§ 2.54 p.m.
THE EARL OF CORK AND ORRERYMy Lords, I beg to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government when the first part of the fresh edition of the Manual of Military Law will be published, in view of the fact that in November, 1950, it was expected, according to a Government statement of November 8, 1950 (Hansard, Vol. 169, Col. 196), to be published in the summer of 1951.]
§ EARL FORTESCUEMy Lords, I am afraid that the noble and gallant Earl will not be very pleased with the reply I am going to give him. I am sorry to report that the expectation that the first part of this new edition of the Manual of Military Law would be available last summer has proved too optimistic, unexpected difficulties having arisen. The noble Earl will understand that the printing of this volume is a formidable task. However, I am assured that the printers are taking all possible steps to hasten production and that it is hoped to publish the work in June, which is not so very far ahead.
THE EARL OF CORK AND ORRERYMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his reply. It might be very satisfactory if the Government could tell me that the delay is caused by a review of some of those Amendments which were introduced in 1944. I would ask the Government, further, whether the House can be assured that, whenever the question of personnel and the laws and usages of war is dealt with, the professional heads of all Departments—and I include the Civil Service just as much as the Military Services—may be heard in evidence and have their views taken, which was not the case in 1944. I would also ask whether this arrangement cannot be introduced to protect personnel from being subject to the whims of so-called international lawyers, as they were in 1944, when these lawyers altered certain rules and regulations to suit their own ends with, as some people think, not very much regard to justice, and certainly with no foresight as to eventualities in the future.
§ EARL FORTESCUEMy Lords, in reply to the noble and gallant Earl, I can only inform him that I will bring his remarks to the proper quarter. I hope that that will meet his wishes.