§ 47. Mr. Peartasked the Prime Minister which Minister will be responsible for the co-ordination of atomic research in the universities and Government atomic energy plants.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Lord President of the Council will be responsible for the Government atomic energy establishments from 1st January. He will, therefore, be responsible for ensuring that the results of research in the universities are taken into account in the work of the Government atomic energy establishments. Research by the universities is, of course, carried out on their own responsibility and is mainly of a fundamental nature, but the atomic energy organisation places contracts with the universities in connection with specific research inquiries.
§ Mr. PeartWould the Prime Minister reconsider his decision to leave this in the hands of the Lord President? Should there not be a Minister directly responsible to this House? Is he further aware that it was reported last week that important atomic research work at Birmingham University has been held up because the University cannot afford to buy a concrete wall? Surely there should be a Minister responsible to this House in charge of the whole of the co-ordination of research.
§ The Prime MinisterI explained very fully to the House the policy of Her Majesty's Government in this matter, and it really could not be altered by Question and answer from day to day.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonCannot the right hon. Gentleman answer my hon. Friend's question as to who is to be the Minister responsible to the House of Commons? I cannot recall that it has been announced, but I gather there is more than one. Ought there not to be a Minister, of adequate Cabinet position, who is the single and recognised channel of information to the House of Commons? I gather that there is more than one, which seems to me to be a most extraordinary arrangement.
§ The Prime MinisterI said that until 1st January, when the new system comes into being, the Minister of Supply will continue, as hitherto, to answer the Questions appropriate to his Department. In addition, after 1st January, Questions in the House of Commons will be answered by the Minister of Works. However, the question of atomic energy covers so wide a field that purely technical and scientific Questions fall into one category, while others, which raise large Foreign Office, or even world issues, may have to be answered by the Foreign Secretary or by myself.
§ Mr. AttleeCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how the Minister of Works is brought into this? As he is not a member of the Cabinet, and as, Departmentally, he is not concerned, as far as I can gather, with atomic energy, he will be merely an office boy.
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a discourteous way of describing a very capable and hardworking Minister. The Minister of Works, it is true, is not in the Cabinet, but neither is the Minister of Supply. But close contact is maintained between the Ministers who are in the Cabinet and those who are not, and the latter frequently attend the Cabinet when their special topics are under consideration. At any rate, that is the arrangement which we propose shall operate.
With regard to the question raised by the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Peart), about a particular university, if he will write to me on the subject I will have an answer sent to him.
§ Mr. AttleeIt is no discourtesy to the Minister of Works, but it is very difficult if he comes here and makes a statement without the background necessary to answer supplementaries. May I ask whether, on all occasions when atomic energy is discussed in the Cabinet, or in other Committees, the Minister of Works will be summoned? Otherwise, he will be useless to the House.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no intention of making any conditions about who are summoned to Cabinet meetings, any more than did the right hon. Gentleman during the years when he was in power. As to the Minister of Works, he has, of course, been very much concerned with this branch of atomic energy as his Department has constructed, or been concerned with, nearly all the buildings involved in the atomic construction. In addition to that, he is giving his full attention to the matter now and will be in the closest contact with the Lord President of the Council.
§ Mr. G. R. StraussThe right hon. Gentleman has told us that the Minister of Works will be generally answerable to this House on atomic energy matters—
§ The Prime MinisterAfter 1st January.
§ Mr. StraussYes, and the Minister of Supply will be responsible for matters concerning atomic weapons. As research cannot be separated—particularly basic research, which the universities will do—between the industrial side of the atomic energy project and the weapon side, surely it is ridiculous that in this House we should have two Ministers dealing with what is really an inseparable subject. Should there not be one senior Minister dealing with all these matters in this House?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a matter of opinion. We on this side are sometimes even allowed to hold our own views.