HC Deb 04 July 1968 vol 767 cc1689-90
Q5. Mr. Brooks

asked the Prime Minister whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that Members of either House who have financial interests in a matter under debate, shall be henceforth in the same position in terms of voting rights as those elected members of local authorities who are barred from voting on council rents because of their residence in local authority dwellings.

The Prime Minister

No, Sir, any change in the present arrangements would be a matter for the House as a whole and not for me.

Mr. Brooks

But would my right hon. Friend not agree that it is wholly anomalous that we fully trust Members of this House to behave at all times honourably and sometimes even right honourably, while we apparently believe that only the elected members of local authorities are capable of sinister skulduggery?

The Prime Minister

My hon. Friend will be aware that, under legislation introduced by this Government, since January, 1967, any member of a local authority who is a council house tenant has been able to vote on a matter of general housing policy, but not on a specific question affecting his own tenancy. As to this House, I have heard no suggestion in any votes or speeches, even recent ones, of dishonourable motivation. Some of the votes have not been very sensible, but they have been honourable.

Sir D. Walker-Smith

While suggesting no dishonourable motivation on the part of any hon. Members, may I ask whether the Prime Minister would agree that there is, on the face of it, a marked discrepancy between the rules governing this matter in Parliament and those under Section 76 of the Local Government Act of 1933, which are far more stringent? Would it not be in the interests both of the House of Commons and of local government that these matters should be objectively and dispassionately considered?

The Prime Minister

It was because we felt that it was an anomaly that we amended the appropriate Section of the Local Government Act. There is this difference. This House is a legislature, whereas the members of a local authority are an executive as well as, in certain cases, a legislature. There is that difference. As far as the House is concerned, any changes thought desirable —I am not aware of any in this respect —would be a matter for the whole House.