§ 12. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of his failure to keep the annual increase in Government estimates to 2½ per cent. in real terms, he will refuse to authorise further long-term projects entailing rising annual costs and so limiting his control over annual estimates.
§ Sir E. BoyleSome long-term projects must be authorised, even though they entail higher costs in later years. I think it will be better to exercise control over future expenditure by the methods recommended in the recent report of the Plowden Committee.
§ Mr. DigbyIs my hon. Friend aware that there is a growing impression that 190 the Chancellor is, to a certain extent, losing control over his Budget by authorising these long-term projects, and that many of us feel that the control of Government expenditure is extremely important?
§ Sir E. BoyleI would ask my hon. Friend to look again at the speech made by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary when we discussed this matter in January. He showed clearly the Government's long-term policy in this matter. This is too wide an issue to debate at Question Time.