Mr Robert Hudson: The fact that I did not know what was in the White Paper made it very difficult for me to make my speech following that of the right hon. and learned Gentleman.
Mr Robert Hudson: Thereby destroying—
Mr Robert Hudson: It has not been a debate at all.
Mr Robert Hudson: Is not the real difficulty of the pottery industry the shortage of workers? Is there not a plentiful demand at home for pottery, especially coloured pottery, all of which is being exported?
Mr Robert Hudson: Is it not a fact that at present difficulties about granting export licences for timber already contracted for are arising and that orders are being issued that no further contracts will be entered into by Swedish exporters except subject to the issue of an export licence by the Swedish Government? In view of the comparative shortness of the season for bringing timber into this country, does...
Mr Robert Hudson: Does not the right hon. and learned Gentleman realise—after a little more experience in his office he will realise—that Prayers provide excellent opportunities of assuring the House of the correctness of his statements?
Mr Robert Hudson: The right hon. Gentleman announced that the last business on Wednesday would be consideration of the Draft Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Dental Goods) Order. I assume that steps will be taken to see that the promised White Paper is published early next week so that we shall have a chance of reading it before this Order is taken, otherwise I do not think it would be quite fair to the House.
Mr Robert Hudson: The right hon. Gentleman says that there is no financial burden. I take it that these are not exclusively British ships. Surely on the freight market, there must have been a substantial rise in freights as a result of the Indians coming into the freight market on this scale, whether the ships are English or foreign. Has not that affected our interests?
Mr Robert Hudson: Whatever may be the legal competence of the Government of India, the right hon. Gentleman told us at the beginning of Questions that he hoped to save from death by starvation millions of Indians. Does he think it fair that they should reply to that by inflicting hardship on these ex-servants?
Mr Robert Hudson: In view of the raw material shortage, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the House is to be given any information of the result of the visit of the Lord Privy Seal to Washington?
Mr Robert Hudson: I hope that the Financial Secretary will find it possible to deal with the argument which has been adduced from this side, because I gather that one, at any rate, of the causes for a certain amount of ill feeling in the cinema industry is their belief that when the four associations agreed to the Eady Plan, although the Government were not a party to it they nevertheless embodied the change...
Mr Robert Hudson: An understanding.
Mr Robert Hudson: I am much obliged to the hon. Gentleman. He will see if he looks at HANSARD tomorrow that I was particularly careful to avoid saying that the Government had given a binding undertaking. What I said was that the Government were parties to the discussion which resulted in the Eady Plan and the four associations were left definitely under the impression, as the hon. Gentleman himself said, that...
Mr Robert Hudson: We had, at the beginning of today's Sitting, a discussion with you, Major Milner, as to the way the debate was to be conducted. We realise that we cannot challenge your Ruling, but I hope you will not think it rude of me if for purposes of record I register our emphatic protest against a Ruling that no Amendment shall be called on this Clause, as was the case on the first Clause.
Mr Robert Hudson: I understood you to say earlier today, Major Milner, that what applied to Clause I applied to Clause 2.
Mr Robert Hudson: I did not appreciate that Major Milner. I thought that what you said about Clause I applied equally to Clause 2. As we are now speaking on the Motion "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," the bulk of the observations which I have to offer to the Committee deal with the question of the application of the increased Entertainments Duty to the cinema industry. It will be admitted on all...
Mr Robert Hudson: The hon. Gentleman has quoted me, but I do not see what he or any other Member could take exception to in that statement. We all realise that if there is to be re-armament it has got to be paid for, and to pay for it we have to raise more revenue.
Mr Robert Hudson: Surely it is an old tradition of the House that if a Minister quotes from a document he publishes it. The Financial Secretary quoted from the proposals made to the four associations. We are not supposed to know what these proposals were, but I certainly think the public are entitled to know what the exhibitors propose and what the new proposals made by the Treasury are, so that they can...
Mr Robert Hudson: This is a matter of some importance and the public should be able to judge both proposals. The trouble is that a considerable number of hon. Members were not in the Committee when the Financial Secretary made his speech. The hon. Gentleman did not limit himself, as he might well have done, if he had been wise, to saying that negotiations were going on, that they were confidential and that he...
Mr Robert Hudson: Nor, if I may say so with respect, Major Milner, is it usual for the Government to give a bowdlerised version of proposals that have been made. It is because they have refused to carry out the normal procedure of publishing a document from which they have quoted that I have risen to my feet. The Financial Secretary quoted some of the Government's proposals about children, but failed entirely...
