HC Deb 16 March 1965 vol 708 cc1065-7
Q5. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Prime Minister if he will consider making periodic and regular statements to Parliament on the progress of the economy.

The Prime Minister

My right hon. Friends and I certainly intend to keep Parliament fully informed of the country's economic progress. The Budget will be a suitable occasion in the near future.

Mr. Hamilton

Will my right hon. Friend supplement that information by agreeing to the suggestion in the Question, particularly in view of the fact that we are now beginning to get out of the horrible mess that was left by the previous Administration? If he is not prepared to do that, will he undertake to initiate these all-party or nonparty television programmes with the Leaders of the two Opposition parties in order to present the facts to the people?

The Prime Minister

I think that the regular flow of information is sufficient for the purposes of the House and of the country. We get the monthly trade figures and, unlike the right hon. Gentleman opposite, we do not go into hysterics on the basis of a single favourable month's trade figure.

Mr. Maudling

As the recent economic statistics confirm the Prime Minister's own speech on 23rd November, when he proved that the sterling crisis resulted from collapse of confidence in the party opposite and not from the trade position, will he take it that the more statistics like that which he publishes, the better we shall be pleased?

The Prime Minister

Having had help from both the shadow Home Secretary and now the shadow Foreign Secretary on these questions, I would first inform the right hon. Gentleman, as he can look up for himself, that in November I said nothing of the kind, even though the right hon. Gentleman went on television and completely misrepresented what I said. [Interruption.] The words were carefully checked after he had made that allegation. Therefore, if the rest of the question depends on that misreading of what was said, which must have been quite systematic and deliberate, I have nothing further to say to the right hon. Gentleman.