The Most Gracious Speeches to Parliament 1900–1974: Statements of Government Policy and Achievements

247 Pages·1975·43.174 MB·English

by  F. W. S. Craig (eds.)

THE MOST GRACIOUS SPEECHES TO PARLIAMENT 1900-1974
Statements of Government Policy and Achievements
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (in preparation)
British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918
British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949
British Parliamentary Election Results 19 50-1970
British Parliamentary Election Statistics 1918-1970 (Second Edition)
Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972
The Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections 1885-1974
The Parliaments of Englaqd from 1715 to 184 7 (Second Edition)
British General Election Manifestos 1900-1974 (Second Edition)
THE MOST GRACIOUS SPEECHES TO PARLIAMENT
1900-1974
Statements of Government Policy and Achievements
Compiled and Edited by
F. W S. Craig
M
ISBN 978-1-349-02726-2 ISBN 978-1-349-02724-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-02724-8
Preface, selection and editorial material © F.W.S. Craig 1975
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1975
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
by reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, without permission.
First published 1975 by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
London and Basingstoke
Associated companies in New York
Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras
SBN 333 18820 9
Typeset by
UTHOSET
Chichester
Contents
Preface xi
Twenty-Seventh Parliament (1900-1905)
Session 1 1
Session 2 2
Session 3 4
Session 4 7
Session 5 10
Session 6 13
Twenty-Eighth Parliament (1906-1909)
Session 1 16
Session 2 19
Session 3 21
Session 4 24
Twenty-Ninth Parliament (1910)
Session 27
Thirtieth Parliament (1911-1918)
Session 1 29
Session 2 31
Session 3 33
Session 4 35
Session 5 37
Session 6 38
Session 7 39
Session 8 41
Thirty-First Parliament (1919-1922)
Session 1 42
Session 2 46
Session 3 49
Session 4 52
Session 5 53
Thirty-Second Parliament ( 1922-1923)
Session 1 55
Session 2 56
Thirty-Third Parliament (1924)
Session 58
v
Thirty-Fourth Parliament ( 1924-1929)
Session 1 61
Session 2 65
Session 3 67
Session 4 69·
Session 5 71
Thirty-Fifth Parliament (1929-1931)
Session 1 74
Session 2 77
Thirty-Sixth Parliament (1931-1935)
Session 1 79
Session 2 81
Session 3 83
Session 4 85
Thirty-Seventh Parliament (1935-1945)
Session 1 87
Session 2 90
Session 3 93
Session 4 96
Session 5 98
Session 6 99
Session 7 101
Session 8 104
Session 9 107
Session 10 111
Thirty-Eighth Parliament ( 1945-1949)
Session 1 114
Session 2 118
Session 3 122
Session 4 126
Session 5 127
Thirty-Ninth Parliament (1950-1951)
Session 1 131
Session 2 134
Fortieth Parliament (1951-1955)
Session 1 138
Session 2 141
Session 3 144
Session 4 147
Forty-First Parliament (1955-1959)
Session 1 150
Session 2 153
Session 3 156
Session 4 159
vi
Forty-Second Parliament (1959-1964)
Session 1 162
Session 2 165
Session 3 168
Session 4 171
Session 5 174
Forty-Third Parliament (1964-1966)
Session 1 176
Session 2 179
Forty-Fourth Parliament (1966-1970)
Session 1 182
Session 2 186
Session 3 190
Session 4 193
Forty-Fifth Parliament ( 1970-1974 )
Session 1 196
Session 2 199
Session 3 202
Session 4 205
Forty-Sixth Parliament (1974)
Session 1 208
Forty-Seventh Parliament (1974-)
Session 210
Appendices and Index
British Kings and Queens 215
British Governments and
Prime Ministers 215
Parliamentary Sessions 216
Index 221
vii
To the extreme left and right in British politics
of the mid-1970's this book is dedicated
0 wad some Pow 'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae manie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion
(From "To a Louse" by Robert Burns, 1759-1796)
Preface
The Sovereign's Speech at the opening of each Parliamentary session has its
origins in the address made by the Lord Chancellor in medieval times which
explained to Parliament the reasons for its summons. With the emergence of a
Cabinet system in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Speech (formally
referred to as the Most Gracious Speech from the Throne) has been used to
announce the policy which the Government intend to pursue and the legislation
which they hope to introduce. A somewhat similar speech at the end of the
session summarizes the legislation which has been carried through.
In presenting a collection of the Speeches at the opening and prorogation of the
eighty sessions of the twenty-one Parliaments since 1900, my aim has been to
provide a convenient reference source to the policy and major legislation of the
Conservative, Labour, Liberal and Coalition Governments of Britain during the
past seventy-five years. The book is intended as a companion volume to my
British General Election Manifestos 1900-19 74 .
The Speeches have been reproduced verbatim (a few obvious typographical
errors were noticed and corrected) from the Parliamentary Debates (Hansard),
4th and 5th series, House of Commons, with the permission of the Controller,
Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
The index to a book such as this raises numerous problems of length, style and
cross-references and I would like to thank John Prince for the excellent index
he has compiled.
At a time when the Parliamentary system in Britain is under increasing attack
from the extremists of both left and right, and politicians are all too often
being associated with greed, graft and incompetence, it is encouraging to be
reminded by the Speeches that a great deal of worthwhile and moderate
legislation has been enacted during this century.
The British Parliamentary system has its defects and shortcomings but it is still
the envy of millions of less fortunate people throughout the world.
F.W.S. CRAIG
Parliamentary Research Services
Chichester
September 19 75
xi