§ 4.55 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, I hope that it will be for the convenience of the House that, before we adjourn, I should make a statement which has been made in another place by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister. These are the Prime Minister's words:
"I should like, with permission, to make a statement on the conclusions which the Government has reached on the principal recommendations in the Report of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs.
"The Commission was charged with the duty of reviewing the arrangements for the exercise of the functions of Her Majesty's Government in relation to Scotland and, after careful examination, the Commission, in general, has endorsed the existing arrangements.
"The Commission proposed, however, that the responsibilities of the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in Scotland for roads, piers and ferries, the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor for the appointment of justices of the peace, and the responsibilities of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries for animal health, should all be transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Government accepts these proposals and at the appropriate time will ask Parliament to approve them. The only qualification I need mention is that, for reasons given in the recent Report of the Departmental Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease, the Minister of Agriculture will remain responsible for the operational control of epidemic diseases among animals throughout Great Britain. The control of policy in regard to such diseases will be exercised by the Secretary of State and the Minister, acting jointly.
"The Commission made a number of recommendations of an administrative character, designed inter alia to increase the amount of Scottish business which the United Kingdom and Great Britain Departments can settle in Scotland. The Government is in full accord with the objectives of the 1677 Commission and hopes to be able to give effect to most of their detailed recommendations."
§ 4.58 p.m.
§ LORD MATHERSMy Lords, I should like to take the opportunity of thanking the noble Marquess for the statement he has just made. I must confess that to me the making of this statement at this particular juncture came as a surprise. I had looked upon this as being one of the matters that would be appearing in the gracious Speech from the Throne in less than a fortnight's time. To have this statement made now finds one rather unprepared to meet it. I can say, however, that the statement will be welcomed, and I am sure that the celerity with which the Government have sought to make a pronouncement upon the Report of the Royal Commission will be noted. We are generally told that the way in which to delay anything is to appoint a Royal Commission; then to let the Report be made, and then let it be forgotten. It is to the credit of the Government that that has not happened in this case, and I am sure that the items which are pinpointed for being given effect to will give satisfaction in Scotland, and that the qualification made by the Departmental Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease, that the Minister of Agriculture will remain responsible for the operational control of epidemic diseases, will be accepted, because it is a sensible thing. Foot and mouth disease does not recognise political boundaries, and therefore it seems wise that the United Kingdom should deal with a matter of that kind.
In searching for a motive for the fact that this announcement should be made at this time on this particular day, I wonder whether it may be that in Scottish newspapers, at least, this announcement will take the headlines instead of the result of a by-election that is taking place to-day in a constituency not unknown to the noble and learned Viscount on the Woolsack. If the motive is to give this news to Scotland to displace the announcement of that result, I hope and feel that the result of the by-election will nevertheless get bigger headlines in to-morrow's newspapers. Nevertheless, we welcome the statement and we shall look forward to seeing the instrument which will give effect to the main proposals here so that we may see clearly 1678 that they are for the benefit of Scotland. In that sense we shall examine the legislation that is being brought forward as keenly and critically as is our duty. The statement is one that I am entitled, in the meantime, cordially to welcome.
§ 5.1 p.m.
THE EARL OF MANSFIELDMy Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Mathers, I welcome the statement made by the noble Marquess, but I hope that the House may have an opportunity of discussing it before the actual terms of the proposed legislation are adumbrated. Certainly, all the proposals contained in the statement will be welcomed, but some of us may consider that they do not go far enough, and we shall hope to have a chance of persuading the Government to this view before the terms of legislation are published.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Mathers, and the noble Earl, Lord Mansfield, for what they have said. The noble Lord, Lord Mathers, suspects Her Majesty's Government of too Machiavellian a motive. The statement was made at this time merely to give the people of Scotland the good news as soon as possible. On the remarks of the noble Earl, I am quite certain that there will be an early opportunity for discussing this matter. The debate on the Address is one that can range pretty widely, and it can cover whatever noble Lords wish. And if the noble Earl is not satisfied, it is always open to him to put down a Motion on the subject.