HL Deb 23 June 1954 vol 188 cc31-2

2.37 p.m.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

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

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is the case that the Services were instructed not to salute during the playing of the Maltese National Anthem at The Queen's Birthday parade in Malta, and the spectators were so informed; and whether, if this is the case, an apology should not be offered to the Government of Malta for this grave discourtesy, and an assurance given that in future the practice of not saluting whenever the Maltese Anthem is played will be discontinued.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF MUNSTER)

My Lords, I am now in a position to give the noble Earl the fuller information which my noble friend Lord Selkirk promised him would be obtained. The procedure which has customarily been followed for many years in Malta on ceremonial occasions is for troops on parade, and all spectators in uniform, to stand to attention during the playing of the Hymn of Malta. After this, the troops on parade present arms, and the spectators in uniform salute, when the National Anthem is played. There was no intention of departing from this accepted procedure on the occasion to which the noble Earl refers. Unfortunately, some notes drawn up primarily for issue to Service personnel in uniform, attending the parade as spectators, were by error circulated to civilian spectators. One passage in these notes evidently gave rise to the misunderstanding that civilian spectators were being asked not to remove their hats when the Hymn of Malta was played, and spectators in uniform not to stand to attention. Nothing of the sort was intended, and the instructions referred to were, in fact, cancelled, and a revised set issued, two days before the parade took place.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl for the trouble which he has taken to obtain such a full reply to my Question. May I take it from his reply that what happened was in the nature of an error, and that it was on this occasion, and will be on future occasions, the intention to give the usual military acknowledgments during the playing of the Hymn of Malta?

THE EARL OF MUNSTER

Yes; that is quite correct: it was an unfortunate error. There is no intention whatever of altering the procedure which has been followed in Malta for a very considerable number of years.

LORD OGMORE

Surely that was not what my noble friend asked. What I understood the noble Earl, Lord Listowel, to ask was whether, in future, the military will give full honours to the Hymn of Malta. As on this occasion both the Governor and the noble and gallant Earl, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, saluted when the Hymn of Malta was played, would it not be better that, in future, on these occasions the military should present arms and the officers salute?

THE EARL OF MUNSTER

It is not the intention to change the procedure, which has been followed for many years in Malta—indeed, it was followed during the time that I was in Malta, and when the late Lord Gort presented the George Cross to the Island.