?
§ The Prime MinisterI would rather not deal with that question—as a matter of courtesy, not because I am not ready—since there is a Question dealing with 1418 the matter on the Order Paper for next Tuesday.
§ Mr. BellengerIs not the Prime Minister aware that there is another aspect of the matter to which we have given expression in the House on various occasions, that being that the House of Commons is denied information on very important matters whereas a certain Service, if not more than one, can propagate its own views in public?
§ The Prime MinisterI cannot accept that. I have no responsibility for what has appeared. I will deal with this subject when the appropriate Question is reached in due course—in justice to the hon. Member who put it down. As the right hon. Gentleman knows, the importance of what we are trying to do can be easily exaggerated. We are making some progress along the general line. That has been developing, and when I am in a position to make a clear and agreed statement, I will certainly do so. There have been many matters which have occupied my mind and I am sorry if I have not been able to reach finality in my proposals on this matter.
§ Mr. StracheyCould not the Prime Minister assure us now that integration will be taken to the point where the theatrical entertainments of the three Services are in line with each other?