§ 72. Sir Knox Cunninghamasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will bring up to date and give the latest revisions to the Table of Industrial Productivity 1955 to 1966, Output per Head in Standard Industrial Classification Orders II-XVIII; and if he will give the percentage changes in industrial productivity between the second quarter of 1961 and the first quarter of 1962, and between the second quarter of 1966 and the first quarter of 1967.
§ Mr. WebsterCan the Question not be deferred, Mr. Speaker?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member suggests that we defer the Question until the Minister comes. I think that that is the only thing we possibly can do.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamOn a point of order. Mr. Speaker. Would it not be 1722 possible for the Whip to give me the Answer, even if he cannot answer a supplementary question?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am interested to hear all the points of order that come up, but they must come up one at a time. Mr. Webster.
§ Mr. WebsterFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is there not a Treasury Minister, a member of the Household or someone, even the Leader of the House, who could give the Answer if the Chancellor of the Exchequer is not present?
§ Mr. SpeakerI thought that what was plain was that the Minister himself did not answer. This seems to be the position at the moment. Does anyone else wish to address me on a point of order?
§ Sir A. V. HarveyMr. Speaker, this has clearly placed you in a very difficult position. You have got through a great many Questions very quickly, largely due to hon. Members opposite being absent. If the Minister arrives—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder.
§ Sir A. V. Harveyif the Minister arrives after 3.30, will the Question still be answered?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I must deal with one point of order before I take the next. I can answer that question quite easily. It is not possible to answer Questions after 3.30 unless the Minister asks leave of the House to do so. May I just make this simple comment as the only neutral in the building, that there have been absences on both sides, and there have been a considerable number of absences on both sides during Question Time today.
§ Sir C. Osbornerose—
§ Mr. Gibson-WattOn a point of order—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. No one has a monopoly in putting points of order. Sir Cyril Osborne.
§ Sir C. OsborneOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As the First Secretary is the second most important Minister in 1723 the Government—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—he ranks No. 2—is it not a grave discourtesy to you as well as to the House that someone should not be here to answer the Question, and have you no power to reprimand him?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have the power to reprimand hon. Members, but I do not propose to use it at the moment.
§ Mr. JayFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Can you explain why such a high proportion of members of the party opposite were not here to ask their Questions today?
Mr. HelferFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Could you, perhaps, make some representation to the organisers of the Ascot race meeting so that hon. Members can attend this House rather than the Ascot race meeting?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am afraid that what happens at Ascot is not a point of order for Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. With respect, a moment ago you said that the failure of Ministers to appear to answer Questions was shared by both sides of the House—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. If the hon. Member wants to make a point of order on what Mr. Speaker said he must base it on what Mr. Speaker actually said. I spoke of the absence of hon. Members, not of Ministers. Sir Knox Cunningham.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamSome time ago, Mr. Speaker, I asked Question No. 72.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Mr. Harold Lever)I must apologise to the House. The Answer is that I am publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table which brings up to date the figures given in my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Peter Walker) on 27th January—[Vol. 740, c. 375.]—and includes revised indices for 1965 and 1966. Between the second quarter of 1961 and the first quarter of 1962 the index of output per head fell by 0.6 per cent.; between the second quarter of 1966 and the first of 1967 it is provisionally estimated to have risen by 1.8 per cent.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamCan the Minister say whether these figures are those 1724 which were issued today, and was that the reason for his delay in coming here?
§ Mr. LeverI have already apologised to the House for the delay. I take full responsibility for it. I think the House will know that I would not be guilty intentionally of any discourtesy. I can only say that I regret that certain mechanical defects resulted in my being late in arriving to answer the hon. and learned Gentleman's Question.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamAre these today's figures?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Mr. Page.
§ Mr. John PageDo not the figures given by the Minister dramatically illustrate the complete failure of the Selective Employment Tax to produce the results which were intended, and will he give us a further answer to this?
§ Mr. LeverThe hon. Gentleman is jumping to premature conclusions from an inadequate consideration of very complicated figures.
§ Sir C. OsborneThe Minister will remember that yesterday the Prime Minister told the Productivity Group of industrialists that the nation would require a 3 per cent. increase in productivity to maintain the promised programme. Will these figures meet the Prime Minister's requirement? If not, how long will it take to meet it?
§ Mr. LeverThe estimated rate of growth will, in fact, meet the Prime Minister's requirement, and so far as it lies within the Government's power we are determined to meet that growth which the Prime Minister has indicated.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamOwing to the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I will raise the matter at an early date.
§ Following is the table:
| OUTPUT PER HEAD (SEASONALLY ADJUSTED) | |||
| INDEX NUMBERS (1958 = 100) | |||
| All production industries SIC Order Nos. II—XVIII | |||
| 1965—Q 1 | … | … | 125.8 |
| Q2 | … | … | 124.9 |
| Q3 | … | … | 125.1 |
| Q4 | … | … | 126.4 |
| 1966—Q 1 | … | … | 127.8 |
| Q2 | … | … | 127.2 |
| Q3 | … | … | 128.0 |
| Q4 | … | … | 127.2 |
| 1967—Q 1 (provisional) | … | … | 129.5 |