§ 47. Mr. Beswickasked the Prime Minister if, in view of the proposals and actual commitments involving the use of highly-skilled manpower and other national resources in the development and manufacture of a supersonic bomber, 1027 supersonic transport aircraft, atomic-powered aircraft, atomic-powered submarines, guided weapons, ballistic missiles, nuclear and thermo-nuclear devices, and instruments and rockets for cosmic space research, he will appoint an appropriate committee to decide priorities in the widest and best economic and defence interests of the nation.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. Machinery already exists for this purpose.
§ Mr. BeswickWhilst I am aware of the committee that sits under the chairmanship of Lord Mills and considers one section only of these activities, is there not a need for one body responsible for the deployment of our technical and scientific manpower over the whole field? Is not the Prime Minister aware that many responsible and informed people in this country feel that we are in danger of spreading our resources much too thinly; and is it not better to undertake rather fewer projects and do those superlatively well?
§ The Prime MinisterThose are all arguments that come up when these things have to be settled, as anybody who has taken part in administration knows, but I think that the broad machinery must be that the Cabinet must be the final arbiter; for the appropriate committees of Ministers and the appropriate Ministers to put forward their projects, after which the final decision has to be made as to what is the most effective use of our resources from time to time.