Mr John Biggs-Davison: It is preposterous to suggest, as the hon. Member for Itchen (Dr. King) suggested earlier in his speech, that the whole world is against Great Britain and France in the course they have decided to follow. On the contrary, there are millions of people in every continent who are now thanking God that British leadership in the world has revived. [HON. MEMBERS : "Where are they?"] When we hear so...
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Judging from Opposition speeches, one would imagine that a war had begun or was about to begin in the Middle East because Great Britain and France were invading Egypt.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: One is almost asked to believe that a state of conflict does not exist between the forces of Israel and of Egypt. It is a travesty of the facts to try to make out that the policy of the British Government and of our French allies at this time is anything other than to confine the conflict and defend the lives and property of their nationals, which is a Government's duty. Yesterday we heard...
Mr John Biggs-Davison: That is a matter which concerns more than one Government, and it is not a matter with which we are primarily concerned at present. If we want to go back in history, we ought to go back to the shameful surrender of the Palestine Mandate by the Labour Government before our duty was done—a surrender which set Jew against Arab and both against us. It is that surrender of their duty by a...
Mr John Biggs-Davison: We may respect somebody but still have to take action against him. If I develop this argument, perhaps I shall go some of the way to explaining my position to the hon. Member. Suez and Egypt should not become a pawn in the greater world conflict, should not become the subject of a bargain between the two great conflicting systems at the expense of other Powers. We ought to have made it...
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that it is about time we tried to do without foreign subsidies?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Could my right hon. and learned Friend tell the House what was the voting on the United Nations Assembly Resolution on the situation in Hungary?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Will my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister inform hon. Members opposite whether there is any section of the Charter which says that great nations should do nothing while war spreads?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Does not the hon. Gentleman ignore the part played by students in Hungary in this resistance movement?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied that there are adequate tribal police and other security forces in British Somaliland for the defence of tribesmen under Her Majesty's protection against Ethiopian pressure; and if he will make a statement.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: I beg to give notice that on Friday, 30th November, I shall call attention to the need to review the Ottawa Agreements and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and move a Resolution.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Is the purpose of all these Questions to make clear that Her Majesty's Government will now have the full support of Her Majesty's Opposition in taking all possible measures to get the Suez Canal reopened?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Does not the withdrawal of our forces from Port Said, as mentioned in the Question, make it more and not less vital that we should maintain our forces in Cyprus at adequate strength to defend, by a supreme effort, British interests in the Middle East?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to limit less essential dollar imports; and by what means; (2) whether he is satisfied that he has adequate powers to regulate less essential dollar imports, should the present emergency make that necessary; and if he will make a statement.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a statement about the agreement made with the Government of the Maldive Islands for facilities for British aircraft and Commonwealth communications.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Will the facilities obtained under this excellent agreement be made available, if necessary, to other Commonwealth countries?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will estimate the extent of the delay in clearing the Suez Canal of serious obstruction to navigation attributable to the failure of the United Nations Organisation to make the fullest use of the Anglo-French Salvage Fleet.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: Quite apart from the difference of opinion on our intervention in Egypt, does not a heavy responsibility rest on those at the United Nations who have refused to make the fullest use of this splendid fleet in the interests of international shipping?
Mr John Biggs-Davison: I beg to give notice that on Friday, 8th February, I shall call attention to the need for an expanding Commonwealth. and move a Resolution.
Mr John Biggs-Davison: The hon. Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Boyd) expressed himself as disappointed with the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State. I feel that we should not underestimate the progress which has been made towards European unity. On the other hand, I suppose that a critic might say that we have been more successful in creating European organisations than in achieving...