§ Mr. Frank Bowles (Nuneaton)Mr. Speaker, I beg to draw your attention and that of the House to what I regard as a gross breach of Privilege on page 2 of today's Daily Express. Under the heading:
Heath and Harry go a-wooingthere appear these words:The British Cabinet, in a big 'wooing the Germans' campaign, has decided to send the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Harry Hylton-Foster, on an official visit to Bonn. 1072 And Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier, the Speaker of the Bundestag—Lower House—is to pay a reciprocal official visit to London. Details of the exchange of visits are not yet complete, but they will be on a lavish scale. The exchange fits in with other plans to build up a close Anglo-German association, and the first move is a visit to Germany by Lord Privy Seal Mr. Edward Heath. Mr. Heath, who was in charge of Britain's Common Market negotiations, is known in Germany as Britain's Minister for Europe. He has let the Germans know that membership of the Common Market is still his aim, and has been given the task of whipping-up German support. Mr. Heath arrives on Thursday for a four-day visit to Hamburg, Hanover, and Berlin. He will give a big Press conference on Thursday and later will address a top-level gathering of German industrialists in Hamburg's Uebersse Klub, before a banquet. His speech has already been billed to be a major policy one. The title: 'Great Britain and Europe.' The next day he travels to Hanover, where Germany's future Chancellor, Dr. Ludwig Erhard, will join him on the platform for a conference on the 'continuation of European integration'. The day is rounded off with another big banquet for Mr. Heath given by Dr. Erhard. Saturday—a trip to Berlin for a meeting with Mayor Willy Brandt. And on Sunday he will meet the Allied Commandants before flying back to London.You, Sir, are our Speaker, the Speaker of our House, not a tool of the British Government or the British Cabinet. You act as directed by this House. The clear inference here is that the British Cabinet is using your official position to further a highly controversial policy. Accordingly. I ask you to rule that here is a prima facie breach of Privilege.
§ Mr. SpeakerWill the hon. Member be good enough to bring me the newspaper, which I have to have? I will rule on his complaint tomorrow, after taking 24 hours for reflection, guidance, and pondering the precedents.
§ Copy of newspaper handed in.