§ 3.43 p.m.
THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (LORD LLOYD)My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I will interrupt the debate for a few minutes to make a statement on Malta. As my right honourable friend the Colonial Secretary said in Monday's debate in another place, the Government accept the Report of the Round Table Conference, and intend to proceed with the necessary steps to carry out its recommendations.
The Government have now considered what these steps should be. They have decided to proceed with legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Report. The Bill will provide for all the necessary changes involved in carrying the Report into effect. However, that part of the Bill relating to the representation of Malta in another place will be brought into operation only if and when the Maltese people have shown their desire for it in a General Election, following a dissolution of the Maltese Legislative Assembly, which the Maltese Prime Minister has said he will request the Governor to grant.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord, Lord Lloyd, for making that statement of what the Government have decided to do. This is an important question, and on behalf of the Opposition I would say that we welcome the main decisions which have been arrived at by the Government in this matter; we hope that they will meet with due success. Naturally, we should like to reserve our right to look carefully at the details of the legislation which they propose to introduce, just to see how questions of safeguards and matters of that kind are handled, and also at the detailed proposals in connection with the Election. But, by and large, we welcome the statement which Her Majesty's Government have made.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, I presume that some opportunity will be afforded your Lordships' House to discuss this matter, in view of the fact that there was a discussion in another place. Of course, I do not press for a day or date now.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, I am afraid that I had not perhaps fully realised that there was a desire for immediate discussion in this House; but if that is the view of the noble Earl and others, I can assure him that we shall be ready to make arrangements after the Recess. I hope that course will be satisfactory to the House.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, I quite appreciate the noble Earl's anxiety to see that the matter is discussed in this House, and in the normal course of events I, speaking for the Opposition, should have asked officially for a day. But it seemed to me that since the Government have taken the important decision to bring in legislation on the matter, we could reserve our desire to have a debate until the Bill is presented. If there are to be arrangements made through the Leader of the House for the convenience of your Lordships, I shall be most glad if that matter can be borne in mind.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I ant very ready to adopt whichever course seems most attractive to the House. It is true that there has already been a discussion in another place, aid the last thing that I should wish to do would be to, give the impression of wishing to curb the free expression of your Lordships' opinion. If, therefore, after further discussion, it was thought that an early debate just for the purpose of allowing noble Lords to express their views, was desirable, I should be quite in favour of that course. Naturally, that would not preclude a later debate, which must come when the legislation is before the House. I certainly do not think that any noble Lord in this House ought to be precluded from expressing his opinion if he so wishes, and I should not like that to happen.
LORD REAMy Lords, I support the noble Viscount who leads the Opposition. I think that probably we do not need two occasions on which to debate this matter. Legislation is coming before your Lordships and probably that occasion will be adequate. There is one point about which I should like to know a little more. The statement says:
… only if and when the Maltese people have shown their desire for it in a General Election899 How that desire is to be shown, and what is its strength, is a matter upon which we should like to have a little more information, if and when that is possible.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, I do not want to press the matter, but it seems to me, if I may say so with the greatest diffidence as a comparatively new Member of your Lordships' House, and without saying anything disrespectful to either of the Opposition Leaders, that this is not quite a question of whether or not the Opposition desire a debate. It is a question of whether your Lordships' House thinks it desirable to have a discussion on the matter. With the greatest respect, I would suggest that it is a matter which might be left over for a while.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, perhaps we might leave it in that way for the moment, and I will keep in touch with the noble Lords opposite and with the noble Earl, Lord Winterton.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHThank you very much. Are we now free to resume the other business?