Plowden Committee (Hansard, 21 February 1961)

§ 21 and 22. Sir G. Nicholson
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will make a statement upon the work of the Plowden Committee;
(2) whether the recommendations of the Plowden Committee will be made public.

§ Mr. Selwyn Lloyd
The recommendations from the Committee are confidential to Her Majesty's Government; but, as has already been promised, the conclusions reached by the Government on them will be put before the House. It is too soon to say when this will be done.

§ Sir G. Nicholson
While thanking my right hon. and learned Friend for that reply, may I ask him to bear these points in mind? This Committee was set up in response to the recommendation of the Estimates Committee, representing the whole House, with a view to improving the system of Treasury control, and it really is wrong that its recommendations should be confidential, when the business of this House is not a private affair between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and this Committee?

§ Mr. Lloyd
I will consider my hon. Friend's point. I think that one of the difficulties of it is that the Committee was asked to recommend also about certain internal processes, such as Cabinet procedure, which must be regarded as confidential. On other aspects, I will consider what can be done. I think the Committee will not finish its report until July of this year.

Mr. H. Wilson
Bearing in mind the very grave interest expressed from all sides of the House in the debate on defence expenditure just before Christmas on the clear lack of financial control and the difficulties of applying it, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman, when considering this matter, make it quite clear that if any of the important Select Committees of this House, whether the Estimates Committee or the Public Accounts Committee, requires this information, apart from that which deals with Cabinet procedure, he will not deny this Committee access to all the evidence which is available?

§ Mr. Lloyd
I am concerned about this matter, and will bear in mind what the right hon. Gentleman has said.