HC Deb 26 April 1960 vol 622 cc30-2
40. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis to ensure that Members of Parliament, and others, shall have unimpeded access to the Palace of Westminster on the morning of Friday, 6th May.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. R. A. Butler)

We shall propose that the House do not sit on Friday, 6th May. I hope, therefore, that the difficulties envisaged in the hon. Member's questions will not arise. I will make a supplementary statement at a later date about making up the time lost to Private Members. This is not likely to be possible before the Whitsun Recess.

Mr. Lipton

What representations were received by the Government which made them change their mind, because the original announcement made by the right hon. Gentleman was to the effect that the House would sit on 6th May. What has happened since then to make the right hon. Gentleman change his mind?

Mr. Butler

The Government have not changed their mind. We always thought that it would perhaps be difficult to sit on that day. On consideration of the obvious difficulties of approach to the Chamber, which are raised in the Question, and out of regard to the solemnity and importance of the occasion, which has animated the Government's wishes in this matter, we have thought it better not to sit on this occasion.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

As the fortunate winner of the first place in the Ballot for Friday, 6th May, may I ask my right hon. Friend to tell me whether time on another Friday or some other time will be allotted for discussion of my Motion and other important Motions?

Mr. Butler

Yes, Sir. I have my hon. Friend's Motion before me. I said that I would make a supplementary statement on a later day. I do not think that it will be possible to give a similar time, which is what we have in mind, until after the Whitsun Recess.

Mr. Janner

As the fortunate, or unfortunate, hon. Member with the second place in the Ballot, I have put down a Motion which is of extreme urgency, apart from its importance. It is about the Albemarle Report, which is an extremely important matter. Will not the Leader of the House consider giving us an opportunity of bringing this Motion and the Motion of the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke) before the House before the Whitsun holidays?

Mr. Butler

I cannot alter the fortune which attended the hon. Member in the Ballot—the fact that his Motion came second to that of my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke), despite its great importance; but I have said that I hope that similar time will be allotted by the Government, although I do not think it will be easy to find it before the Whitsun Recess.

Sir T. Moore

On a point of order—and I shall be interested to know whether it is a point of order. Could you, Mr. Speaker, give us any estimate —apart from those hon. Members who have Motions down for Friday, 6th May —of how many hon. Members will be affected, in order to get the perspective right?

Mr. Speaker

There is no element of order about estimates of numbers of Members.

Mr. Gordon Walker

As there is a touch of ambiguity about the right hon. Gentleman's statement, will he tell us clearly that he will find another equivalent day for Private Members' business? There may be some difficulty about exactly when it is provided, but the right hon. Gentleman has also not fully and unequivocally committed himself to giving an equivalent day to the day which is lost. Will he do that?

Mr. Butler

What I have said is, I think, quite definite: we will find a similar amount of time. I think that should satisfy the hon. Members concerned.

Mr. Driberg

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the time which is to be made up later to these hon. Members will not be made up to them at the expense of other private Members?

Mr. Butler

I think that if I did that I should get into trouble.