§ Q1. Mr. Ripponasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the dissolution of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources and the consequent reorganisation of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, he will now make a reduction in the number of Ministers.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)No further changes are in immediate prospect, Sir.
§ Mr. RipponDoes the Prime Minister not agree that the number of Ministers in the House of Commons has risen by 30 per cent. since he became Prime Minister? Has he consulted his famous league tables recently? Does he agree that we now have the largest and fastest-growing Government in the world—[An HON. MEMBER: "And the best"]—coupled with the most stagnant economy?
§ The Prime MinisterThe number of Ministers was approved in legislation passed by this House. The right hon. and learned Member will have plenty of time to judge not merely the quantity but the quality, as the country itself did a year ago, because the number of Ministers has not risen since a year ago and the country took its judgment of the quality of the Government then.
Sir S. MacAddenWill the Prime Minister treat the suggestion of reducing the number of Ministers with reserve? Does not he realise that any such reduction could only add to the pool of his 694 so-called supporters who would exercise their right to follow their conscience?
§ The Prime MinisterI shall certainly take the hon. Gentleman's advice very carefully into consideration. He will realise the difficulty that we have in the House as a whole, due to the fact that, conscience or no conscience, we cannot get any agreed policy even out of the Front Bench opposite.