Scotland (Hansard, 23 January 1968)

§ 23. Mr. G. Campbell
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will publish a White Paper on the effects of devaluation and the connected measures upon Scotland.

§ Mr. Roy Jenkins
No, Sir.

§ Mr. Campbell
As the Secretary of State for Scotland has limited his statements to the fields within the responsibility of the Scottish Office, will the Government issue a comprehensive statement, including, for example, one concerning the investment grant postponement, since these grants form one of the main benefits of a development area?

§ Mr. Jenkins
Scotland, like other development areas, has been protected, in that there have been no cuts in development area expenditure. I do not think that it would be particularly useful to publish a White Paper dealing with the effects of devaluation upon a particular part of the United Kingdom.

§ Mr. Emrys Hughes
Will not my right hon. Friend consider publishing a White Paper showing the effects of these cuts on the Scottish Departments? Is he aware that we are all very anxious to know how the cuts will affect health services, housing, and education? Surely there is nothing inconsistent with Government policy in our being told the facts about Scotland.

§ Mr. Jenkins
I am very anxious that the House should know the facts about Scotland and about other matters, but I think that a detailed breakdown of the sort my hon. Friend refers to is within the purview of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland rather than of myself.

§ Mr. MacArthur
Would not the right hon. Gentleman reconsider this position? Is he not aware that for some months the Government have been making it clear that there are to be cuts in Scotland and that local authorities and other bodies in Scotland are waiting to have details of these cuts? We know that the road, education, and housing programmes are to be slashed. There will also be cuts in local authority investment programmes. What are the details of these cuts? Why will not the Government come clean and tell us what the cuts are to be?

§ Mr. Jenkins
The details of these cuts, as with the details of cuts for England and Wales, have been outlined. If any further Questions arise, they should be tabled to the Ministers concerned.