New Clause.—(APPLICATION TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.) (Hansard, 13 February 1962)

§ Mr. Brian Harrison (Maldon)
I beg to move, That the Clause be read a Second time.
I must, first, declare my interest. I am a Commonwealth citizen and, although I am a British subject, I travel on an Australian passport. I am not alone in that. A number of hon. Members travel on Canadian passports, and at least one travels on a New Zealand one. There is even a wider range in another place, where there is an Australian, a Rhodesian and an Indian—all, presumably, travelling on their own country's passport but able to sit as Members in the United Kingdom Parliament. It is to look after their privileges that I have tabled this new Clause.
Some will say, "You are fully entitled as a resident of the country to 1214 have an ordinary British passport", but a number of us, in the same way as do Welshmen and Scotsmen, take a certain pride in being able to remain Australians, Rhodesians, Indians, or whatever it may be.
I have an additional reason for liking to retain my Australian passport—I find it such tremendous fun when travelling across America. When one arrives in North America the immigration officials say, "Oh, yes, Mr. Harrison, you are, going off to Canberra?" I reply, "No, I am going to Australia, but I am returning to Westminster". They say, "But you are travelling on an Australian passport". I answer, "Yes, but I am a Member of the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament". By that time they are so confused that they just cannot work out how somebody can be at once an Australian and a Member of the British House of Commons. They then either get their superior officer to interrogate me, or throw up their hands and give it away as something that only the mad British can understand.
The Committee will recall that each Session we pass a Sessional Order That the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis do take care that during the Session of Parliament the passages through the streets leading to this House be kept free and open… and that there are no obstructions. A Clause such as this would make it possible to widen that principle to entry or re-entry into this country—

§ Mr. S. Silverman
Will the hon. Gentleman tell the Committee whether he voted for the Second Reading of this Bill? If he did, why does he claim to be exempt from its provisions himself?

§ Mr. Harrison
There are times when Members of Parliament do have special privileges. I have given the example of the Sessional Order that the House passes at the beginning of each Session—though one has noticed that there have been unfortunate occasions when the Metropolitan Police have not assisted at all Members of Parliament in, possibly, the way they expect.
There have been cases where hon. Members have been recalled to this country to take part in important Divisions. A not benevolent Government 1215 might—although I do not suggest that a Government formed by any parties present in this House of Commons would do so—use this Measure to delay some hon. Member coming in—

§ Mr. Harrison
The time is so short that the hon. Gentleman must excuse me.
An hon. Member would first have to prove that he could support himself and, on the salary that Members of Parliament get, some hon. Members would say that that would be difficult. I understand that certain representations have been made on that score. Whether or not a noble Lord would be able to prove that he could support himself is a matter that is open to doubt, unless he carried an accountant's certificate. One would have to prove that one was coming to take a job. Presumably, being a Member of Parliament is regarded as a job, but it might be open to dispute. Owing to the shortness of the time available, I cannot take this very much further, but I hope that my right hon. Friend will consider very carefully whether this new Clause should not be included in the Bill.

§ Mr. Fletcher-Cooke
Sir Robert, my hon. Friend—

§ Mr. Diamond
On a point of order, Sir Robert. Is it not within the normal rules that speakers are selected alternately from either side of the Chamber?

§ The Deputy-Chairman (Sir Robert Grimston)
It is, but as the time is so short I thought that it might be for the convenience of the Committee to hear what the Government had to say.

§ Mr. Fletcher-Cooke
I shall try to take only two minutes and leave two minutes to the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. Diamond). Because of the Amendment in Clause 2, my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr. Harrison) and others like him will be in no danger of having to submit to the controls of this Measure because residents, as they are, are to be admitted freely, even though they carry an Australian or Canadian passport, or whatever passport it may be. Since all Members of Parliament are resident, and 1216 as, presumably, all Members of Parliament pay the taxes of residents, and so on, they get exemption by the Amendment moved by my right hon. Friend at an earlier stage.
There are one or two Commonwealth peers who are not residents, but it will be seen from the instructions that are to be published in the White Paper that immigration officers will be instructed to admit without question any Member of either House of Parliament. I therefore think that my hon. Friend's important design, which has been put forward with such fervour, is sufficiently covered by the Amendment to Clause 2, or will be by the instructions. It is not usual to exempt by Statute Members of Parliament from our ordinary law, and I do not think that we need go further than that.

§ Mr. Diamond
First, everyone will agree, I am sure, that it is most objectionable that Members of Parliament should be denied the opportunity of understanding what their constituents and other people have to undergo. One of the best ways to help us discharge our duty is that we should undergo what every one else has to undergo.
Secondly, the hon. Member for Maldon (Mr. Harrison) has not demonstrated why his blood is different from that of other members of the Commonwealth, in the ordinary sense, and why, when he goes to Pakistan, he is incapable of contracting smallpox or anything else as is alleged of others. Further, will he, as a member of the Conservative Party, be able to demonstrate to the immigration officer that she is not suffering from mental disorder?

§ Mr. B. Harrison
In view of the nature of the reply I have received, Sir Robert, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Motion.

Hon. Members
No.