§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. R. A. Butler)With permission, I wish to tell the House that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will make a statement to the House on Friday at 11 a.m.
§ Mr. GaitskellWe are all grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for giving us this information. Is it at all possible for the Prime Minister to come back from Paris a few hours earlier—I understand that he is coming back on Thursday, in any event—so that we could have a statement on Thursday afternoon? Two days is rather a long time to wait before the House of Commons has any statement on the very important events of recent days and an opportunity of putting points to the Prime Minister.
§ Mr. ButlerI have been in touch with my right hon. Friend. The difficulty is that he has been invited to have lunch with President de Gaulle on Thursday. He did ask me whether I thought that it would be permissible for him to accept that invitation and come back after lunch, which means that it would really be too late for him to make a statement on Thursday. I shall certainly convey to my right hon. Friend the sentiments which the right hon. Gentleman has expressed. It would, however, be much more convenient for my right hon. Friend to make his statement on Friday. I do not think that he will return until rather late on Thursday evening.
§ Mr. GaitskellI do not want to press this and I certainly would not, of course. 1278 wish to prevent the Prime Minister having lunch with General de Gaulle, but if it were possible for him to come back later on Thursday and, perhaps, intervene in the course of the debate, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, I am sure that, for our part, we should be very happy to accommodate him.
§ Mr. ButlerI think that the right thing to do on an occasion like this, when the Leader of the Opposition expresses a certain sentiment, is to convey it to my right hon. Friend; but I must say that I think it will suit him better to come back here rather late on Thursday and have a chance to collect his thoughts, and make a statement on Friday morning. I have been in touch with my right hon. Friend. Nevertheless. I will convey the right hon. Gentleman's sentiments to him. If I do not make any further statement, I hope it will be taken that my right hon. Friend's statement will be made on Friday.
§ Mr. SmithersWill my right hon Friend bear in mind that some of us who think that Anglo-French relations are of great importance would regret it if, out of deference to this House, my right hon. Friend—
§ Mr. ManuelWhere is his first duty?
§ Mr. Smithers—were to forgo a final discussion with General de Gaulle?
§ Mr. ButlerThese things are very difficult to balance. Most of us who are servants of the House are always apt to put our love for this House before anything else. At the same time, I think that my right hon. Friend would find it convenient to accept the invitation from President de Gaulle before he decides upon any other course.
§ Viscount HinchingbrookeIn view of the fact that the last debate on foreign affairs was limited in scope, and that no debate can arise on the Prime Minister's statement on Friday morning, will it be possible to consider, for the announcement of business tomorrow, the possibility of a short debate on the results of the Summit Conference?
§ Mr. ButlerThis certainly should be a matter of discussion not only through the usual channels, but with any hon. Members interested, because of the obvious gravity of the situation we face
§ Mr. ShinwellIf the right hon. Gentleman responds to the suggestion made by the noble Lord the Member for Dorset, South (Viscount Hinchingbrooke), will he bear in mind that, if there is to be a debate on this vital issue, it ought not to be a short debate?
§ Mr. ButlerYes, Sir. The right hon. Gentleman is a channel of his own, as I have already conceded, and I should certainly wish to pay deference to his observation. Once we did get started on a debate, it would, naturally, be of such an important character that it could not be of very short duration.