Mr Michael Foot: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it not a rule of the House that if a Minister refers to a document and quotes from it he has to provide it for the House at a later stage? Is it not the case that the Chancellor referred yesterday to a report in the Treasury Office, and is it not now his duty under that rule to lay the document before the House?
Mr Michael Foot: As the Chancellor of the Exchequer has somewhat ungallantly attributed all his difficulties to members of the press, will he tell us which were the offending newspapers and whether he intends to invite their representatives to come round and see him again?
Mr Michael Foot: I was saying that it was an insult to the people of Britain, and to the people of Northern Ireland, for the Government to say that the people of this country cannot judge for themselves.
Mr Michael Foot: Like the hon. Member for Newbury (Sir M. McNair-Wilson), I speak on this subject not only as a Member of Parliament but as a journalist for a number of years. One aspect about which the House should be deeply concerned is how journalists are to be able to conduct their business, not only in Northern Ireland but in the rest of the United Kingdom, under the kind of edict which the Home...
Mr Michael Foot: It is wonderful to see the whole Conservative party, without exception, Front and Back Benchers, taking shelter behind the laws of the Government of the Republic. I shall come to the hon. Gentleman's point. That is a diversion. It is extraordinary for anyone who has been a Member as long as I have to hear the whole Conservative party saying, "Please, we must follow the example of the Republic...
Mr Michael Foot: They affect the way in which events in Northern Ireland are put across to the general public. That is reporting. If that is not considered to be reporting, the Home Secretary is basing his case on the most ridiculous quibble that I have heard—even from this Government. Broadcasting is part of the reporting process and that is why the Government—or at least the Prime Minister—believe...
Mr Michael Foot: It is no good the Home Secretary shaking his head. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Sparkbrook has explained, there is already complete confusion in the BBC and IBA, as well as elsewhere, about what can and cannot be reported. If they ask how to resolve the confusion, the absurd answer is that they must apply to the Government.
Mr Michael Foot: If the hon. Member is unable to understand already, no surgical operation on my part will assist in making him understand in future. Speeches from Labour and Conservative Members—and the reticence of the Home Secretary—have underlined the fact that they understand that the directions are a major departure from previous practice, whatever right to introduce them the Home Secretary may...
Mr Michael Foot: I shall not give way. The Home Secretary should have gone about the matter differently. I prophesy that the Government will have to introduce a law that deals with the matter because of the appalling confusion that has been created. Proper reporting of events in Northern Ireland has been gravely injured by what the Government have done. As the confusion continues in the coming months, the...
Mr Michael Foot: No. I have already given way twice. The Home Secretary should have realised that the proper way of dealing with the problem was through the House. The Home Secretary should have used the House of Commons to deal with this major change in the way in which events in this country can be reported. Other speeches, in particular that of the hon. Member for Newbury, show how dangerous the Home...
Mr Michael Foot: It is strange that hon. Members who do not understand free speech in the House should pretend to understand it elsewhere. The Government have introduced grave confusion into the way in which matters are reported. Far from making a contribution to solving the problem, the Home Secretary has created confusion. Those who believe in the right to free speech and in the power of free debate to...
Mr Michael Foot: I apologise for not being in the Chamber for the first few minutes of the right hon. Gentleman's speech. He mentioned borderline cases and how comparatively easy it would be to solve them. Did the Government consider introducing a change in the law to deal with these matters? The passing of this motion will have no effect on the law in Ireland or anywhere else. The Government have sought to...
Mr Michael Foot: Like my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell), I must declare an interest as a member of the National Union of Journalists, although, like him, I cannot exactly calculate how much my income would be affected if the clause were passed. My hon. Friend put the case so strongly that I believe that it is possible to make this debate a short one. The Government and the Minister...
Mr Michael Foot: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In connection with the selection of amendments and clauses for debate, can you tell the House whether there has been an alteration to what was put on the board earlier about the clauses to be selected? There is a widespread belief that there should be a fresh debate on the general subject of the rights of journalists and writers. I hope that the new clause...
Mr Michael Foot: I am very glad to have the chance of following the right hon. and learned Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Brittan). Many of us must have noted, particularly in view of the rumours published in the newspapers recently, how passionately he opposed the particular part of the Government's proposed legislation which might interfere with international communications. I hope that that does not...
Mr Michael Foot: Although I consider that the way in which the Bill is being put through is scandalous, and although I strongly support what my hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) said from the Opposition Front Bench, I wish to concentrate for a few minutes on the part of the Bill that has been introduced mainly in the House of Lords during the past few weeks and which gives rise to even more...
Mr Michael Foot: Leaving aside any invidious matters about age groups, will the Minister give an absolute assurance that the latest proposals put forward by the Gwent area health authority will be subject to genuine consultation with all the parties concerned, that the Welsh Office will listen carefully to all the representations and that if those representations point to the fact that there should be a very...
Mr Michael Foot: What calculation has the hon. Gentleman made of the reduction in crowds —particularly for poorer clubs—that would result from the introduction of his scheme? What financial support does he suppose he will introduce to assist the clubs that are hit by his methods?
Mr Michael Foot: I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman's report to the House is a little incorrect, but he was not there to hear what happened. Aneurin Bevan was saying that that amount of money had been stolen, and he was reproving Chancellors of the Exchequer who came along and were not sufficiently generous—[HON. MEMBERS: "Labour Chancellors."] Yes, Labour Chancellors. If only the Government would...
Mr Michael Foot: I am glad to have the opportunity to speak immediately after the Minister as I believe that I am the only Member who was here when the 1946 debate took place and the 1948 measure was carried into effect. But before I come to the speech of the right hon. Gentleman—and I certainly want to deal with many of the matters that he has raised—I must congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for...
