Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister and President Johnson (Talks)

– in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 15 Rhagfyr 1964.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Patrick Wall Mr Patrick Wall , Haltemprice 12:00, 15 Rhagfyr 1964

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about his talks with President Johnson.

Photo of Mr William Owen Mr William Owen , Morpeth

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent talks with the Prime Minister of Canada.

Photo of Mr Cyril Bence Mr Cyril Bence , Dunbartonshire East

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his talks with President Johnson about British Guiana.

Photo of Brigadier Terence Clarke Brigadier Terence Clarke , Portsmouth West

asked the Prime Minister what subjects he discussed with the President of the United States; and if he will make a statement.

Photo of Mr John Biggs-Davison Mr John Biggs-Davison , Chigwell

asked the Prime Minister whether he will give an assurance that no decision was made at Washington which would prevent the deployment outside Europe of British nuclear forces.

Photo of Mr James Dempsey Mr James Dempsey , Coatbridge and Airdrie

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent talks with President Johnson, in connection with future summit meetings between the East and the West, with a view to removing tension.

Photo of Mr Harold Wilson Mr Harold Wilson , Huyton

I will arrange to circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the Joint Agreed Communiqué published after my talks in Washington on 7th and 8th December with President Johnson.

If I catch your eye, Mr. Speaker, I hope to make a full statement in the course of the debate we are to have tomorrow and Thursday.

Photo of Mr Patrick Wall Mr Patrick Wall , Haltemprice

Will the Prime Minister today answer two specific questions [HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—whether or not agreement was reached to give up sovereignty over the British nuclear deterrent and whether or not agreement was reached for British participation in an allied surface force armed with nuclear weapons?

Photo of Mr Harold Wilson Mr Harold Wilson , Huyton

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will await the very full statement that I hope to make tomorrow.

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

Is the Prime Minister aware that it would have been a great convenience to the House if he had been able to circulate to the House, or make, a statement about his talks in Washington so that we could have had it—[HON. MEMBERS: "Did you?"]—in our hands before the debate? That would have helped us a great deal. As the Foreign Secretary has apparently circulated some document to the N.A.T.O. Council, may I ask why it was not circulated to Parliament?

Photo of Mr Harold Wilson Mr Harold Wilson , Huyton

The right hon Gentleman was, I think, Foreign Secretary at the time of the Nassau Conference. He was at the Conference. He will perhaps recall that the then Prime Minister answering Questions on 22nd January, 1963, said that he could not make any statement on those talks on the ground that there was to be a debate, riot one day later, but eight days later.

Photo of Sir Alec Douglas-Home Sir Alec Douglas-Home , Kinross and West Perthshire

We must await the detailed statement which no doubt the Prime Minister will make in the debate. May I ask how it is that a circular, apparently containing the proposals which he made to President Johnson, has been circulated already to N.A.T.O. but we have seen no sign of it?

Photo of Mr Harold Wilson Mr Harold Wilson , Huyton

The right hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that when he has been engaged in international negotiations he has put forward a lot of suggestions on behalf of his Government before he made any statement in this House. I can tell him that, unlike the practice which he followed, I intend tomorrow to make a much fuller statement to the House than has been made to any of our colleagues in N.A.T.O.

Following is the Communiqué:

Prime Minister

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom

Minister

Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.

Speaker

The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.