HC Deb 15 June 1976 vol 913 cc297-8
17. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if his permission was obtained for the recent public speeches by Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Humphrey, at Eastbourne, and by Air Chief Marshal Sir Dennis Smallwood in a BBC interview; and if it remains the policy of his Department that serving officers and senior civil servants should not make public statements on politically sensitive issues.

Mr. Wellbeloved

The rules for obtaining clearance for public statements, and the policy on discussion of politically controversial issues, remain unchanged; and both were observed on both occasions.

Mr. Allaun

But is not the size of our arms bill not only a military but a hot economic and political issue, and is not this the breach of a valuable safeguard against military interference with our democracy? Will the Minister ask his brasshats to keep their mouths shut in public, whatever they may say privately to him?

Mr. Wellbeloved

I assure my hon. Friend that the speech by the Chief of the Air Staff was seen by me and approved by me before it was delivered. The briefing prepared for Sir Dennis Smallwood was also seen by me and approved by me before he gave that broadcast. I am sure that my hon. Friend will agree that if we are to have an informed debate on defence the more information that is available the better it is, provided that that information is made available by people in the Ministry of Defence or the Armed Forces who act in accordance with the rules. I am satisfied that on both occasions they did so.

Mr. Ian Gilmour

I thoroughly agree with everything that the hon. Gentleman has said, but will he try to straighten out the disagreement among the members of the Tribune Group about open government, which we heard this afternoon?

Mr. Wellbeloved

I think that my hon. Friends in the Tribune Group, like all my hon. Friends in the Labour Party, are deeply concerned about the full process of democracy in this country. I believe that any genuine, unbiased reading of the statement that has been made by the national executive committee in respect of Labour's programme for 1976 would lead the reader to the conclusion that it is a genuine and proper discussion document for future policies, which may or may not be implemented by a future Labour Government.

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