I suggest that that view is taken up by the other side. Certainly, we have taken them one at a time. We have not nationalised everything at one time. But hon. Members opposite suggest that we should be content with one or two every five-year period, and then see how nationalisation works. We are not quite so foolish or naive as that. Surely, it must be realised, as it is on this side of the House, quite certainly, that our scheme of nationalisation is a composite whole, that the nationalised industries are inter-related, and fit into each other. How foolish it would have been to have taken ine industry, such as coal, and nationalised that, and not done anything about finance, transport and steel.

Again I refer to the vested interests which, normally, put their interest and profits first. Everyone knows that if we had taken one industry and nationalised it, it could have been hamstrung by finance in private hands, or by transport in private hands, or by steel, if hon. Members like, in private hands. I am quite sure that if we had been so foolish as to have taken only one industry, and not taken several as a composite whole, to make the circle complete, there would have been an attempt to demonstrate in that way that nationalisation would not work. We are not quite so foolish and naive as that. The danger to the country is certainly not in the nationalisation of steel, but in leaving that one important factor not nationalised. We are not going to jeopardise the completed scheme and the composite whole of our nationalisation programme by taking one industry at a time and leaving it to be killed, hamstrung, or starved, financially or otherwise, by other interests and industries in private hands; and we are certainly not going to leave an all-important thing such as steel, which comes into every other industry, out of our programme.

There may be other industries which prove themselves to be so essential to the life of the nation and so badly handled in private hands, that in another programme we shall have to nationalise them. That remains to be seen; but let the Opposition remember that the interest of the nation is the basis of our programme and will certainly remain so in any future programme.

The Amendment, which I am quite sure will be soundly defeated, regrets that: notwithstanding the grave international situation and the continuing gap in our overseas trade,— the Government are going ahead with nationalising steel. I would like to put it in another and quite definite way, and say that it is in part because of the grave international situation and the continuing gap in our overseas trade that it is of paramount necessity that we now nationalise the steel industry.