§ 35. Mr. Shinwellasked the Prime Minister whether he will introduce legislation for the creation of an economic council under a Minister charged with the responsibility for planning the financial, investment, production and commercial affairs of the nation.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Macmillan)The organisation for dealing with economic planning has been enormously improved under successive Governments during the last generation. The Ministers chiefly concerned work very closely together and are served by the Plannings Staffs of the Treasury and other Departments. I do not think it would be of advantage to set up a new Minister with a new council which must either work side by side with the existing Ministers or take over the responsibilities which are properly theirs.
§ Mr. ShinwellDoes not the right hon. Gentleman experience a sense of frustration because of his inability to put into operation a plan which he advocated some years ago? Does not he realise that I want to relieve him of that frustration?
§ The Prime MinisterI am always grateful for the nostalgic memories that the right hon. Gentleman recalls, but, if he is referring to what I advocated twenty-three years ago, I should say that since then there has been a new organisation of the Ministers. There has come into the picture a quite important body called the National Production Advisory Council of Industry and, of equal or perhaps greater importance, an Economic Planning Board, representing officials of the Treasury, nominated members of the Trades Union Congress and the various employers' associations. All this, in addition to the general changes which have been made, is a great advance.
§ Mr. ShinwellDoes it not go rather beyond what the right hon. Gentleman has said? Is it not a fact that the right hon. Gentleman is a rather different person from what he was twenty-three years ago?
§ The Prime MinisterI should not like to deny that, but that is true of all of us, including the ever-young right hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. ChetwyndHow can we expect this sort of policy from the right hon. Gentleman when he forsook the "middle way" many years ago for the more pleasant paths of the "High Tory road"?