HL Deb 28 March 1950 vol 166 cc523-4

2.40 p.m.

LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the Report of the Pilcher Committee on Naval Courts Martial and whether they are still waiting upon the receipt of this Report before implementing the recommendations of the Lewis Report on Army and Air Force Courts Martial.]

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH)

My Lords, the Pilcher Committee presented to my noble friend the First Lord of the Admiralty the first part of their Report, dealing with the court martial aspects of their terms of reference, on February 21. This is now being considered in conjunction with the outstanding recommendations of the Lewis Committee.

LORD MANCROFT

While thanking the noble Viscount for his reply, may I ask him whether His Majesty's Government are aware that the long delay in putting into effect the recommendations and contemplated recommendations is causing some discussion, and will he do everything in his power to accelerate their implementation?

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

Yes, certainly. I expect that noble Lords understand that a great many of the recommendations of the Lewis Committee have already been put into operation. On certain outstanding main points of the Report of the Lewis Committee, unless there was to be some risk of prejudice to the naval case, it was necessary to have the Report of the Pilcher Committee. As soon as consideration of the interim recommendations of the Pilcher Committee is finished, we shall take all possible steps to expedite the matter.

LORD WINSTER

Can the noble Viscount inform the House of the date on which the Pilcher Committee held their first sitting?

VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGH

I cannot answer that question without notice. As I expect the noble Lord knows, the Committee were appointed just about twelve months ago, and they have taken about a year to complete their deliberations on this part of their terms of reference. This is probably about half the time that the Lewis Committee took to deal with the matter in a more major sense. On the whole, considering the pressure on the learned Chairman and other members of the Committee, I do not think we can grumble, though I had hoped that we should get an earlier result than we have in fact obtained.