§ 2.43 p.m.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question of which I have given Private Notice. The Question is as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a Statement on the incident involving the British tug ' Statesman ' and an Icelandic gunboat".
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, with the leave of the House this Question will be answered at a convenient moment after 3.30 by my noble friend Lady Tweedsmuir.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, without in any way casting any reflection upon the propriety of what the noble Lord. Lord Balfour, has done, may I ask at what time this Notice was given in? I think it would be as well if we knew which Standing Orders apply and which do not. The relevant one in this case, as I understand it, is the one that lays it down that if a noble Lord wishes to ask a Question on a matter of urgency he should submit his Question in writing to the Leader of the House by 12 noon. I made inquiries at 12 noon to-day, and I was told there was to be no Statement. The arrangement—and I think "arrangement" is not too strong a word to use—was made some time after that. It creates certain difficulties, and I wonder 525 whether the noble Earl would like to say how it arose.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, the mysteries of the usual channels are fairly complicated, as the noble Lord knows. In this case, as in others, if a Private Notice Question is allowed in another place the Opposition are asked if they would like to ask a similar Question here. If they choose to, then it is answered. If they say they do not want to ask it, then, if the Government wish to have the Question answered in this House, they ask one of their own supporter to ask it. That has been done previously on frequent occasions by noble Lords opposite.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I think the noble Earl is wrong when he says that this has been done frequently. Something similar to what has happened to-day has happened before, and it is for that reason that I thought we might get this point clarified. If the Government are really anxious to say something in this House, they can make a Statement. Alternatively, if they wish, through the usual channels, for the Opposition to cooperate, we are very happy to arrange for a Private Notice Question to be put down. But if, in the interests (as I understood it) of the Government and of saving time, I say we have no intention to put down a Private Notice Question, thinking we shall be thanked for this consideration and for having regard to the Government's time, and instead the Government somehow arrange for a P.N.Q. to be asked, I think it creates a difficulty. Possibly in the future we ought not to pursue matters in this way.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, I am sorry I misunderstood what the noble Lord had in mind when I got the message that he and his friends did not wish to ask the Question. If I had appreciated that it was purely for the purposes of saving time, I would have had a word with him personally. In case there are any other such occasions, I will make a point of contacting him personally.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, let me get it quite clear. If the Government wish to say anything, they are perfectly entitled to make a Statement. What they cannot do after 12 o'clock is to arrange for someone to put down a P.N.Q.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, we have always tried to follow the other 526 place in this matter. If there is a Private Notice Question there, we try to deal with it by way of a Private Notice Question here rather than by a Statement. Equally, if there is a Statement there and a Private Notice Question has been asked here, we refuse the Private Notice Question and have a Statement similar to that in another place.