– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 30 April 1964.
Mr Dingle Foot
, Ipswich
12:00,
30 April 1964
asked the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have considered the report of the United Nations Special Committee on South Africa; and whether he will propose that the report shall be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
, Kinross and West Perthshire
We have received a copy of this report and we are studying it.
It is not our practice to reveal details of the agenda for Commonwealth Prime Ministers' conferences.
Mr Dingle Foot
, Ipswich
Does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that this report will be one of the principal topics for debate at the next meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations, if not sooner in the Security Council? In the circumstances, does not he think that the issues which it covers should be considered by the Prime Ministers' conference?
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
, Kinross and West Perthshire
It may be that this question will be raised at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' conference. I cannot tell. As I say, we are considering the report ourselves.
Hon. Nicholas Ridley
, Cirencester and Tewkesbury
In view of the Opposition's great interest in this subject, might it be a good idea if the Leader of the Opposition were to call a Commonwealth conference of Leaders of the Opposition?
The "Leader of the Opposition" is head of "Her Majesty's Official Opposition". This position is taken by the Leader of the party with the 2nd largest number of MPs in the Commons.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
