§ 47. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Prime Minister what are the duties now allocated to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
§ The Prime MinisterIn addition to his duties in relation to administration of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Chancellor of the Duchy is responsible for the co-ordination of Government information services at home and oversea. Individual Ministers remain responsible for the information policy of their Departments.
§ Mr. HughesIs the Prime Minister aware of the statement made by Lord Poole at Blackpool recently that the work of the Tory Party Central Office
would have been impossible if it were not for the tremendous work that Dr. Hill and his small organisation are doing.Does that mean that public money is being used to benefit the Tory Party Central Organisation, and is the Minister trying to co-ordinate the activities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. The responsibility of my right hon. Friend is to ensure that Government policy and action are fully and clearly explained. This responsibility was carried out under previous Governments by the right hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Gordon Walker) and the right hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison). but, of course, if the policy is good and the presentation effective, and they are, then it makes it much easier for the work of a party organisation in its own appropriate field.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerIs the Prime Minister aware that the work which was done by Ministers in the Labour Government was totally different in kind from the sort of help which the Chancellor of the Duchy gives to the party propaganda for the party on his side of the House? Does the Prime Minister agree that Lord Poole's description of the work of the Chancellor of the Duchy was accurate or not?
§ The Prime MinisterI have explained that because the work of the Government is good, because through the appropriate and legitimate methods it is objectively quite clearly set out, that makes easier the work of the party organisation. Of course, I sympathise with the right hon. Gentleman, because under his conditions the work he had to explain was bad and the party organisation was in trouble.
§ Mr. GaitskellIs the Prime Minister aware that, apart from his own back benchers, that explanation will be regarded by everybody as totally unconvincing? Is he further aware that what Lord Poole said raises the gravest suspicion that public money paid to the Chancellor of the Duchy and his staff is being used for the private purposes of the Conservative Party.
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman's allegations are completely untrue. If he wants to have any more damp squibs, he had better wait for the one that is coming later.
Mr. H. WilsonIn order that the House can approach this subject with the required degree of objectivity, would the right hon. Gentleman publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of all the meetings which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has had with newspaper editors 569 and all the occasions on which he has put pressure on the B.B.C. and I.T.V. in the past six months for the purposes of party as opposed to State propaganda?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is not a supplementary question asking for information. It is an offensive suggestion.
§ Mr. HughesIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.