HC Deb 09 February 1967 vol 740 cc1816-7
18. Mr. Nott

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs how many members of the newly-appointed Council of the South-West Regional Economic Planning Council come from Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

Mr. Shore

Including those recently, appointed, the membership of the Council, which was established in April, 1965, is, by county, as follows: Gloucestershire 3, Bristol 9, Wiltshire 2, Dorset I, Somerset 3, Devon 8, Cornwall 2.

Mr. Nott

First, will the Minister consider greater Cornish representation on the Council—he has written to me about it—and will he do so as soon as possible? Second, will he give an assurance that, when the report for the South-West is published—it is nearing completion now—the Government will not have changed, altered or amended it in any way and it will contain the opinions of the Council, not Government policy?

Mr. Shore

I can give the second assurance without any difficulty. On the first point, the hon. Gentleman knows that the appointment of members is not an easy matter. The basis of representation is not territorial. It has to be the selection of individuals who, we believe, can contribute most to the region. But I shall bear the point in mind.

Mr. Wingfield Digby

Why is Dorset so miserably under-represented, with only one member? On what basis was the final selection made? Will the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that political considerations did not come into it?

Mr. Shore

The hon. Gentleman could not have heard my reply to the previous supplementary question. I said that the basis of selection for membership of the Regional Council was not a territorial one. I can assure him that it is not a party political one either.