Q6. Earl of Dalkeithasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a national television broadcast giving a progress report on the state of the economy at the end of the first six-month period since 1691 devaluation of the £ sterling and its effect upon the living standards of the population.
§ Q7. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Prime Minister when he intends to make his next Ministerial television broadcast; and if he will give an assurance that he will do so before the end of the present Session.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to the Answers I gave to Questions on 2nd July, Sir.—[Vol. 767, c. 1299–1301.]
Earl of DalkeithWhen the right hon. Gentleman does steel himself to make another broadcast, could he, as the most incredible leader of the most incredible Government which we have ever had, aim to restore public confidence in Parliament by dropping his very convincing act of being a man totally devoid of integrity and, at the same time, in relation to his devaluation broadcast, admit quite openly—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Questions must be brief.
Earl of DalkeithIn relation to his devaluation broadcast—[Interruption.]— would he openly admit that he either made a gross miscalculation, misled the people or at best had been over-economical with the truth?—[Interruption.]
§ The Prime MinisterI could not hear the noble Lord's last few words, but if they were no better than the earlier ones, they are not worth answering. Perhaps he would let me hear his last few words about my devaluation broadcast.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsOn a point of order. The right hon. Gentleman said that he did not hear the last few words spoken by my noble Friend. May I tell him what my hon. Friend said—
§ Hon. Members: No.
Earl of DalkeithOn a point of order. My last few words were: would the right hon. Gentleman honestly and openly admit that he had either made a gross miscalculation in his devaluation broadcast or had deliberately misled the people or, at best, had been over-economical with the truth?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I would first suggest that, if the noble Lord wants 1692 lessons in selective misrepresentation, his hon. Friend the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Eldon Griffiths), who is sitting next to him, would be very good at giving them, to judge from his selection of figures in his article last week. The noble Lord, however, needs no lessons from anyone. The position is that, in my devaluation broadcast, I said that prices will rise—[Interruption.]—I said that prices will rise. On Tuesday I informed the House that, on the Financial Times index, in their view, they had increased less than most of us expected.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneWe realise that the Chancellor has placed a ban on personal appearances by the Prime Minister on television, and, in view of the state of the foreign exchange markets, this is no doubt just as well, but, in the light of the ex-Minister of Power's television appearance earlier—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The House wants to hear these exchanges.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneI was about to ask whether, in the light of the ex-Minister of Power's television broadcast earlier this week, the Prime Minister would not, just for this occasion, ask for the right of reply on behalf of the intellectuals.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member's Question was preceded by an assertion which is quite false. There has been no ban whatsoever placed on my going on television.
§ Hon. Members: Oh.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The other half of the House wants to hear the reply.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member preceded his question with inaccurate statements. He should withdraw the statements before he expects his rather stupid question to be answered.
§ Mr. DickensMay I ask the Prime Minister a serious supplementary question. Does he not agree that the considerable increase in exports since devaluation has, unfortunately, been offset by two basic weaknesses—namely, the heavy increase in the volume of imported manufactured goods and the substantial private outflow of capital to advanced countries in the sterling area, most notably to Australia to buy gold mining 1693 shares and other shares? Does not the Prime Minister feel that we should bring in selective short-term import controls and put a ban on the private capital outflow at least until the balance of payments is again in surplus?
§ The Prime MinisterMy hon. Friend is aware that I answered that question when it was put by one of my hon. Friends last week, and I then gave my reasons against accepting either of those remedies. I agree that the very great increase in exports and the even larger increase in export orders has been matched in the last few months by rising imports about which, as I said, no one is complacent. We have to see how far the measures which we have taken will deal wi:h the situation. I certainly do not agree that the use of import controls as proposed by my hon. Friend is the right way to deal with the situation.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportOn a point of order. The Prime Minister referred to a supplementary question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for South Angus (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) as being stupid.
§ Hon. Members: Oh.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am being addressed on a point of order. Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportIf it is out of order to refer to answers given by Ministers as being stupid, why is it in order for the Prime Minister to call questions asked by my hon. Friends stupid? If he is allowed to do that, surely we should be allowed to call all the Prime Minister's answers stupid, and—
§ Hon. Members: Oh.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. and gallant Member must be allowed to complete his point of order. Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportI apologise if I was not heard. If it is out of order for us to call answers given by Ministers stupid—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I said that the hon. and gallant Member must be allowed to complete his point of order— not that he must be allowed to repeat it.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportIs it in order for the Prime Minister to refer to a question asked by one of my hon. Friends at Question Time as being stupid?
§ Hon. Members: Yes.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. and gallant Member asks whether it is in order to refer to a question as stupid. It is in order. The hon. and gallant Member, I think, is hypersensitive.