Lady Grant of Monymusk: I must confess that I have always found this controversy between the two Houses quite unnecessary. To my mind, relations have always been most cordial. Yet, despite the successful partnership between the two Houses we are forced to engage in what is really an irrelevancy at a time when terrible events overshadow all our lives. It is perhaps for that reason that, while listening to this...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: Indeed we are, as always, quite clear as to the intentions of the noble Lady, but she nearly always leaves us in anticipation until the very last moment. The whole argument of her speech, I felt, was related entirely to the composition of the House of Lords. Of course, all her questions would have been answered had an all-party agreement been arrived at. I submit that it is impossible to...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: That exactly bears out my argument, because it is this difficulty in assessing public opinion which makes it important that there should be an adequate delaying power in the House of Lords. It is always to the electors that we must look. Power should always be vested in them—not in us, the elected. When talking of public opinion, we must remember that in these times of rush legislation it...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: I think it would be improper for me to comment on that. The fact remains that we must study the question of public opinion in everything which is related to Parliament all the time. Particularly now, absorbed as they are constantly with the mechanics of living, the public are inclined as a whole to shrug their shoulders, and say, "Ah well, let us leave decisions to them"—to the all-mighty...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: There may be many red herrings of that nature and they are related to all political parties, but the fact remains that, taking the average life of Parliament as five years, public opinion in the country is changing in the period between elections. That is the time when it is most important for any democratic Government to use an all-powerful majority with the very greatest consideration. I...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: The whole purpose of my speech has been to try to show that it is very important to keep adequate delaying powers in our Constitution, in order that the public may have time to understand the measures in question. The introduction of a Bill such as that we are discussing today, which reduces the delaying power of the Lords to one year—which, in fact, is only six months in practice—means...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: On behalf of those, both in this House and outside in the country, who support this Bill, I should like to say that I am shocked and very astonished to know that the Government have not seen fit to allow it a Second Reading.
Lady Grant of Monymusk: Perhaps that is almost worse. To allow the Second Reading of this Bill, in the tone suggested by the Parliamentary Secretary, implying that the Bill will be killed in Committee, is merely giving hope to the people in the country that we shall finally receive this Measure, whereas I gather from the Parliamentary Secretary's reply that the Government do not think that this is a suitable Measure...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: I feel that that is the crux upon which the whole of this Debate depends. We have brought forward this Bill because we do not feel that adequate powers do, in fact, exist. In the National Health Act, there are already permissive Sections. What we are seeking to do is to make those permissive Sections a question of obligation on local authorities and all concerned with the care of women in...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: It is no good being sympathetic towards the Sections; we have to get down to the practical difficulties, and see how we can solve them.
Lady Grant of Monymusk: The figures which the Parliamentary Secretary gave us were very encouraging regarding the training of midwives, but I submit that their training is not sufficient. What we want to do, as has been said over and over again, is to make the various apparatus available. There are three things which we consider ought to be obligatory upon those who are responsible for the care of mothers in...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: That is certainly encouraging, but not nearly enough. We appreciate, of course, the difficulties that confront local authorities over the question of training midwives, because there is an acute shortage of them. It is for that reason that my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth explained, when he opened the Debate, why we had allowed certain escape Clauses. The Parliamentary Secretary...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: The end of the resolution says, as I read out: Midwives should be required to use analgesia by their employing authority, and the necessary drugs and apparatus should be provided. Furthermore, they go on to say, in connection with the training of midwives, that where the older midwives have not yet received training in analgesia, they should in fact receive that training free. When we came...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: I shall always regard the hon. Member as a diehard reactionary. These are the kind of things which this House should ventilate, and ventilate strongly, because one has to remember that in this country women are, as a whole, very inarticulate on this subject. Furthermore, it is true to say that as a race they are proud, and they will not have it said that there is any burden which they cannot...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement as to his intentions for a proposed development council for the clothing industry.
Lady Grant of Monymusk: Can the hon. Gentleman ensure that the development council order will not be made while large and important sections of the industry are still opposed to this proposal?
Lady Grant of Monymusk: Does the Minister appreciate that we who have supported this Bill are perfectly aware of the facts and statistics? Does he also appreciate that under the terms of the National Health Service Act, while he has power to make it a duty on local authorities to provide midwives, nurses and ambulances, he has only a permissive clause to provide analgesia, and it is that which we seek to remedy? May...
Lady Grant of Monymusk: In view of the last question, is the Secretary of State aware that the midwives of Scotland will not like to be regarded as "fobbed off"—and may I ask him by what date he considers there will be a sufficient number of doctors to attend all confinements?
Lady Grant of Monymusk: asked the Minister of Health if he will give the proportion of women receiving analgesia in childbirth in their own homes to the total births for the years 1947 and 1948 in England and Wales.
Lady Grant of Monymusk: Is it impossible to give the recent figures—the figures for 1947–48?