HC Deb 22 February 1966 vol 725 cc234-5
Q10. Mr. Bryan

asked the Prime Minister if the public speech of the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs at Hull on 23rd January on prices and incomes represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. George Brown

I have been asked to reply.

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Bryan

The House will realise from the right hon. Gentleman's reply on the last Question that someone else is always to be blamed. But will the First Secretary now tell us why both at Hull and in Camberwell he blamed industrialists for the rise in prices? Why did he not name the industrialists, and was not this a completely parallel allegation to the one for which the Prime Minister had to apologise to the chairman of Hardy Spicer?

Mr. Brown

The hon. Gentleman has it all wrong—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—and not for the first time. Both at Hull and Camberwell I said that there were right hon. Gentlemen opposite who were inciting industrialists to do this. To their credit—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. Neither side helps itself by merely shouting at the other. Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown

I was going on to say that, to their credit, most industrialists had resisted this incitement.

Mr. Heath

The First Secretary in his speech made specific accusations against my right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, West (Mr. Iain Macleod) which he has been afraid to make this afternoon—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] He has generalised. He knows perfectly well that he is only trying to find an alibi for his own failures by seeking to accuse this side of sabotaging his policy. Will he either withdraw those accusations or make them specific?

Mr. Brown

To make them perfectly specific, I think that what the right hon. Member for Enfield, West (Mr. Iain Macleod) said, addressed to the housewives, and I think that what the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) said, addressed to the business men, were both incitements to sabotage policies that are in the interests of the country.

Mr. Heath

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that is a grotesque distortion of the case made from this side, and will he withdraw those accusations against my right hon. Friends?

Mr. Brown

I should like to add another. The right hon. Gentleman himself should stop hopping around from one foot to the other.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker—

Several Hon. Members rose

—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I am being addressed on a point of order.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

On a point of order. Can you rule, Mr. Speaker, on whether it is in order for an hon. Member to say of another hon. Member in this House that action taken by the other hon. Member is designed to bring about sabotage? How can an hon. Member accused of sabotage be regarded as an hon. Member?

Mr. Speaker

Order. The House is a place for the cut and thrust of debate. The Chair will rule when the cut and thrust of debate has exceeded the bounds of order.