§ 12. Mr. Nabarroasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the success of the Comptroller and Auditor General of the Exchequer and Audit Department, in apprehending and publicizing waste that occurs in Government Departments and illustrated particularly by recent reports, he will take steps by legislation or otherwise, to appoint a similar auditor, scrutineer and general investigator to exercise surveillance in the affairs of the nationalised industries with a view to checking any financial indiscretions 352 and excesses, and economising moneys that will otherwise have to be paid by consumers.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)No, Sir. Adequate powers of investigation such as my hon. Friend suggests could not be conferred except as part of a complete recasting of the statutory relationship of the nationalised industries to Ministers and Parliament. Her Majesty's Government have no proposals to make on this at the present time.