Orders of the Day — Homicide Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 15 November 1956.

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Photo of Mr Denzil Freeth Mr Denzil Freeth , Basingstoke 12:00, 15 November 1956

My hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Kershaw) began by describing himself as a qualified abolitionist. I do not think that I would ever normally seek to apply that adjective to myself, but if I had to do so tonight I would describe myself as a qualified retentionist

I opposed the Silverman Bill through all its stages and I voted for the various Amendments which were put forward, very largely in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Sir H. Lucas-Tooth). I do not think that at this time one should go further with the Clauses of Part I of the Bill, with which I am in full sympathy. I should like to add my tribute to that which other hon. Members have paid to the Inns of Court Conservative and Unionist Society for the various excellent suggestions which have now been embodied in the Bill.

The first and important point to which I should like to come is that of the Whips being on and the Whips being off, the point of the free vote in this House on the Silverman Bill, and the point of the possibility of not having a free vote in this House on the later stages of this Bill, to which the hon. Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman) devoted quite a substantial part of his speech.

I think that there are, basically, three reasons for having a Government at all. The first is to defend us against exterior foes, and not all of us consider that all Governments have done that satisfactorily. The second reason for having a Government, I was brought up to believe, was to maintain the value of the currency. and I am not sure that that today is recognised as being a major priority by all parties. The third was that it was the duty of the Government to keep the Queen's peace and to be responsible for law and order.

It therefore seemed to me to be regrettable that the Whips were, in fact, off during the passage of the Silverman Bill, because, in saying to the House of Commons, as the Government did say, "We believe that the retention of the death penalty is essential if we are to be able to retain the Queen's peace," it seemed to me an impossible position that they should then allow hon. Members to vote for the abolition of the Queen's peace. Therefore, I rejoice that at present the Government seem willing to take on again the responsibility of maintaining the Queen's peace, and to say that in this, which is just as important an aspect of their rule as is foreign affairs, defence or economic affairs, those who are not for them are against them and must consider, when they vote, either supporting the Government in its efforts to maintain law and order or else be willing to vote in such a way that the Opposition would be asked to form an Administration or a General Election be called.