HC Deb 19 May 1971 vol 817 cc1269-71

Her Majesty requests that consideration should be given by the House of Commons to the provision for Her Civil List made by Parliament in the first year of Her reign. Her Majesty regrets that developments in the intervening years have made that provision inadequate for the maintenance of that standard of service to Her people to which She believes they wish Her and Her family to adhere, and has commanded that the Papers necessary for a full consideration of the subject shall be laid before the House.

Her Majesty desires also that consideration be given to improving the provision then made for His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of Her family, and the provision made in the first year of Her father's reign for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and for His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester: and that provision be now made for Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester and any future wife of a younger son of Her Majesty in the event of any of them surviving her husband.

Her Majesty, being anxious to limit the burden that any new provision will impose on Her people at this time, is content to forgo the provision made by Parliament for Her Privy Purse.

In commending these several matters to Her faithful Commons, Her Majesty relies on their attachment to Her person and family to adopt such measures as may be suitable for the occasion.

18th May, 1971.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)

I have to inform the House that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will move a Motion at the beginning of business tomorrow for the appointment of a Select Committee to consider Her Majesty's Message.

Mr. Harold Wilson

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that intimation of a change of business tomorrow. Would he agree that the convention in these matters is that a Select Committee is comprised of representatives of the respective parties —the right hon. Gentleman will know from the usual channels that we have made our own suggestions in the matter —and that when that Select Committee reports the House has the fullest freedom to debate its report and the evidence which has been elicited by the Committee, but that it is contrary to convention to debate the Motion to set up the Select Committee?

Mr. Whitelaw

Perhaps I will be permitted to reply. I thank the right hon. Gentleman for those comments. I hope that the procedure to be adopted tomorrow will be felt to be in the general interests of the House.

Mr. William Hamilton

rose—

Hon. Members

Sit down.

Mr. Speaker

Order. Is the hon. Gentleman rising on a point of order?

Mr. Hamilton

No. Am I not entitled to put a question to the Leader of the House? I simply wish to ask whether the Motion which is to be moved tomorrow will be debatable and whether the composition and terms of reference of the Select Committee will be debatable.

Mr. Whitelaw

I hope that it is in order for me to reply. Certainly the Motion will be debatable. The Leader of the Opposition, however, correctly referred to the fact that normally there is not at this stage, before the Select Committee's discussion, much of a debate in the House on the subject.

Mr. Harold Wilson

Will tomorrow's Motion include the names that have been suggested for membership of the Select Committee? If so, the House might feel that it would be abundantly desirable that any hon. Members on either side of the House who have been nominated for service on this very important Committee should not express views in advance. [Interruption.]

Mr. William Hamilton

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not think we need pursue this matter further today.

Mr. Hamilton

I hope that the point made by my right hon. Friend does not go unchallenged and that nothing that has been said today will prejudice the chances of any hon. Member from debating the Motion.

Mr. Whitelaw

Perhaps I may be allowed to reply to the question asked by the Leader of the Opposition. The Motion will include the names of those hon. Members who will be suggested for service on the Select Committee.

Several Hon. Members

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order. We must get on. These are interesting matters, but they are not matters for the Chair today.