HC Deb 14 April 1964 vol 693 cc236-8
Q9. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Prime Minister when the Report by the Committee on Members of Parliament and Ministers' remuneration will be presented to the Government.

The Prime Minister

The Committee has been asked to report as soon as possible after the General Election, as I indicated in my statement to the House on 19th December.

Mr. Shinwell

Was not that decision taken before the right hon. Gentleman decided to defer the General Election for another six months? Has not he a responsibility on his shoulders, in view of that decision? Does not he consider that there ought to be an interim report? Can he explain why it is that high-ranking officials have a greater increase in their already over-inflated salaries, and the chairmen of nationalised boards have actually had increases of £2,500 a year, which is far in excess of the salaries and expenses paid to Members of Parliament and Ministers also? Does not he consider that in the circumstances there should be an interim report, and perhaps an interim arrangement to provide for at least a 3 percent. increase since the granting of the last increase to Members of Parliament?

The Prime Minister

I think the matters the right hon. Member has raised in the last part of his question are very relevant matters. No doubt they will be considered by the Committee when it makes its recommendation. The proposal we put forward, with agreement on both sides of the House, was that this should be decided after the General Election. There was no question then of delaying this decision because of the date, because all parties felt it was undesirable that these things should be thrown backwards and forwards across the Floor of the House before a General Election took place.

Mr. H. Wilson

But other undesirable things have happened since that time. When the statement was made by the right hon. Gentleman with, as he said, the agreement of all parties, no one imagined—of all I am sure, the right hon. Gentleman—that the election was to be deferred a further six months. Therefore, in view—[Interruption.] The bravery of hon. Members opposite is not matched in the country by their noise in this House. Would the right hon. Gentleman, without commitment, at any rate agree to some further discussions in the light of the situation arising since last Thursday?

The Prime Minister

I am always willing, as the right hon. Member knows, to talk about these matters with him, but I hope we shall not vary our decisions. If the right hon. Member had banked everything on 19th March and then 17th June, it is not really my fault.

Mr. Shinwell

Would not the Prime Minister, in fairness to hon. Members and also to Ministers of the Crown, give this matter further consideration and, if he cares to, enable hon. Members to decide on a free vote of the House whether there ought to be some new arrangement to provide at any rate some increase in the salaries and emoluments of all concerned?

The Prime Minister

I quite agree—and I was very much impressed by what the right hon. Member told me when we had discussions about this matter before—that there are very hard cases in this House and there is a case for an increase in salary. That I accept, but I think the best chance of getting it is to do this after a General Election, not before.