§ Q6. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister to what extent he proposes in future to change the practice in allocating responsibility for answering Parliamentary Questions as between himself and other Ministers in the House.
§ The Prime MinisterNot at all.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan the Prime Minister explain why in November, 1963, when he first came to office by devious means, he orally answered 29 Questions and transferred 6 and that in June of this year he orally answered 55 and transferred 48? Why has the right hon. Gentleman turned another somersault in this regard and refused to face the challenge in this House that he is always answering outside?
§ The Prime MinisterI was very interested in this Question and of course I want to serve the House, so I have been comparing my performance with that of my predecessors. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Perhaps hon. Members would like to hear of my discoveries. I find that I have already answered more Questions in this incomplete Session of 1421 Parliament than Lord Attlee did as Prime Minister in three whole Sessions. I have another bit of information in which I think the hon. Member will be interested. The second fact is that, to allow other hon. Members to receive as many Answers as have been given to the hon. Member, I should have had to answer 14,000 Questions in this House.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that when Lord Attlee was Prime Minister he did not have a quarter of an hour allocated to him for Questions? Is he further aware that he had a much less effective Opposition? Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us why, if he has now got these figures, I could not get a Question down to him asking for them a fortnight ago?
§ The Prime MinisterWhatever we were like in Opposition, we did not ask silly questions like this. In answer to the second part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, this kind of figures are better late than never.
Mr. H. WilsonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that we shall all be gratified to know that in the days of Lord Attlee's Administration not only the country but the House was three times as satisfied with its Prime Minister as it is today? Are we now to take it that the figures given by the right hon. Gentleman will be a real sign of the ineffectiveness of the Conservative Opposition after October?
§ The Prime MinisterI think the right hon. Gentleman had better wait and see, but I seem to remember that Lord Attlee was defeated.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. If we do not get on we shall spoil the statistics.