§ 47. Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the Prime Sinister whether the Lord Privy Seat is responsible for, and will answer questions in the House regarding all air-raid precautions services in Scotland, inducting fire services?
§ The Prime MinisterI think it may be for the convenience of the House if I take this opportunity of making a general statement regarding the manner in which it is proposed to deal in future with Parliamentary questions affecting air-raid precautions. The Lord Privy Seal will be responsible for answering all questions which raise any matter of policy in connection with air-raid precautions in the widest sense of the term. Questions relating not to policy but to administrative detail in connection with air-raid precautions plans may, however, as a matter of convenience, be answered by a Minister representing the Department concerned. Questions relating incidentally to air-raid precautions but substantially concerned with the normal working of a Department, will be answered by the Minister primarily concerned and should be addressed to that Minister.
As regards Scotland, the same principles will apply. The Lord Privy Seal will be responsible for all matters of policy relating to air-raid precautions throughout Great Britain as a whole. Subject to what I have already said about matters of administrative detail, this will cover questions concerned with emergency fire schemes, which come under the Air-Raid Precautions Act.
Mr. StewartMay I take it from my right hon. Friend's reply that, to take an example, if one required information on the Scottish fire services, one would now address the question to the Lord Privy Seal, or would it be to the Scottish Secretary?
§ The Prime MinisterIt would depend what the nature of the question was. If it was concerned with fire services in peace time, the normal working of fire services, that would be addressed to the Minister concerned, but if it referred to air-raid precautions policy in connection with fire brigades, that would be to my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal.
§ Mr. WestwoodWill the right hon. Gentleman further elaborate what he means by "the Minister concerned," when dealing with administrative problems either in connection with the provision of fire-fighting services or general air-raid precautions, in view of the fact that at the present time all communications have to go through Horseferry Road and not through the Scottish Office?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think there is any obscurity about the answer that I gave. Questions which deal with normal services will be addressed to the Minister concerned, who will be the Minister responsible for the Department concerned. In the case of the particular item which the hon. Member mentioned, it would, of course, be the Home Secretary.
§ Mr. Garro JonesWhile we all understand the claims of the Departments upon Ministers, can the right hon. Gentleman ensure that on those days on which Ministers have to answer questions they will be present in the House, and not, as in the case of the Minister for the Coordination of Defence, touring the country defending the Government's record?