HL Deb 04 October 1951 vol 173 cc250-6

11.20 a.m.

And afterwards His Majesty's most gracious Speech was delivered to both Houses of Parliament by The Lord Chancellor (in pursuance of His Majesty's Command) as followeth:

"My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:

"My Ministers have continued to give the fullest support to the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security.

"It is My earnest hope that the efforts which are being made to restore peace in Korea will be successful. Under the United Nations My Forces have continued to take a prominent part in the arduous campaign in that country. The land forces from the various Commonwealth countries have been grouped together to form the First (Commonwealth) Division. The heroic action of the First Battalion, the Gloucester Regiment, maintained the highest traditions of My fighting services and has been justly acclaimed throughout the world.

"My Ministers deeply regret that, although they made earnest efforts to find a basis for discussion, success did not attend the recent negotiations for a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Soviet Union, France, the United States and the United Kingdom.

"My Government, in association with the other Governments signatory to the North Atlantic Treaty, have accepted the necessity for making greatly increased provision for defence, and the consequent strengthening of My Forces is already becoming apparent. I pray that, with God's help, the defence programme will succeed in its purpose of averring war and laying the foundations of a lasting peace throughout the world.

"My Government have watched with sympathy and interest the progress made in building up, within the wider framework of the North Atlantic partnership, a European community in which Germany will play her part. My Government desire to establish a close association with this community at all stages of its development.

"I welcome the appointment of General of the Army Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Units of My Forces have been placed under his command.

"In order to increase the readiness of our defences, members of My Reserve and Auxiliary Forces have been recalled for periods of training of between fifteen days and three months, and for periods of service amounting in some cases to eighteen months.

"My Ministers have tried to achieve by negotiation a solution of the unfortunate dispute which has arisen in connection with the oil industry in Iran, but these efforts, despite the help rendered by the President of the United States and his special representative, have so far been unsuccessful.

"My Government, jointly with the Government of the United States, sponsored the Treaty of Peace with Japan which was signed by forty-eight nations at San Francisco on the 8th September. The Treaty was the result of a prolonged series of international consultations in which My Government in the United Kingdom and My Governments in other Commonwealth countries had played a leading part.

"In Malaya further progress has been made in associating all communities with the administration of government and in furthering their welfare and prosperity. With the assistance of the peoples of Malaya and the civil administration, My troops have, with increasing success, continued their efforts to restore law and order and to bring communist banditry to an end.

"The Prime Ministers of all the self-governing countries of the Commonwealth, or their representatives, met in London in January last to review the international situation and to consider what further positive action Commonwealth Governments could take to secure and preserve world peace. Since then, Ministers from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia have met in London to consider defence problems in regions of common concern, including the Middle East, and South African Ministers have met representatives of other interested Governments in Nairobi to consider defence facilities in Africa.

"The increase in production, which has been among the outstanding achievements of this country since the war, has continued in the face of many difficulties. For this success great credit is due to workpeople and management throughout the whole range of industry, agriculture and commerce. Despite the obstacles caused by shortages of materials and the high prices of many imports, full employment has been maintained, our exports have continued at a high level and the rearmament programme has been further advanced.

"During the past session My Ministers were able to announce that, in agreement with the United States Government, it had been decided to suspend further allotments of Marshall Aid which had been so generously given to us by the people of the United States.

"In order to restrain the rise in living costs provoked by high import prices, measures have been taken, by the operation of price control and otherwise, to limit the rise in the prices of goods and services.

"I regret that, largely because of higher import prices, the balance of payments, which was remarkably favourable last year, has become less favourable in recent months.

"I warmly welcomed the State visits of Her Majesty The Queen of the Netherlands and His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. Their Majesties The King and Queen of Denmark and His Majesty The King of Norway.

"It gave me great pleasure to open in May last the Festival of Britain, in which the whole nation has displayed its talents and traditions in the arts and sciences. Despite the clouds which hang over the world, the celebrations throughout the land have given a powerful stimulus to the arts of peace and have provided opportunity for well-earned recreation of spirit. I am pleased that so many visitors from overseas have attended the Festival, which has thus contributed to international friendship and understanding.

"My Ministers continue to attach importance to international co-operation and mutual aid in economic and social matters through the United Nations and other bodies. They welcomed delegates from Commonwealth and foreign countries to the tariff negotiations which were held last winter in Torquay, and have participated with other Commonwealth Governments in the plans for the economic development of South and South-East Asia. My Government continue to collaborate fully in the work of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation.

"My Ministers were glad to he able to exchange views at a meeting in London with My Ministers in other Commonwealth Governments concerned with the production of raw materials and the supply of manufactured goods, and to have the assistance of representatives from a number of Colonial territories in these deliberations.

"My deep sympathy went out to My people in Jamaica when many parts of the island were devastated by a hurricane on the 17th August. My Ministers in the United Kingdom announced an immediate grant for relief.

"Members of the House of Commons:

"I thank you for the provision which you have made for the public services.

"My Lords and Members of the House of Commons:

"Thanks to the determination of farmers and agricultural workers throughout a trying season, the programme for the expansion of the production of food at home has been carried on with unabated vigour.

"An Act has been passed to extend the help given to farmers rearing livestock in upland areas.

"My assent has also been given to a measure providing for the restoration to agriculture and other useful purposes of land broken up by the opencast working of ironstone.

"Legislation has been passed to establish a White Fish Authority with powers to reorganise, develop and regulate the white fish industry; and a new scheme has been approved conferring wider powers on the Herring Industry Board.

"New provisions have been enacted for ensuring the purity of the rivers and other inland or coastal waters. An Act has also been passed to increase the contributions which may be made from the Exchequer towards the cost of schemes for rural water supply and sewerage.

"My Government were gratified by the response which they received to their appeal for extra output from the coal mines. Higher levels of industrial production have, however, greatly increased the demand for fuel and power; and My Ministers have taken, and will continue to take, all practicable steps to encourage the recruiting of more miners, and to increase the supply of fuel, electricity and other forms of power and ensure their more efficient use.

"Both sides of industry have recognised the need to remove obstacles to increased production and, with the full agreement of employers and work-people, provision has been made to postpone the restoration of pre-war trade practices in industry.

"The war-time measures for the prevention and settlement of trade disputes have been withdrawn and replaced by provisions more appropriate to peacetime conditions.

"Legislation which will be of great benefit to a large number of My People has been passed to augment retirement pensions and the provision for widowed mothers and for children under the National Insurance Acts. National Assistance scales have been increased and improvements made in certain supplementary allowances paid to war pensioners.

"Increases have been granted in the retired pay and pensions of My Regular Forces.

"An Act has been passed to safeguard the civil interests of My Reserve and Auxiliary Forces.

"Provision has been made for the setting up of a Courts-Martial Appeal Court to hear appeals against convictions by courts-martial.

"My Ministers have continued to develop the organisation of the Civil Defence Services and have been in consultation with representatives of industry and commerce about civil defence in industrial and commercial undertakings.

"I gave My assent to legislation to make temporary provision for the protection of the occupiers of certain classes of leasehold property in Great Britain.

"An Act was passed which extends the powers and duties of the Forestry Commissioners to establish and maintain adequate reserves of growing trees.

"A measure has been passed to provide more effective means of dealing with the poaching of salmon and trout in Scotland.

"Further sums were made available for the development of the Colonial territories and the welfare of My peoples there.

"Progress has been made in the consolidation of the Statute Law.

"I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may attend you."

Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read.

After which The LORD CHANCELLOR said:

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, by virtue of His Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, we do, in His Majesty's name, and in obedience to His Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Tuesday, the 23rd day of October next, to be then here holden, and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday, the 23rd day of October next.

End of the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the fifteenth year of the Reign of His Majesty King George VI.

The Parliament was dissolved by Royal Proclamation on Friday, October 5, 1951.