Tuesday 8 March 2011

The 50 year old Hansard Trawl, featuring Edward Heath being right. For once.

Yes, I was shocked too, but here's the evidence:

Mr. Longbottom asked the Lord Privy Seal what advice he is offering to British organisations and individuals invited to the 8th World Youth Festival due to be held in Helsinki in 1962.
   
Mr. Heath After studying the activities of the organising bodies, the World Federation of Democratic Youth and the International Union of Students, I have concluded that there has been no change in the Communist policy of promoting these Festivals in order to exploit young people for the purposes of Communist propaganda. They are stage-managed by Communist-controlled organisations solely concerned to advance the aims of the Soviet Government. The proceedings at the last such Festival, held in Vienna in 1959, only served to confirm this once again. I understand that Finnish student and youth organisations have themselves declared their opposition to the holding of the 8th Festival in Finland on these grounds.            

I can just hear him saying it too.

Here's one to shock younger readers, or for older readers to regale their progeny with:



Mr. Biggs-Davison asked the Postmaster-General why lawyers are not given priority in the supply of home telephones, whereas such priority is given to Members of Parliament, doctors and others.

Mr. BevinsMy reply of 22nd February to my hon. Friend referred to the principles governing priority in the supply of home telephones.

    It is obviously necessary to limit the number of priority cases; broadly speaking, we give priority to those who may be concerned with matters of "life and death", e.g. doctors, nurses and ministers of religion. In addition, some telephones are needed in the national interest, for example for Members of Parliament, and to meet the special needs of the sick or disabled and for those dependent on a home telephone for their livelihood. It is not practicable to cover all cases of special need by rules, and discretion is, therefore, given to telephone managers. I am sure that the position of lawyers is given due weight. If my hon. Friend has a case of particular hardship in mind I shall be very happy to look into it.
J B-D was not a lawyer, by the way.  He represented the Epping Forest constituency into the 80s, and thus represented my secondary school.  Friends always looked forward to their 18th birthday cards from him.  While we are on this ramble down memory lane, I remember party lines and sometimes think how much amusement could be derived from mobile lines being shared now.  It would certainly make public transport and coffee shops quieter.....

This is a little gem:

Mr. Emrys Hughes asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what are the precise functions of the Liaison Committee 444 that he has set up to assist him in connection with the United States Polaris submarine base at Holy Loch.

Mr. C. Ian Orr-Ewing The functions of the Liaison Committee are to create administrative machinery for the protection of the population, to convey to the public the significance of any incident and to re-assure local opinion on the hazards involved in the unlikely event of a serious accident.

Mr. Hughes Is the Minister aware that he also has liaison officers? Is he aware that they have been inquiring on behalf of the American sailors about the increased price of Coco Cola
(sic), whisky, cinema seats and other things in Dunoon? Does he not think that he should make some attempt to get in touch with the local inhabitants in order to prevent the Americans being exploited in case it will make them go Communist? 
Mr. Orr-Ewing I am very surprised that the hon. Gentleman should suggest that constituents near his own constituency are exploiting the Americans. If prices have in fact risen, perhaps this is one of the benefits arising from the deployment of these craft. 
Another one to make one's eyes widen:

Mr. Deedes (yes, that Mr Deedes) asked the Minister of Transport whether his Department has approved the list of shipyards to which the Cunard Steamship Company are about to send invitations to tender for the new Cunarder.
 

Mr. Marples Yes, Sir.

In our time, the QM2 was built in France, and the Queens Victoria and Elizabeth in Italy .       

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