HC Deb 09 June 1964 vol 696 cc231-3
Q1. Mr. Lipton

asked the Prime Minister whether the public speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the County Councils' Association on 27th May on the subject of rates represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

The Prime Minister (Sir Alec Douglas-Home)

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Lipton

If the Prime Minister agrees with the Chancellor of the Exchequer that rates will continue to rise substantially unless the present system is modified, is that any excuse for him to be as lazy as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his approach to the problem?

The Prime Minister

We have set certain machinery in motion. Professor Allen has a committee in being which is looking into the facts of the matter and will report. No doubt we will have to take some action, but we want to take the right action on the right facts.

Dame Irene Ward

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will ask the hon. Member—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]

Mr. Speaker

Order. It is not one of the duties of the Prime Minister towards the House to ask questions of hon. Members of the Opposition. Mr. Michael Stewart.

Dame Irene Ward

Mr. Speaker, may I put the question in another way?

Mr. Speaker

At the moment I have called Mr. Michael Stewart.

Mr. M. Stewart

But has the Prime Minister—

Dame Irene Ward

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, you called me to ask a supplementary question.

Mr. Speaker

I called the hon. Lady to ask a question, but she asked a question which was out of order and so I called another hon. Member.

Mr. Stewart

According to a report in The Times, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the Government were examining the possibility of additional sources of revenue for local authorities. As that would lie outside the scope of the Allen Committee, what steps are the Government taking to inquire into this matter?

The Prime Minister

We have our own methods of inquiry. As I think the hon. Gentleman knows, the Allen Committee is to look into the facts. The problem here is that there are some ratepayers in some areas who are suffering hardship. We want, therefore, to apply the remedy to the right places, and to the right people.

Sir C. Taylor

Is the Prime Minister aware that very recently the Government accepted a Motion, which I moved, which suggested that a greater proportion of the cost of education should be borne by the central Government rather than by the rates?

The Prime Minister

It is the extra expenditure on education which, I think, is largely responsible for this problem. If not now, at least it raises problems for the future, and it is these problems which we are studying and on which, I hope, in future we shall be able to act sensibly.

Mr. M. Stewart

Does the Prime Minister realise that he has not answered my question at all? The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the Government were inquiring into the possibility of additional sources of revenue for local authorities. What I asked the Prime Minister was what inquiries, in what form, and by whom, the Government were making into this matter?—not the field of the Allen Committee, which is something quite different. Will the right hon. Gentleman also say why, if the Government are now inquiring into this, they did not take the advice of the Opposition about a year ago to do so?

The Prime Minister

Because we had put the inquiry into the hands of Professor Allen on the facts.

Mr. Stewart

No.

The Prime Minister

It is no use the hon. Gentleman saying "No", because that is what we have done, and what we are going to do is to make our own inquiries so that when Professor Allen reports we shall be able to take action quickly.