HC Deb 05 July 1965 vol 715 cc1104-6
18. Mr. Kenneth Lewis

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will arrange that all official Government cars be fitted with safety belts.

Mr. C. Pannell

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Lewis

Is the Minister aware that I have seen Government cars which appeared not to have safety straps? The Minister of Transport has said that there should be such straps on all cars. Will the right hon. Gentleman check on this? We on this side of the House recognise that under the present Administration the whole country needs safety straps, but in particular we think that Government cars should have them.

Mr. Pannell

Those without safety straps were bought by the previous Administration.

Sir G. Nicholson

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that he uses safety straps? I hate to think what would happen if he came to a sticky end, though of course we would bear it with our customary courage and resignation.

29. Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what is the practice concerning the use by Ministers of official cars to take them home from the Palace of Westminster at the conclusion of the day's business in Parliament.

Mr. C. Pannell

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton) on 24th June.

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

Is there any reason why drivers should be kept waiting all night to take Ministers home? At the end of the day, when Ministers are going home rather than going to their offices, is there any reason why they should not get home in the same way as other Members do?

Mr. Pannell

The hon. Gentleman ought to have addressed that Question to the previous Administration. He must not think that this Administration, in matters which refer to the responsibility of Ministers, is of a lower breed than its predecessors. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that a great deal of harm is done by asking that sort of question? In so far as we are all Members—

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I was under the impression that I had asked the Minister a Question, to which he was replying. If he now asks me a question, will I have the opportunity of replying to it?

Mr. Speaker

No. I excuse the hon. Member from making any answer, but we are in the middle of one at the moment.

Mr. Pannell

As you say, Mr. Speaker, I am in the middle of an answer. The arrangement in every Administration is that the Prime Minister is responsible for things of this sort, and the Minister of Public Building and Works has to approve the regulations. I can only say that the regulations under which we operate now are substantially those which characterised the Administration of our predecessors during the past 13 years. It would be a bad thing if controversy in this place was conducted in the small change of innuendo.

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

Is the Minister aware that my Question was transferred to him by the Prime Minister, presumably because the Prime Minister wanted the right hon. Gentleman to answer it? As the right hon. Gentleman has made a practice of saying at Question Time that he is taking a new look at things and doing things the new way, will he answer the Question on its merits rather than try to hide behind previous practice?

Mr. Pannell

A new look is always taken under a new Administration, and this new look was taken last October, when I studied the regulations that went before. I have looked at all the provisions that went before and I know what was done—and the hon. Member had better not pursue this line. I would only say that Ministers who come to their Departments have to do so early in the morning, and go through to the end of the day. The Parliamentary situation has been a double burden on Ministers, and this would be so under any Administration. I have looked at all the Parliamentary Questions that have been asked over the last 13 years and I can say that when my hon. Friends were in opposition they did not resort to that sort of thing in regard to the difficulties that arose from 1951 onwards, when hon. Members opposite formed the Government. The hon. Member had better leave it alone.

Mr. Shinwell

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that it would add to the dignity of the House if some right hon. Member on the Opposition Front Bench refuted the hon. Member's innuendo?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Is the Minister aware that many of us see no objection to cars taking Ministers home? The real criticism is when they bring them back.

Mr. Pannell

The real objection of the right hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends is that we are using the cars at all.