§ Mr. GaitskellMay I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the business of the House for next week?
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. R. A. Butler)Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:
MONDAY, 18TH JULY—Supply [24th Allotted Day]: Committee.
Debate on the Use and Price of Land, on the appropriate Votes in Supply.
Consideration of the Motion to approve the International Development Association Order.
TUESDAY, 19TH JULY—Debate on a Government Motion to take note of the Report on Developments and Government Action in Wales and Monmouthshire, until about 8 o'clock.
Afterwards, a debate on the Motion relating to the Chairmanship of the Welsh Broadcasting Council.
Committee and remaining stages of the Cyprus Bill, and of the Nigeria Independence Bill.
WEDNESDAY, 20TH JULY—Supply [25th Allotted Day]: Committee. Debate on Defence, on the Ministry of Defence Vote.
Consideration of Navy, Army and Air Expenditure, 1958–59.
At 9.30 p.m. the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Supply Votes.
Consideration of the Motions to approve the White Fish and Herring Subsidy Schemes and Order.
THURSDAY, 21ST JULY—Supply [26TH Allotted Day]:
The first part of the day, until 7 o'clock, will be occupied by a debate on an Opposition Amendment to the Question, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the Chair" relating to the Control of Political Expenditure.
Afterwards, on the Report of Supply Votes, a debate will take place on Hospitals under the National Health Service in England and Wales.
1608 At 9.30 p.m. the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Supply Votes.
Consideration of Lords Amendments to the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Bill, and to the Clean Rivers (Estuaries and Tidal Waters) Bill.
FRIDAY, 22ND JuLY—Report and Third Reading of the Building Societies Bill [Lords] and the Administration of Justice Bill [Lords].
Committee and remaining stages of the Films Bill [Lords], which is a consolidation Measure.
Second Reading of the Statute Law Revision Bill [Lords], which is expected to be received from another place next week.
In regard to progress of business today, from inquiries which I have made I do not think that there will be an opportunity of moving the White Fish and Herring Subsidy Schemes and Orders at 8 o'clock this evening as I had hoped. We shall, therefore, proceed tonight with the Highways and Road Traffic Orders and take the White Fish and Herring Subsidy Schemes and Orders on Wednesday of next week, as I have already announced.
Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, it would be convenient for me to inform the House that we hope that all outstanding business will have been disposed of in time to allow the House to adjourn for the Summer Recess on Friday, 29th July. I will make a further statement about the proposed date of reassembly in the autumn.
§ Mr. GaitskellCan the right hon. Gentleman announce the business for Monday week, in accordance with the usual procedure? Can he say whether we shall have an opportunity of debating our economic relations with Europe before the Recess?
§ Mr. ButlerI had recently been announcing the business for the Monday following, but this occasion being towards the end of the Session I have kept this matter back for further discussions. In those discussions we might include the subject which the right hon. Gentleman has raised.
§ Mr. P. WilliamsHas my right hon. Friend's attention been drawn to the 1609 Motion on the Order Paper standing in my name and the names of about 50 of my right hon. and hon. Friends?
[That this House views with grave concern the unjust expropriation of British assets by the Cuban Government, in line with precedents set by Doctor Mossadeq and President Nasser, and, in view of the failure of the United Nations Organisation to restrain such hostile acts, calls on Her Majesty's Government to take immediate steps to replace Cuban imports into the United Kingdom by imports from Commonwealth sources.]Can he tell us whether the Government are to lake any action to defend British commercial interests and also to promote the Commonwealth trading facilities referred to? I am referring particularly to the incidents in Cuba. Is this not another case of international brigandage going unpunished? Can my right hon. Friend say whether the Government intend to make a statement about action rather than letting this situation run on?
§ Mr. ButlerI cannot answer, on business questions, about the policy involved. I will discuss it, as I have already done, with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, together with my hon. Friend's request for a further statement.
§ Mr. A. HendersonCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Government intend to provide time for a debate on disarmament before the Recess?
§ Mr. ButlerThere is a debate on defence next Wednesday. I do not think that there will be time for a further debate on disarmament under the present arrangements.
§ Viscount HinchingbrookeWill my right hon. Friend take into account, when discussing business on the Appropriation Bill with the Opposition, that many hon. Members on both sides of the House would be grateful if some time could be devoted to Parliamentary control of expenditure?
§ Mr. ButlerI hope to make a statement before we rise about our intentions for the next Session. I will discuss these matters with representatives of Her Majesty's Opposition.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us when the Prime Minister is likely to make the promised statement on his negotiations with President Eisenhower about the future of American bases in this country?
§ Mr. ButlerThere should be an opportunity early next week, or in the defence debate.
§ Lady GammansMay I ask whether there is a possibility of having a debate in the near future on the Report of the Royal Commission on Population? It was published in 1949, and I think that there has been no debate on it since then.
§ Mr. ButlerIn a rather crowded fortnight it will be rather difficult to catch up all this long time. I must disappoint my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. PavittWould the right hon. Gentleman give consideration to a discussion of the Report of the Royal Commission on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration before we rise for the Recess? Would it not be an act of courtesy to Sir Harry Pilkington to discuss his last Report before he starts his next one?
§ Mr. ButlerYes, Sir. It would certainly be more encouraging were we able to do so.
§ Mr. WiggI asked last Thursday what action the right hon. Gentleman proposed to take about the Monk Resolutions, in view of the amended form of Standing Order No. 16. Can he now give the House that information?
§ Mr. ButlerThe Monk Resolutions have been put down, as I would have liked to indicate more clearly to the hon. Member last week. They have been put down for Wednesday. It is hoped that there will be a short time available for a discussion, but I am not absolutely certain that there will be. It is hoped that there will be. This has been discussed with the Opposition. I hope that it will work out all right this year, but if it does not we shall have to renew the discussions on the procedure proposal of the Procedure Committee in the next Session.
§ Mr. GaitskellPerhaps I might explain to my hon. Friend that as the 1611 Monk Resolutions, under the new procedure, are now part of Supply, we have put these Resolutions down for Wednesday after the Ministry of Defence Vote. They could, therefore, technically be reached and discussed before the 9.30 Guillotine. I think it unlikely that that will be the case, but I wish to make it plain that what we have done this year is done only because there is a defence debate, and is without prejudice to our right to put them down for separate debate at a future date.
§ Mr. SpeakerBefore we get to that matter perhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman will allow me to call other hon. Members who are still rising to put business questions.
§ Mr. ZilliacusCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Prime Minister will make the statement on the RB-47 incident which he promised us as soon as possible after the delivery and publication of the British Note to the Soviet Union?
§ Mr. ButlerI understand that the Note is in a state of final formulation and has not yet been sent and, therefore, my right hon. Friend has not been able to make his promised statement. He hopes to fulfil that undertaking some time early next week.