§ Q6. Mr. Ginsburgasked the Prime Minister what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to expedite the Report of the Powell Committee on the nuclear energy programme.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government are now studying the programme for nuclear power for the years after 1968 and will make a statement as soon as possible.
§ Mr. GinsburgHas there not already been excessive delay with the Powell Report, and has there not been fantastic indecision on the part of the Government about the nuclear energy programme and the whole co-ordination of fuel and power policy? Would not the Prime Minister agree that the nuclear power programme as at present planned will cost the country £350 million more than a conventional fuel and power programme?
§ The Prime MinisterI know the rather reactionary views held by the hon. Gentleman, but I think that in this modern world we have to try to move into new forms of effort, although it may be expensive. I quite realise that the hon. Gentleman clings to the Victorian system.
Mr. H. WilsonIf the Prime Minister will be serious for a moment, has he read the Reports of the Public Accounts Committee on this question in the last two or three years? If so, is he aware that there is quite genuineconcern—this is not a party matter at all; the Committee of Public Accounts is not a party committee—in all parts of this House about some of the financial aspects of the electricity generating programme? Is he further aware that there has been a great deal of comment and anxiety about some of the recent orders and some of the costs of these things? Would he study the matter again with a view to having a statement on this question made to the House either by himself or by another Minister?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir; but because of the non-party character of these matters and because of the very broad problems involved, I do not think that I was wrong in answering a ques- 198 tion by saying that we would take a little more time to study the matter before taking our decision.