HL Deb 05 May 1978 vol 391 cc530-3

11.13 a.m.

Lord WIGG

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask the Leader of the House whether it is in accordance with the best traditions of the House that a Minister, in reply to a Parliamentary Question, should impute bias under the cover of Parliamentary privilege to Mr. Basil Davidson in his book Discovering Africa's Past.

The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord Peart)

My Lords, it is certainly not in the best traditions of the House that a Minister or any other member of the House should hide behind Parliamentary privilege to make comments which would otherwise be actionable or which, even if not actionable, can be considered an unreasonably damaging attack upon the integrity of an individual. But, as the comments made by my noble friend in answering Lord Gridley's Question on 17th April do not fall into this category, the question does not arise.

Lord WIGG

My Lords, needless to say the Leader of the House will realise that I do not accept that. Is the Leader of the House aware that on three separate occasions Lord Donaldson alleged bias about a book which, very clearly, he had not read? It is charitable to say that, because, is the Leader of the House aware that, if he has read it, he most certainly has not understood it? Would he be good enough to take into account what the Government themselves have done? The Ministry of Education, of which Department Lord Donaldson is a member, jointly published West Indian Community (Command 7186), in which the Government had put forward exactly the same points as Mr. Basil Davidson. Therefore, although Lord Donaldson is entitled to hold his view as an opinion, it is clearly improper to allege—will the Leader of the House accept?—

Several noble Lords: Speech!

Lord WIGG

My Lords, I am only asking for the same indulgence as is given to the other side in asking a question. I will put it again in interrogatory form. Is the Leader of the House aware that the bias alleged here is quite improper, because it clearly does not go beyond a difference of opinion about the book ?

Lord PEART

My Lords, my noble friend used the word "bias" in connection with the last 20 pages, and it is the use of this word which appears to have given the noble Lord offence. l think he made it clear in the course of his reply that he meant no more than was written forcibly, directly, or from a specific point of view. I think my noble friend Lord Wigg is taking this matter too seriously.

Lord BYERS

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that many of us feel that this is rather a petty attack on a Minister who has discharged his duties with distinction over quite a long period, and would he not agree that the word "bias" is subject to many interpretations? I am extremely biased in favour of the Liberal Party, and some of us are becoming extremely biased against people who put down this type of Question.

Lord PEART

My Lords, I am grateful for the remarks of the noble Lord representing the Liberal Party. May I just say that when my noble friend Lord Wigg told my noble friend Lord Donaldson that he regarded his remarks as derogatory, he at once wrote to Mr. Davidson apologising for any offence that might have been taken. I think we can leave it at that.

Lord WIGG

My Lords, is the Leader of the House aware that he did not write immediately? But while it may be regarded as a petty matter in relation to Lord Donaldson, he has not got a reputation to lose. Is the Leader of the House not aware that Mr. Basil Davidson is a some-time professor in African history to a number of universities; he is a Fellow of Birmingham; he is an extremely distinguished writer: and to attack him in this way on the basis of a book which the Minister has clearly not read is outrageous?

Lord PEART

My Lords, I have read the book, and I think it is a good book. I do not think it was any attack on Mr. Davidson. I hope we can leave it at that.

Baroness GAITSKELL

My Lords, is the Leader of the House aware than when this question was raised, very few of us had read the book or had bought the book? I had read an article in the "New Statesman" from Basil Davidson which was extremely good. My noble friend Lord Donaldson had not read this article, and I had the opportunity to show him this article, and his comment was, "This is very fair". I think all this has some bearing on the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Wigg.

Lord PEART

My Lords, I take note of what my noble friend has said.

Lord SEGAL

My Lords, would it not be clearly in the best traditions of the House that this matter be not pursued any further?

Lord HALE

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that all of us know that he knows Mr. Basil Davidson—I used to know him very well but have not known him for years—and that he is a friend of Members on all sides of the House ? He is respected perhaps sometimes for not quite supporting the theory that Africa was founded entirely by the Firestone Tyre Company and Pepsi Cola and has a history worth writing about which can be instructive. We are grateful to the Leader of the House for giving expression to this fairly clear view.

Lord PEART

My Lords, I think we should proceed to the next Question.