HC Deb 23 March 1965 vol 709 cc321-2
Q6. Mr. Woodnutt

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the Minister of Housing and Local Government given on 26th February at a civic dinner in Huyton on local government finance represents the policies of Her Majesty"s Government.

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir, and as one of his fellow-guests I can confirm that my right hon. Friend responded to the opportunities presented by the Huyton-with-Roby Urban District Council with a speech of appropriate coruscation.

Mr. Woodnutt

Does not the Prime Minister agree that his right hon. Friend was hoodwinking the British public when he said that it was only after examining the books that Her Majesty"s Government realised that local government expenditure would double in the next 10 years? Does he agree that the easiest way of relieving the burden on the rates, if he really wishes to do so, is to increase the amount of the general grant so that it covers a greater proportion of the expenditure?

The Prime Minister

I am sure that even if my right hon. Friend were ever, which is inconceivable, to set out with a plan to hoodwink the British people, he would not start in Huyton, because, as has been shown, there was a 19,000 majority after the forecast of the right hon. and learned Member for Wirral (Mr. Selwyn Lloyd) that I would be defeated. The constituency of Huyton is used to evaluating the truth.

Mr. Robert Cooke

Is the Prime Minister aware that no authentic script of this speech exists? The Library of the House of Commons cannot supply one, and all that one can get is an extract which is available at Transport House. It is not available to Members of this House on request. Will the right hon. Gentleman consider giving the Paymaster-General something to do by spreading about the correct version of this speech?

The Prime Minister

I shall be delighted to send the hon. Gentleman a copy of this, and, indeed, if there is none in the Library of the House, I shall see that one is placed there, because I think that its educational and therapeutic value will be tremendous.

Mr. Rhodes

Is it within my right hon. Friend"s recollection that in December, 1963, the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in the last Administration said that there was no satisfactory alternative system of financing local government? Was not that an apathetic answer?

The Prime Minister

I thought that it was a rather vigorous answer. The late Government failed to do anything on this question, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has explained that we have a very urgent review of local government finance going on at the present time. I do not think that anyone has ever said that it would be easy to find a new method of local government taxation, but this review is going on urgently, and when the results are complete we shall tell the House what those results are.

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Rose.

Mr. Robert Cooke

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, is it in order to ask whether Question No. 7 has been deferred?

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member can observe that I did not call it. That is all.