Orders of the Day — Defence Contracts Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 December 1957.

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Photo of Mr Niall MacDermot Mr Niall MacDermot , Lewisham North 12:00, 12 December 1957

Like my hon. Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman), I had intended to begin with an apology to the President of the Board of Trade that I was unable to be present to hear his opening speech on the Bill. Like my hon. Friend, however, I have been given to understand by my hon. and learned Friends that there is, perhaps, little ground for apology as the right hon. Gentleman's speech was exceedingly unilluminating on the subject matter of the Bill.

The Parliamentary Secretary, who has just replied to the debate, regarded that as a flippant allusion. I can only say in commenting on his speech that in the short time I have been in this House I never recall hearing a winding-up speech from the Government which so utterly failed to deal with any of the serious points raised in debate and which showed such a complete lack of comprehension and understanding of the subject matter of the Bill and of the points raised in the debate.

Some of us are a little mystified why the Bill has been introduced at this time. Perhaps, when one looks at the history of the Bill and its 1953 predecessor, the explanation is that the Government are bringing it forward now to bolster up their case on the need for the reform of the constitution of the other Chamber. The position is that there was introduced a very commendable Bill—not perfect in every detail, but commendable in its general principles—four years ago in the other place.