§ Q2. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Prime Minister which Minister is now responsible for the co-ordination and overall planning of the development of our social services.
§ Q8. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Prime Minister what arrangements he has made for a Minister to take over the task of reviewing the social services.
§ Q11. Mr. Rowlandasked the Prime Minister if he will now make a statement about Ministerial responsibility for the co-ordination of the social services.
§ The Prime MinisterThe development of the new social services remains, of course, the responsibility of the various Departmental Ministers concerned. But I have asked my right hon. Friend the Minister without Portfolio to assist them in ensuring the necessary co-ordination of their interests, particularly as regards forward planning.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopWhile I welcome that Answer, is my right hon. Friend aware that there is some anxiety in the country lest the wider-than-Departmental responsibility should be lost sight of in the very important further reforms still needed for the development of our social services?
§ The Prime MinisterI assure my hon. Friend that there is no question of losing sight of that problem.
§ Mr. LewisWould not the Prime Minister agree that a senior Cabinet Minister has been sitting on this matter like a broody hen for far too long and that it is time something was hatched?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that the hon. Gentleman will recall the very considerable number of social advances that have been legislated upon during the last two and a half years. If, however, he wants me to remind him, if he puts down a Question I will give him the very long list.
§ Mr. RowlandCan we have an assurance that the work put in train by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sowerby (Mr. Houghton) will be concluded and, if so, when?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is a continuing process. As each part of the work 1822 reaches the point where we can commend legislation to the House, we do so. We have been doing this ever since November, 1964, and the House knows the long list of legislative achievement in that direction.
§ Miss PikeIs the Prime Minister aware that there is a growing feeling among social workers that the Government's attempts at overall planning and co-ordination are failing to lead to long-term solutions? Will he ensure in future that more regard is paid to priorities than to propaganda?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have been paying regard to priorities in bringing forward legislation in the House. Indeed, the hon. Lady has been good enough to commend some of it. It is a pity that she never got the chance to commend it from the Government Bench when she was a Minister. I know that she would have liked to have done so but was not allowed. But we have been working on the priorities and I think that the House may feel that our priorities are right. I agree with the hon. Lady that there are still some substantial problems.
§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownIs my right hon. Friend aware that, as usual, Scotland leads the field with an excellent White Paper on the social services? In recognition of this, will he look sympathetically at the current wage dispute with local authority workers in some sense of reward for their efforts?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is a rather different question, but no doubt my hon. Friend can get an answer from the appropriate Minister.