Time of Election and Term of Office of Members of Assembly

Part of Orders of the Day — Scotland and Wales Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 1 February 1977.

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Photo of Sir Raymond Gower Sir Raymond Gower , Barry 12:00, 1 February 1977

I should have thought that the Lord President, being a true democrat and attached to the bases of the British constitution, would eagerly accept the amendment. Certainly the amendment ought to commend itself to him and his Cabinet colleagues. After all, rather than the lottery of a referendum—in some ways it is a lottery—the Lord President should prefer a grand inquest of the whole nation of the United Kingdom, as it has been described. That is why I see many things to commend the amendment.

I echo something that was said by the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock). If we accepted the amendment and held another General Election before the Bill came into operation, we should have the advantage of having the first General Election in which these matters would be a major issue. There is a lot of evidence that in the last two General Elections these matters were not a major issue in the minds of electors.

5.15 p.m.

I understand the point made so clearly by the right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell), and there is much in it. Nevertheless, I think that he must, on reflection, accept the fact that this proposal would be somewhat unusual in that most electors would for the first time have these matters very much in mind. I agree with him that this would not undo the enactment of this legislation, but nevertheless, it would be a very powerful verdict on its virtues or demerits.

The Lord President may say that this is purely an amendment for delay. We do not know. We do not know how long the present Government will last. It may or may not be a considerable time. If the Government went to the country in the autumn, it would not mean a long delay. On the other hand, if the Government went through their full term, there might be some delay. However, these are surely not matters on which we want to make haste. The dangers of this legislation could be far more regrettable than any possible effects of delay.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Renfrewshire, East (Miss Harvie Anderson) said that these are unpopular proposals. I am not sure how unpopular they are in different parts of the United Kingdom, but they are unpopular in some parts, and in, for example, many parts of my own constituency. They are unpopular with a large proportion of the electorate. I am not sure that the electorate is wholeheartedly against these proposals. It is only now that the electorate is becoming aware of their implications, despite the fact that the Lord President and his colleagues have told us repeatedly that these matter have been considered and debated for years. Perhaps that is so—but among a few. They have not been considered and debated for years by the mass of the electorate.