HC Deb 06 April 1965 vol 710 c242
Q9. Mr. Michael Foot

asked the Prime Minister whether he will reconsider the operation of the 50-year rule governing the examination of Cabinet papers and comparative historical material; and whether he will propose that the period concerned should be reduced to 25 years.

The Prime Minister

I am considering this whole question at the moment and will make a statement as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Mr. Foot

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for considering all my propositions so carefully. Would he take into account that if he would adopt the proposition which I make in the Question, we should at least be able to find out the truth about Munich, even if we had to wait a little longer for Suez?

The Prime Minister

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his arithmetic, which I think is right, but he should not get the impression that I have only looked at this since he put down the Question. I have been looking at it for some little time.

Sir G. Nicholson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is no need to look into Cabinet papers to find out that the Labour Party wanted to go to war over Munich, having consistently voted against every proposal to increase our armaments?