A SPECTATOR 'S NOTEBOOK T HE turmoil in the House of
Commons on Tuesday was due to the Minister of Health and no one else. For reasons quite inexplicable Mr. Bevan chose to give the House a display of his least engaging characteristics. That he did not like the Bill on analgesia in childbirth was known. Whether, after it had passed its second reading, he was entitled to make a statement after Questions, declaring the Bill to be unnecessary because he could do everything requisise under existing powers, may be a matter for argument. But when Mr. Bevan proceeded to observe that " there were some Honourable Members more anxious for publicity than to relieve pain in childbirth," and later, still more outrageously, " this is not aimed to give the best possible Health Service, but to exploit human pain in a political stunt," he left his own side as unhappy as the other side was angry. The Speaker said amid applause " I regret these provocative statements. I always hate to see motives imputed to Honourable Members. Everyone is entitled to an honest opinion, whatever it may be." The Prime Minister sat inscrutably doodling. Mr. Lindgren, the Parliamentary Secretary for Civil Aviation, went to the despatch-box and to judge from his lip-movements began to read a statement, while the Tories were still shouting in, sustained chorus " Withdraw." Mr. Bevan did not withdraw, and in due course Mr. Lindgren became audible.
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