§ 2.46 p.m.
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
1346 The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give the date when the Butterworth Committee will report.
THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS)My Lords, it is too early to give a definite date, but I understand that Mr. Butterworth hopes that his Report will be available next month. I hope that is a nice and brief Answer.
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, while thanking the noble Viscount for that reply, may I ask him whether he could be more specific in view of the fact that this Committee was required originally to report before July 1? If the Report is not forthcoming by the end of August, is there not a possibility that, in view of the Long Recess, it may be much later in the autumn before this matter is reported on?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, I take the noble Lord's point. The reason why the Report is taking longer is that there are four services involved, and to do justice to it Mr. Butterworth has had to go more deeply into the subject matter than he originally thought would be necessary. I do not think the Report will be delayed until the end of August; I think it will come before that. I do not think that there is any danger of its going over the Recess.
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I hope this is a fair question to put to the noble Viscount. Is he able to say quite categorically, in the event of an award being suggested and accepted, whether it would be backdated to July 1?
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, we admire the noble Viscount's ability to answer questions without any notes, but when answering these questions did he say a positive "yes", that it would be backdated.
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, if the staff want the award to be backdated, I said "Yes"; but I presume that the noble Lord would not require me to force it to be backdated if those concerned did not want it.