PAYMASTER-GENERAL

HC Deb 09 December 1964 vol 703 cc1519-21

1. Mr. Kershaw

asked the Paymaster-General where his official office is; and where he carries out his duties.

The Paymaster-General (Mr. George Wigg)

70, Whitehall, S.W.1.

Mr. Kershaw

Is it not a fact that, as we all know, the right hon. Gentleman has an office in No. 10, Downing Street? Why is he so ashamed of that? Why does he not own up? Is it really necessary for the Minister in charge of security services to be so constantly in the Prime Minister's pocket?

Mr. Wigg

The last part of the hon. Member's supplementary question is in the same mood as one would expect from him. As regards the Question, if the hon. Member cares to turn to page 156 of Vacher's Parliamentary Companion he will get all the information he wants.

Mr. Robert Cooke

Can the right hon. Gentleman be a little more explicit about his duties? Is he aware that this morning I went into one of the doors between Downing Street and Whitehall and asked whether somebody was there, and I—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Neither the Question nor the Answer deals with duties. It is about the local situation.

Mr. Cooke

Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, I can come on to the local situation. Is the right hon. Gentleman in charge of guarding all the doorways of Whitehall? Is he aware that several of his doorkeepers have never even heard of him?

Mr. Wigg

I cannot be responsible for hon. Member's inquiries—I do not doubt that they are diligently and intelligently pursued—but if he looks at the Answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 12th November he will get all the information he wants.

2. Mr. Kershaw

asked the Paymaster-General how many official letters he has written and received since taking office; and how many of them have been from or to hon. Members.

Mr. Wigg

The information is not readily available and it would not be in the public interest to devote time and effort to obtaining it.

Mr. Kershaw

Does the right hon. Gentleman seriously mean that he has written more than double figures in letters since he got into Downing Street? How does he carry on? Does he do it all viva voce? Will he recognise that there is a serious point here? Will he recognise that there is serious misgiving that in a democratic country the control of the security services should be in charge of a party political Departmental Minister? Will he realise that that is the basis of our anxiety about him?

Mr. Wigg

It must be a matter for the House whether the hon. Member's supplementary question has anything to do with his original Question. If the hon. Member wants to question the nature of my duties, as he has done on a previous occasion, I suggest that he uses the Order Paper and endeavours to obtain the information.

Brigadier Clarke

Does the Paymaster-General think that his new post pays as good a dividend as the last one he held with the Racecourse Betting Control Board?

Mr. Wigg

If the hon. and gallant Member's innuendo means that I profited personally from the Racecourse Betting Control Board, he knows perfectly well that not only could I take no salary, but that I took no salary, and I never even claimed expenses. I suggest, therefore, that he puts that in his pipe and smokes it.

Brigadier Clarke

I was not being rude to the right hon. Gentleman. I was asking about the facts.

Mr. Speaker

Neither rudeness nor anything else about this topic must continue.

Mr. Kershaw

On a point of order. In view of the resolute refusal of the right hon. Gentleman—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Even the notice was irregular, but I will treat it as though it was not.

Mr. Manuel

He is an irregular fellow.