HC Deb 31 January 1957 vol 563 cc1169-70
52. Mr. Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister whether he has yet appointed his Public Relations Officer.

The Prime Minister

No, Sir.

Mr. Hamilton

When the right hon. Gentleman gets round to this job, will he make quite clear to prospective candidates the extremely hazardous character of the job and the likelihood of it being a very short-term engagement?

The Prime Minister

Those are all matters of conjecture.

Mr. Gaitskell

Is not the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster filling this post?

The Prime Minister

The Question refers to a post which is normally held, and I hope will be again, by a member of the Civil Service.

Mr. J. Griffiths

Since the Leader of the House has not been able to say what precisely are the duties of the Chancellor of the Exchequer—[Laughter]—of the Chancellor of the Duchy—may we take it from the Prime Minister that this is not one of them?

The Prime Minister

I think that the right hon. Gentleman must have made a slip of the tongue and that he was referring to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I have tried to explain, in answer to a number of Questions—I see that some questions arose yesterday—that, broadly speaking, I would say they are duties similar to those carried out by the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) and afterwards by the right hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr Gordon Walker) in the last Administration.