§ Q4. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what steps are being taken to ensure that he is personally informed of all action taken on security grounds by senior officials.
§ The Prime MinisterIt would be quite impracticable for me to be informed of all action of this kind.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the Prime Minister aware that I am not asking for all information? I am asking for decisions taken by senior officials. Is he perfectly satisfied now after his experience with Sir Norman Brook, as he then was, that no decision of major importance is being taken in the security field without his full knowledge?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure that the situation is quite understood. Everybody who has had experience of Government knows the difficulty of issuing these general instructions, but I am absolutely sure that everybody quite understands his duty and does his best to carry it out. These are very distinguished officials who have served their country very well for many years, and I should like to say how much I think the whole country owes them.
§ Mr. G. BrownIf I understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that it is quite impracticable for him to be informed of these decisions, how does he defend his answer to his hon. and gallant Friend the Member for The Hartlepools (Commander Kerans) on Question Q1 that there should not be a Minister appointed for this special purpose?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that the right hon. Gentleman has some experience of this. All the time we are being asked to have a Minister for this and a Minister for that. As to the way the Government work, under whatever Administration, if one is to single out particular items which are common to the whole Government and try to have a special Minister for each, while it may sometimes be justified, broadly it is contrary to the traditional way in which our Governments work.
§ Mr. SpeakerThere will be trouble it we get none of the Prime Minister's Questions done.