HC Deb 20 December 1966 vol 738 cc1185-92
Mr. Heath

May I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the business of the House for the week after the Christmas Adjournment?

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Richard Crossman)

Yes, Sir. The business for the first week after the Christmas Adjournment will be as follows:

TUESDAY, 17TH JANUARY—Remaining stages of the Agriculture Bill.

WEDNESDAY, 18TH JANUARY and THURSDAY, 19TH JANUARY—Report stage of the Iron and Steel Bill.

FRIDAY, 20TH JANUARY—Second Reading of the Post Office (Borrowing Powers) Bill and of the Export Guarantees Bill.

MONDAY, 23RD JANUARY—The proposed business will be: Completion of the remaining stages of the Iron and Steel Bill.

Mr. Heath

Does the Leader of the House appreciate that the business that he has announced makes it impossible, during the week after we come back, to have a debate on the Prayer that we have put down on the Temporary Restriction on Pay Increases Order? Will he therefore make arrangements for us to have a debate on it as soon as possible after the date on which it expires? It will not be possible to take it before the last day.

Secondly, does the right hon. Gentleman realise that it has not yet been possible for us to get on the Notice Paper Amendments to the Iron and Steel Bill, and that it is, therefore, premature to assume that the House can deal with it in three days?

Mr. Crossman

As for the first question, I think that we might take the Order on Tuesday, after the Agriculture Bill. As for the Iron and Steel Bill, we will bear in mind what the right hon. Gentleman says.

Mr. Heath

Would the right hon. Gentleman reconsider that? To get through the Agriculture Bill by 10 o'clock in time to take the Prayer in any reasonable time will not, I think, be possible.

Mr. Crossman

That may be so. I suggest that we consult through the usual channels. We are not trying to avoid a debate on this; we sec the necessity for it.

Mr. Sydney Silverman

May I remind my right hon. Friend of the Motion which I have put down to challenge a recent Ruling of Mr. Speaker with regard to a Question which I wanted to table?

[That this House regrets Mr. Speaker's ruling whereby he disallowed a question by the hon. Member for Nelson and Colne, To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he was aware that Private Brian Charles Gabriel, a soldier in the Welsh Guards Regiment, had been sentenced to death by a civil court in the State of Aden; and whether he had any statement to make, believing that the said ruling was not in accordance with the proper practice of the House and was an infringement of the right of Members to seek information from Ministers concerning the life and liberty of British subjects obroad.]

Does by right hon. Friend realise that the matters involved are rapidly becoming urgent? Since his announcement has not so far provided for any discussion of that Motion, can he say when such time will be provided by the Government?

Mr. Crossman

I know my hon. Friend's interest in this matter. The matter is now sub judice and I find it difficult to say anything about it. An appeal is now pending.

Mr. Stodart

Has the right hon. Gentleman—

Mr. Sydney Silverman

On a point of order. I want to know whether it is the case, in your opinion, Mr. Speaker, that this matter is in any sense sub judice. How can a Motion which merely challenges Mr. Speaker's Ruling on the procedure of the House be in any conceivable or understandable sense sub judice so far as this House is concerned?

Mr. Speaker

This is not a matter for the Chair. The hon. Gentleman has asked a business question of the Leader of the House. If he is dissatisfied with the right hon. Gentleman's answer to the question, I cannot accept any responsibility for it.

Mr. Stodart

Has the right hon. Gentleman seen the number of Amendments put down to the Agriculture Bill, many of them by the Government themselves? Does he really intend that the whole of the remaining stages, Report and Third Reading, should be carried through in one day?

Mr. Crossman

Yes, we are very hopeful of achieving that.

Mr. Maxwell

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the considerable hardship and anxiety caused to my constituents by the delay in making a statement about the siting of the new town in North Bucks? This has been promised by the Ministers concerned as being imminent for weeks and I should be grateful if a statement could be made on their behalf now or before the House rises.

Mr. Crossman

This hardly relates to the business for the week after the Recess.

Mr. G. Campbell

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the business today includes the Scottish General Grant (Increase) Order, although he said that it would not, in answer to a question when business for this week was announced? Will he kindly take more trouble in providing information to the House about Scottish business? Can he tell us, also, when the Scottish Rate Support Grant Order will be discussed?

Mr. Crossman

I must apologise to the hon. Gentleman. I unintentionally misled him on the last occasion. He asked whether the Scottish Rate Support Grant Order would be considered with the English Order and I quite correctly said that it would come along later. However, I see that he also referred to the Scottish General Grant (Increase) Order, and, as the House can see, that is on the Order Paper for today.

Mr. Blenkinsop

When may we have a debate on the shipbuilding industry and the implementation of the Geddes Report, which is eagerly awaited?

Mr. Crossman

I am aware of that and it is something which we shall certainly consider after the Recess.

Sir D. Renton

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Home Secretary recently made an important statement about changes of policy in civil defence? Will he, early in the coming year, provide an opportunity for discussion in Government time—as I feel it should be—of civil defence and, indeed, of home defence generally?

Mr. Crossman

I cannot give any assurance on this. I am aware that my right hon. Friend made an important statement and I am certainly willing to measure the degree of interest in the House. However, there is no immediate prospect of giving Government time to discuss civil defence.

Mr. Rowland

Would my right hon. Friend promise an early debate on today's excellent White Paper on Broadcasting, in addition to the Second Reading of the Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Bill?

Mr. Crossman

I cannot promise that. The House will only just have received the White Paper and I think that we ought to study it over the Recess and then consider what to do about it. My hon. Friend is right to say that the occasion will come for a discussion on broadcasting on the Second Reading of the Bill he mentioned.

Mr. Rippon

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what is happening to the Land Commission Bill? Is it not a fact that it is in such a state of shambles that the Government have now decided to postpone the date on which it will come into operation? Will he explain to the Prime Minister that the people who are driven nearly demented by it are the professional men and not the speculators—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Even Front Benchers must ask business questions.

Mr. Crossman

Confining myself to the business question, I see no reason to think that our plans will be upset for considering any Amendments which the Lords may make to the Bill, or that there will be any difficulty in dealing with them.

Mr. Roebuck

Can my right hon. Friend say what his plans are for a general debate on the Press?

Mr. Crossman

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will, I hope, be making a statement in the near future about one aspect of the problem of the Press. As for a general debate, I am prepared to consider that after the Recess, since, the more I reflect on it, the more serious I think the situation now is, not only for that paper but for a number of others. This is a matter of vital interest to everybody who believes in freedom.

Mr. Lubbock

I notice that the right hon. Gentleman said nothing about sitting on Monday and Wednesday mornings during the week that we reassemble. Can he tell the House when this will be implemented?

Mr. Crossman

It is already laid down in the Resolution which we debated that the sittings should start on 1st February.

Mr. Dickens

Can my right hon. Friend give consideration to the need for an early debate on the annual report and accounts of the Bank of England? May this be combined with a discussion of the rôle of the Treasury in economic policy-making in Government circles?

Mr. Crossman

I have already written to my hon. Friend about his request and I think that, when he has read my letter, he will see that the debate might be very arid on the particular report.

Mr. Dickens

Oh, no.

Sir Ian Orr-Ewing

In connection with the White Paper on Broadcasting, which was issued, I understand, at 11.30 this morning, would the right hon. Gentleman say why we are not to have a statement in the House of Commons on this issue? Is not this the normal practice in matters of this kind?

Mr. Crossman

I am always grateful to my right hon. Friends who spare us long Statements at the end of Question Time. It is up to Ministers to decide whether a Statement is necessary or not when a White Paper is published.

Mr. Manuel

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the concern among many of our larger local authorities, trade unions and large sections of the public about the White Paper on Transport? I have mentioned this already. Can he say when we will have a debate on the White Paper?

Mr. Crossman

I am aware that there is great interest in this. We will certainly discuss, through the usual channels, the possibility of a debate.

Mr. Bob Brown

Is my right hon. Friend aware that countless thousands of animal lovers in the country are anxious for legislation along the lines of the Brambell Report? When does he hope to make a statement?

Mr. Crossman

I am aware of the interest in this subject and my right hon. Friend certainly has it on his list. However, I cannot give any date for a statement on this matter.

Dr. David Kerr

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the disappointment in many constituencies at the failure to table before Christmas legislation for leasehold enfranchisement? Will he assure us that this will come up soon after Christmas?

Mr. Crossman

I have already said that the Leasehold Reform Bill is being prepared and will come out after Christmas.

Mr. Eyre

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, last night, the Minister of Land and Natural Resources informed the Press that he would today make a statement about the date of the first appointed day under the Land Commission Bill, and that it now appears that only a Written Answer will be given to a Written Question in this respect? Since this is such an important matter, affecting every householder in the country, would the Leader of the House not agree that a matter of this kind should be dealt with by proper Ministerial Statement? Will he give that opportunity to the Minister?

Mr. Crossman

It is the answer to the Question, although a Written Answer. This is a not abnormal practice. Hon. Members will find in a few hours that the reply is not sensational and will give the precise answer that the hon. Member wants.

Mr. Whitaker

Will my right hon. Friend consider the advisability of a debate on the very important issues raised by the new evidence on the Zinoviev letter, which has only just come to light?

Mr. Crossman

The Zinoviev letter ought perhaps now to be added to the Suez inquiry and other subjects on which more light may be shed. We must wait and see. It may be possible to have a debate on the matter.