§ 14. Mr. Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number of letters and protests he has received against his recent Budget; and whether he will give a summarised list of these persons and organisations, together with similar details of those that have sent messages supporting his proposals.
§ Mr. H. BrookeUp to yesterday my right hon. Friend has received 721 communications on his Budget, of which 110 were messages of support and 611 were messages of criticism against one part of it or another. I regret that it would be impossible to summarise either of these lists, but it is clear than many of the protests were organised from a common source.
§ Mr. LewisIs the Minister aware that hon. Members on both sides of the House have dozens more protests which, if they are good Members, they will send to him? Is he aware that he can expect quite a number from this side of the House? Among the hundred or so letters which the right hon. Gentleman says support the Budget, how many are from trade unions? How many representative working-class organisations have sent messages of congratulation?
§ Mr. BrookeI regret that I cannot answer the second part of the hon. Member's supplementary question. As to the first part, I should have thought that the hon. Member was sufficiently experienced in politics not to judge the merits of political questions entirely by the number of communications he receives.