§ 46. Mr. Peartasked the Prime Minister if he will state the functions of the Lord Privy Seal in relation to science.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Barnsley (Mr. Mason) on 30th October.
§ Mr. PeartWhile it is true that a Written Answer was given, will not the Prime Minister agree that it is important that we should be able to have Questions and Answers in the House? In the Written Answer on Friday, the right hon. Gentleman referred to the responsibility of the Minister for Science in relation to the Atomic Energy Acts. Is there now to be divided responsibility in the Government between the Minister for Science and the Minister of Power? In addition, will the Minister for Science co-ordinate research and also deal with scientific policy in universities, or is he to be only the "Minister of Drift"?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member has taken a long time to come to the point of his supplementary question. I would only refer to the very long statement, which I do not propose to read again, but I should be glad to answer any Questions put down about it.
§ Mr. PeartMay we have a statement about what the Minister's responsibilities will be in relation to atomic energy? Will we be able to ask Questions of a Parliamentary Secretary in this House who will be directly responsible to the Minister for Science, or will we have to ask the Minister of Power?
§ The Prime MinisterFor the last three years the Atomic Energy Authority has been under my direct responsibility. I have transferred that matter to the Minister for Science because I think that it was a burden which it was unnecessary for me to continue. However, there are three Questions on the Paper which I was about to answer in order to state exactly how the matter would be dealt with in this House.
§ Mr. GaitskellIn view of what the right hon. Gentleman has said, Mr. Speaker, may we ask whether he would be prepared to make a statement? There is a great deal of confusion about this, and I think that it is in the interests of all of us that we should know which Minister is responsible in this House for which subject.
§ The Prime MinisterQuestions Nos. 47, 52 and 56 are concerned with this subject, and, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, and if it is the wish of the House, I will answer them, although unfortunately my Questions were reached rather late.
§ The following are the Questions:
§ 47. Mr. PEARTTo ask the Prime Minister which Minister will be responsible for questions in this House concerning atomic energy development.
§ 52. Mr. ALBUTo ask the Prime Minister which Minister will answer in this House for the Lord Privy Seal in his capacity of Minister for Science.
§ 56. Mr. CHETWYNDTo ask the Prime Minister which Minister will be responsible for Parliamentary Questions on the use of nuclear power for military and peaceful purposes.
§ The Prime MinisterThe arrangements for answering in this House Questions which fall within the responsibility of my noble Friend the Minister for Science will be as follows. My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Health 856 will answer Questions about the Medical Research Council and about radiobiological hazards; my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture Questions about the Agricultural Research Council—subject to the above—and Nature Conservancy; my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education Questions about atomic energy—subject to the above—the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and general scientific matters; and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aviation Questions about space research. In each case the Minister will answer "as representing the Minister for Science."
Where Questions about atomic energy development relate to matters for which some other Minister is responsible, that Minister will, of course, answer them. For instance, Questions about nuclear-powered merchant shipping will normally be answered by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport, and Questions about nuclear power stations by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power.
§ Mr. SpeakerUnhappily, we are long after the time prescribed by the Standing Orders for further supplementary questions, and we must get on with the other Business.
§ Mr. GaitskellThe Prime Minister, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, was kind enough to make a statement, as we had rather anticipated confusion over a number of different Questions on the same subject. It is surely usual for us to be allowed to put one or two supplementary questions in relation to such a statement.
§ Mr. SpeakerIf the right hon. Gentleman desires to put a supplementary question, I will allow it, but, in accordance with the rules of the House, I do not think that I can allow full rein.
§ Mr. PeartYou were kind enough, Mr. Speaker, to call Question No. 46. As my name is down to Questions 46 and 47, am I not entitled to ask a supplementary question?
§ Mr. SpeakerI beg the hon. Member's pardon. He is perfectly right about Question No. 46. I had forgotten that he had not asked his supplementary question in relation to it.
§ Mr. PeartMay I ask the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for atomic energy development and to whom he will report? Will he report to the Minister of Power or to the Minister for Science? I think that it is very important that we should have this matter cleared up.
§ The Prime MinisterThis is a question which has arisen for a very long time in this House. The Minister for Science is responsible for that part of atomic energy development for which I had direct responsibility for the last three years. It was, therefore, necessary to find a Minister to answer, not as the Minister responsible, but to answer for him in this House. I have tried to set out all the different work of the Minister for Science and which Ministers will answer on his behalf. This always happens when a Minister is in the other House. I think that this will work quite satisfactorily in the future, as indeed it has in the past.
§ Mr. GaitskellThere is a great deal of confusion on the point about what the Minister of Education will answer for. Could the Prime Minister explain why he has selected the Minister of Education to deal with questions of atomic energy? Are there not important industrial issues involved here? Would it not have been more appropriate that either the Minister of Power or the President of the Board of Trade should have dealt with these issues?
§ The Prime MinisterWe will see how this works. I think that it will be convenient. The Questions which he will answer will fall within the responsibility of the Minister for Science, apart from questions of health or radiobiological hazards, which I thought would be more appropriately answered by the Minister of Health. He will, therefore, be limited to certain questions of a purely technical kind which I think he will be well qualified to answer on behalf of my noble Friend.
§ Mr. ChetwyndOn a point of order. The Prime Minister said that he would answer my Question No. 56 with the other two Questions. But for that, I would have withdrawn my Question today and would have been able to ask 858 a supplementary question on it another day. As it is, I am now deprived of that opportunity to ask a supplementary question. May I ask one now?
§ The Prime MinisterQuestions on Government policy concerning nuclear weapons will be answered in this Parliament, as in the last, by the Minister of Defence or by the appropriate Service Minister. Questions dealing with the research and development of such weapons will now be answered by the Minister of Aviation, either on his own account or as representing the Minister for Science.
§ Mr. ChetwyndI am grateful to the Prime Minister, but I should like the right hon. Gentleman to answer all these Questions, because he dealt with them so well in the last Parliament.
§ Mr. PeartIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Prime Minister's reply, particularly about responsibility for atomic energy development, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter at the earliest opportunity.
§ Mr. SpeakerI freely acknowledge to the House that it is all my fault for allowing the rules to be broken.