HC Deb 04 April 1963 vol 675 cc631-4
Mr. H. Wilson

May I ask the Leader of the House to state the business of the House for next week?

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Iain Macleod)

Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:

MONDAY, 8TH APRIL—We shall continue the general debate on the Budget Resolutions and the Economic Situation, which will be brought to a conclusion on Tuesday, 9th April.

At the end on Tuesday, Motions on the National Insurance (Earnings) Regulations, and the Housing (Payments for Well-Maintained Houses) Order.

WEDNESDAY, 10TH APRIL.—Report stage of the Budget Resolutions.

Remaining stages of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill.

Second Reading of the Fort William Pulp and Paper Mills Bill, and Committee stage of the Money Resolution.

Motion on the Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations.

THURSDAY, 11TH APRIL.—It is proposed that the House should meet at eleven a.m., that Questions be taken until twelve noon, and that the House adjourn at five o'clock, until Tuesday, 23rd April.

Mr. H. Wilson

Is the Leader of the House yet in a position to say when we can expect to debate the Beeching Report and if so, how long it is proposed to allocate to that debate?

Mr. Macleod

I hope that the debate on the Beeching Report and, if I may take the right hon. Gentleman's point a little further, the debate on the Radcliffe Report, which we have not yet received, but which we hope to receive in a very few days' time, will take place very soon after we come back from the Easter Recess.

Sir G. Nicholson

Can my right hon. Friend say what is the business with which we shall deal after we resume?

Mr. Macleod

No, Sir. I will, of course, make a statement on that before the House rises.

Mr. Swingler

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when the Prime Minister will make his promised statement on the case of Chief Enahoro? If necessary, we shall have to resume debate on this case.

Mr. Macleod

The House will realise that the Budget debate will take two days next week. It cannot be debated next Friday, because that is Good Friday, and Thursday will be devoted to Adjournment debates.

I am sure that the House will realise that the business which I have announced for Wednesday may be subject to alteration. There certainly will be a statement on the immediate question of Chief Enahoro, and perhaps we can consider the possible rearrangement of Wednesday's business in the light of that. The legal aspects of the case would probably be dealt with in a statement by my hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General.

Mr. H. Wilson

Quite apart from the narrow legal point, I take it that the Leader of the House will confirm that there is no question of Chief Enahoro being deported before the House has had a chance to debate and vote on the Resolution before it?

Could the right hon. Gentleman answer the question which I put to him earlier, about the length of time which will be allocated to the debate on the Beeching Report?

Mr. Macleod

Of course, there is no question whatever of Chief Enahoro being sent back until the House has had an opportunity of disposing not just of the legal point, but of the whole issue of deportation involved in this case.

I think it likely that two days will be devoted to the debate on the Beeching Report, but I am sure that we can come to an arrangement on that through the usual channels.

Mr. Webster

Since my right hon. Friend has given indications on the Radcliffe and Beeching Reports, can he give one on the Rochdale Report?

Mr. Macleod

No, Sir. I have given an undertaking that we will debate the Rochdale Report, but the first two big debates which the House will wish to have after we come back from the short Easter Recess will be on the Beeching and Radcliffe Reports.

Mr. G. Brown

The Leader of the House said that the legal aspect of the Chief Enahoro case will be dealt with by a statement from the Attorney-General. As I understand, the Attorney-General's view of the law is disputed by other distinguished lawyers. I take it that the right hon. Gentleman therefore understands that that will form part of the debate which we shall have subsequently?

Mr. Macleod

Yes, I do, but I merely have very much in mind the undertaking which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the House, and repeated at the end of the debate in response to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway), that, apart from the arguments about whether the second charge or any other charge carried the death penalty, an opportunity would be given to the House to consider the matter. I undertake that we will meet both those points.

Mr. Lipton

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when the Report of the Vassall Tribunal is likely to be made available? Various statements about its imminent publication have already appeared in the Press.

Mr. Macleod

As far as I know, those statements are unfounded, but I have said to the Leader of the Opposition that we expect to receive it within a very few days—three or four days' time. We will publish it as soon as we possibly can, and that, I hope, will enable the House to have a very early debate on it.