§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government:—
- (1) Whether approval was sought by Sir Anthony Eden before quoting official unpublished documents in his memoirs now being produced in The Times; and
- (2) Whether approval was given for the publication of all or some of the documents and by whom such approval was given.]
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, Sir Anthony Eden submitted the text of his book, through the Secretary of the Cabinet, to the Prime Minister, who authorised the publication of the official documents quoted in those memoirs.
§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, did the Prime Minister take into account the mischief that might be done in our relations with the United States in the course of such publication; and, if so, is it not rather surprising that he permitted the publication?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, he took into consideration, no doubt, all the considerations, political and otherwise, which were relevant.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, would the noble Earl the Leader of the House 1023 consider publishing in due course a general outline of the considerations and principles which govern Her Majesty's Government in reaching conclusions as to whether to allow one ex-Minister access to official papers and to deny that access to another?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, as my noble friend knows, there has been considerable interest and some anxiety expressed, I think in both Houses of Parliament, lately about these matters, and therefore I think my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and I will bring to the Prime Minister's attention when he returns the views expressed in both Houses, so that he may look at the situation.
§ LORD DALTONMy Lords, is it not the predominant public interest that the truth should be made known on these important public affairs without undue delay, and will the Government not consider speeding up their own publication of official documents, continuing, for instance, the very valuable series of documents on British foreign policy which stopped in 1939 and has never been resumed? As regards the Suez affair, will the Government reconsider their refusal in another place to hand over all the archives and documents to some historian who shall be charged with the duty of writing an official history of the whole business?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I regret that to the first question the noble Lord asks in this House I should have to give a negative reply, at least to the last part of it. So far as the first part of it is concerned, I agree with him that the sooner official histories are written and published the better, provided all the material is available to the official historian. But the noble Lord knows there are difficulties in getting the material and the people to write.
VISCOUNT ELIBANKMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that since I raised the financial aspect of this subject not long ago my post bears witness to the fact that there is a considerable body of public opinion which 1024 feels that if some ex-Ministers are to receive vast sums of money by reason of the fact that they are able to draw upon official documents, it would be a fitting and generous thing on the part of the recipients of those vast sums to donate at least a certain portion of them to war charities or other worthy objects?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I did note what the noble Viscount said earlier, but I did not think it was relevant to the Question that day; nor do I think it is relevant to the Question to-day.