§ 15. Mr. Willisasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he refused the request of the Edinburgh Town Council for a dispensation to enable all its members to vote on the recent discussions on rents.
§ Mr. GalbraithMy right hon. Friend has power to grant such a dispensation only on one of two grounds: that the proportion of members disabled is so great as to impede the business, or that it is in the interest of the inhabitants of the area that he should do so. In this case, where only 11 out of 69 were disabled, he did not consider that either condition was satisfied.
§ Mr. WillisWhen the Minister disfranchised tens and tens of thousands of Edinburgh electors by refusing powers for their elected representatives to vote, did he also consider the fact that a great number of Tory Members are directly concerned in these issues by virtue of their association with building firms, surveying firms and all the rest?
§ Mr. GalbraithAll these matters were taken into consideration by my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. HoyIs the Under-Secretary aware that this decision has left a bad taste in the mouth of the public of Edinburgh? When he quotes a figure of 11 out of 69, what he is saying is that 11 Labour members of the council out of 26 or 27 were prevented from voting on this occasion. In view of the fact that a considerable number of Tory members are interested in the contracts mentioned by my hon. Friend, in which considerable profits are being extracted, and they are not debarred from voting, this will appear to the public of Edinburgh, and rightly so, to be a mean attitude on the part of the Secretary of State.
§ Mr. GalbraithI cannot accept anything that the hon. Member has said. These powers have worked well for a long number of years and have been exercised in various towns in various circumstances. What my right hon. Friend takes into account is whether business will be impeded or a dispensation is in the interests of the inhabitants.