HC Deb 29 May 1962 vol 660 cc1140-2
17. Mr. Ridsdale

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what communication he has received from the Conservative Women's Annual Conference about reform of the rating system;and what reply he has sent.

18. Dr. King

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representations he has received from the Conservative Women's Annual Conference on the current burden of rates;and what reply he has sent.

19. Dame Irene Ward

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representations he has received from the Conservative Women's Conference about the further relief of rate burden;and what reply he has sent.

Mr. Rippon

My right hon. Friend has received no communication, but I addressed the conference.

My right hon. Friend sees no present case for further inquiry by committee. It may be, however, that the recent White Paper on Revaluation for Rates in 1963 could usefully be followed up, later this year, by a document giving a wider review of our local government finances as a whole.

Mr. Ridsdale

Would not my hon. Friend agree that the resolution passed at the Conservative Women's Annual Conference was very similar to Motion No. 99 on the Order Paper signed by ninety-nine Members of this House? Does not his right hon. Friend the Minister think that ninety-nine is a slightly high temperature? Is he aware that the reason for this strong feeling at the moment is the very heavy burden being placed on the small fixed income group? Will he ensure that early action is taken to relieve this section, if nobody else?

Mr. Rippon

I think that the Motion was similar but different. I hope that my hon. Friend has not missed the significance of the second part of my Answer to his Question.

Dame Irene Ward

Is my hon. Friend aware that when he answered the Resolution at the Conservative Women's Annual Conference he was more forthcoming than his right hon. Friend when he answered the debate on the Motion proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale)? Can my hon. Friend tell me when we in the House of Commons will see some of the ideas which we put forward acted upon? Is he aware that I am getting extremely tired of sensible Motions and ideas being put forward which are sat upon by the Executive? The Executive would get on much better if it would pay attention to sensible people like its own back benchers.

Mr. Rippon

I answered both discussions and find no discrepancy in my replies. The Motion of my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Ridsdale) called for a committee. The Motion at the Conservative Women's Annual Conference simply called for the Government seriously to consider the present rating system. The difficulty about a committee is that it is apt to knock the ball into the long grass and produce some years later an unacceptable report.

Mr. Shinwell

Do I understand from the hon. Gentleman that the Government reject conference decisions?

Mr. Rippon

On the contrary, we readily accepted the demand that we should consider something that we are always considering.

Mr. Ridsdale

Is my hon. Friend aware that I welcome the fact that he does not want to have a committee, because what we really want is early action?

Mr. Rippon

I appreciate my hon. Friend's point.

Mr. Pargiter

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this is not really a year in which Ministers will take notice of what takes place at the Conservative Women's Annual Conference but that there soon will be a year when more notice will probably be taken?

Mr. Rippon

We always take notice of all representations made to us from all quarters.