HC Deb 08 December 1959 vol 615 cc225-8
48. Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Prime Minister if he will now make a statement on the composition and terms of reference of the Monckton Commission following the representations made to him.

The Prime Minister

I am glad to be able to inform the House that the following Privy Councillors have accepted appointment to three of the six places on the Monckton Commission which were unfilled when I made my statement in the House on 24th November: my noble Friend Lord Crathorne, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Chertsey (Sir L. Heald), and my right hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Mr. Molson).

Mr. Stonehouse

Is the Prime Minister aware that the attitude of the Opposition and the suspicion of public opinion in the country generally about the Monckton Commission are due to the fact that before it starts it appears to be a packed and not an impartial Commission? Since the Commission will not enjoy the confidence of 95 per cent. of the people who live in the Protectorate—[HON. MEMBERS: "How do you know?"]—will he now scrap it and put in its place something which will have that confidence?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Member must form his own judgments, but I do not think that his judgments of individuals are very charitable, to say the least. For my part, and, I think, even for those who may have doubts about the Commission, I should like to pay tribute to those who, sometimes at very great inconvenience and with a very great deal of their time, have undertaken to give their services to what they think to be useful. I should particularly like once more to thank the chairman, who has undertaken this task simply as a public duty.

Mr. Gaitskell

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that while no one would question the good faith of Lord Monckton, it is the case that, although we would have wished to participate, we could not do so unless we were satisfied that the Commission had a reasonable chance of success, and that as we felt that that chance did not exist unless there were such an interpretation of the terms of reference as would make possible the consideration of solutions other than federation, we decided regretfully that we could not enter into it?

The Prime Minister

I quite accept that. That was contained in the letters which passed between us. I am bound to say that the right hon. Gentleman has now added a fourth to the three reasons he gave—he would not embark on any undertaking unless it had a reasonable chance of success. One has to judge chances of success, but I can remember many in my lifetime when it seemed that we did not have great chances of success.

Mr. Gaitskell

Is the Prime Minister aware that he is quite wrong? The reference to the possibility of success was contained in my letter to him, which he appears not to have read.

The Prime Minister

I think the right hon. Gentleman is showing a rather bad conscience over this matter.

Mr. Wade

Is the Prime Minister aware that the terms of reference are still far from clear and that, in so far as they are clear, they appear to limit the scope of the recommendations which this Commission will be entitled to make, and that this has created a very unfortunate impression and must lessen the usefulness of this Commission at the outset?

The Prime Minister

We shall just have to see what happens. I do not myself think that the hon. Gentleman is correct. I think the Commission is one which is capable of being a source of great good, and I am sure that he, also, hopes so.

Mr. W. Hamilton

Has the Prime Minister's attention been directed to the notes recently issued by the Federal Government in Central Africa to the effect that Dr. Shepherd represents the Church of Scotland on the Commission and that he himself gave the same impression to the House the other day. Will he now read what he said, and also read the notes issued by the Federal Government, and contradict this view that Dr. Shepherd is the representative of the Church of Scotland?

The Prime Minister

If I said that, I certainly did not intend to mislead the House, but nobody represents on this Commission anybody except himself. This is a Commission of individuals. They are not elected as representatives but are chosen because they cover a wide field of experience, and I should have thought that even the most rabid critic would admit that Dr. Shepherd, both as Moderator and through his life, has considerable knowledge and experience of these affairs.

Mr. Lipton

In view of the statesmanlike attitude which they demonstrated last week, would the Prime Minister consider inviting one or two members of the Oxford University Conservative Club to join the Commission?

The Prime Minister

I think that in a few years' time I would be very ready to do so.