§ Q3. Mr. Boxasked the Prime Minister whether he will now give the Secretary of State for Wales at least the same responsibilities for Wales as the Secretary of State for Scotland has for Scotland.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. BoxIs the Prime Minister aware that that is a very unsatisfactory Answer? Prior to the last General Election we were promised a Secretary of State who would have wide executive responsibility for health, housing and local government, agriculture and education? When will he stop treating Wales like a second-class nation? As the Minister of Agriculture seems to have gone broody on Questions, will the right hon. Gentleman consider transferring these responsibilities to the Secretary of State for Wales so that the problems of Welsh agriculture can be dealt with adequately at Question Time?
§ The Prime MinisterI thought that the hon. Gentleman spent the whole of the last election fighting against all our proposals in this field, as well as in the field of leasehold enfranchisement, and indeed he wasted a lot of my time sending me telegrams at various moments expressing his views. As regards our pre-election programme, we said that the Secretary of State for Wales would have a wide responsibility in all these fields, and so he has. We did not say, and I never said, that we would adopt the Scottish solution in relation to Wales.
§ Mr. GowerIs it not clear that the electors in many parts of Wales were persuaded to vote for the Labour Party —[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—in the expectation that the Secretary of State would have powers analogous to those of the Secretary of State for Scotland, and why did the Labour Party adopt this nationalistic policy, if not perhaps to take some votes from the Welsh Nationalist Party?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman never showed this vigour when he was on this side of the House—at any rate not in that particular direction. I can understand his feeling of disappointment and resentment that in 13 years his own side never did anything for Wales.
§ Mr. HoosonWill the Prime Minister say whether he is contemplating extending the executive powers of the Secretary of State for Wales, and is not the Ministry of Health ripe for a change at the moment?
§ The Prime MinisterI did not quite hear the hon. and learned Gentleman"s question.
§ Mr. HoosonIs not the Ministry of Health the right Ministry for the next extension of executive powers to the Secretary of State for Wales?
§ The Prime MinisterI am not contemplating any extension. We are going to see how this works. It is my impression that it is working very well in these fields where my right hon. Friend has the degree of responsibility which he has been given in the Transfer of Functions Order. We shall watch the working of the Health Service in Wales in this connection. Up to now I have seen no argument for making a further change.