HC Deb 07 July 1966 vol 731 cc669-70
Q7. Mr. Kenneth Lewis

asked the Prime Minister whether he will transfer the responsibility for the steel industry to the Minister of Technology.

The Prime Minister

No, Sir.

Mr. Lewis

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this Question is more up-to-date now even than when I laid it? In view of the fact that the former Minister of Technology has gone, will the right hon. Gentleman also get rid of the Bill?

The Prime Minister

The hon. Member no doubt had prepared a suitably ponderous supplementary question and had to change it with equal ponderousness this week, but the change at the Ministry of Technology does not affect in any way the very strong arguments for the Steel Bill, which in any case is the responsibility of the Minister of Power.

Sir H. Legge-Bourke

Does the Prime Minister recognise that there is some need to clarify the rôle to be played in future by the Minister of Technology? Whereas when he was first appointed the idea was that he should take over much of the work hitherto done by the D.S.I.R., he now seems to be becoming the Minister for heavy engineering.

The Prime Minister

This was explained on several occasions in the House and I should be glad to make further explanations if the hon. Member thinks it necessary. Originally this Department took over part of the responsibilities of the Department of Education and Science including part of the D.S.I.R., the N.R.D.C. and the Atomic Energy Authority and shortly had responsibility for the electronics industry and machine tools and later engineering industries. The hon. Member will be aware of the increased sponsorship responsibilities which I announced when we discussed the aviation problem a few weeks ago.

Mr. Lubbock

In view of the fact that the energy industries are very much dependent on advanced technology, might there not be a case for the integration of the Ministeries of Power and Techno- logy? Will the Prime Minister give consideration to this?

The Prime Minister

Many Departments are in need of further technological progress, and I recognise that there is a marginal problem here as between atomic energy within technology and electricity generation within power, but the problem is that certain Departments would get too big if we had to amalgamate all subjects in one Department when they had a common interest.

Mr. Heath

Is the Prime Minister aware that the former Minister of Technology, the right hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Cousins), last night declared that he and his colleagues tackled their problems in a rather guesswork sort of way without deep study, drifting into decisions inevitably with a bit of amateurishness? In these circumstances, is it enough merely to replace the Minister of Technology? Ought he not to replace all his colleagues?

The Prime Minister

I think my right hon. Friend is as aware as I am, as I have said many times of many important questions, that they were decisions which had to be taken when we were very deficient in the amount of statistical information available to the Government. The right hon. Member used to suffer from this. It is affecting not least the production index. We are trying to improve the statistical services so that decisions will be taken with a higher degree of certainty and less of the anxieties which the right hon. Member has expressed.