COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 24 November 1949)

§ VISCOUNT ADDISON
My Lords, in moving that the first Amendment be agreed to, I am sure that it will be in accordance with the wishes of your Lordships that I should express our sorrow at the death of Lord Rushcliffe, who did so much for the nurses. We found hint, not as a Minister in this House but for many years in another place, a most sympathetic Minister of Labour during an exceedingly trying period. He took over the Public Assistance Board, and acquired a unique reputation, for his humanity, sympathy and administrative skill were never better exemplified than in his work in that sphere. From that time onwards, he presided first over one and then over another Committee and Commission, in all cases seeking to make recommendations to improve the conditions of the people in the public services, particularly those associated with the health services. The nurses of this country owe a great debt to Lord Rushcliffe. I am sure that your Lordships would wish us on this occasion to express our regret at his death, our sympathy with his friends and our lasting appreciation of the services which he rendered.

§ LORD LLEWELLIN
My Lords, I desire to associate myself completely with the words that have just fallen so aptly from the Leader of the House. As your Lordships are aware, and as has already been referred to, the last good piece of public work which the late Lord Rushcliffe did—and he did many in his time—was as Chairman of the Nurses' Salaries Committee, As a result of the work of himself and his colleagues on that Committee, not only the remuneration but also the status of that most self-sacrificing of professions, the nursing profession, was greatly improved. But as the Leader of the Howe has told us, Lord Rushcliffe gave many services to his country, and some of who knew him and served with him wren he was Minister of Labour in another place know how much he was respected there by all, even though his political views and theirs might differ. I suppose the greatest achievement standing to his credit was the creation of the Assistance Board, which removed the taint of the old Poor Law on the unemployed man. He put that on a sure footing by himself giving up ministerial office to act as its first Chairman.
We missed him only recently in this House when we were dealing with the Legal Aid and Advice Act, which was of course based on the recommendations of a Committee—one of the many—over which he presided. We shall see him here no more; but we look back with affection on a man who, though modest and self-effacing, was always competent and always steadfast in doing the right thing. It is true to say, I think, that he was universally respected because he was invariably engaged in, giving of his best in the service of others; and that is why we all join in the tribute to him to-day.

§ VISCOUNT SAMUEL
My Lords, on behalf of my noble friends on these Benches, I would join in the tribute that has been paid to Lord Rushcliffe. He was a man of benevolent mind, abounding good will and unremitting devotion to the public service. His name will remain living in the social history of our times, connected in particular with two great achievements. One was the establishment of our system of Public Assistance. That problem, which was one of the most controversial of our time, arousing the most 983 passionate feelings and, therefore, one of the most difficult with which any Minister could have to deal, was settled under his auspices, and was administered by him with calm efficiency. And, owing to his wise leadership and administration, his solution received general assent. The other great achievement with which his name will be connected is in the nursing service, one of the finest of all professions in any civilised land. There, as we all know, he found many real grievances and much discontent, and once more he achieved most successful measures of reform. He was a friend of many of us and esteemed and respected by all. We grieve at his passing.

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT JOWITT)
My Lords, I am sure your Lordships will not mind if I add my tribute, because in more recent months I saw a great deal of Lord Rushcliffe. We were very old friends, and he rendered not only the two conspicuous services to which the noble Viscount who has just spoken has referred, but also most conspicuous service in the sphere of legal reform. He presided over that Committee which helped so much in the passing of the Legal Aid and Advice Act. As so often happened when he presided over a Committee, he succeeded in securing a unanimous Report. I think the secret of that was that he was so intensely human; he was so approachable; he did not live in an ivory tower and he saw other men's problems from their own point of view.
I like to recall that in his last days, when I visited him on his bed of sickness, I found that his enthusiasm and his interest in the Legal Aid Bill had not one bit abated. I was pleased to be able to tell him what we had done, and your Lordships will be glad to know that he agreed with what we had done. It is to his efforts, very largely, that that measure is due. I was not, of course, able to tell him at the end that we had had to postpone the operation of certain of the new services; but that, I hope, will be only for a short time. In his early days Lord Rushcliffe was a member of the Bar, and I think he was very happy to be able to render to his own old profession such signal service as he did in fact render. All of us who knew him realise that we 984 have lost a very dear and a very good friend.