§ Q3. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Prime Minister whether he will now abolish the Department of Economic Affairs.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterBut does not the right hon. Gentleman think it wholly misleading to describe by this title a Department with responsibility for none of the major economic controls and no real influence on the economy? Is it not as unrealistic as George Orwell's Ministry of Love?
§ The Prime MinisterI would leave that subject to others more qualified to speak. On the first part of the question, this Department is, of course, a coordinating Department and, as such, it would not be appropriate for it to be operating some of the direct controls, as the right hon. Gentleman puts it, or the direct relations with individual industries. It has a very wide field of responsibilities on the real resources side of economic affairs, and it has made and will make a very big contribution to the progress of regionalism.