§ Q3. Mr. G. Campbellasked the Prime Minister what further measures he proposes for the co-ordination of departmental activities in order to obtain decisions without delay on major development projects such as aluminium smelters.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friends already work very closely together on these matters and no further measures of co-ordination are needed, Sir.
§ Mr. CampbellShould not the many factors involved, including the E.F.T.A. considerations, have been examined before the announcement made last year? As this would have spared the areas concerned the anxiety and the confusion caused by repeated postponements of decisions, should not the Prime Minister have resisted the temptation to make the announcement of this project prematurely at his party conference.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman is quite wrong. The impatience at the delay should be assuaged in the next day or two when announcements are to be made. Very difficult negotiations with business firms are involved. There had to be a public announcement first to enable any firm which wanted to make an application to do so. These negotiations had to be related to the requirements of E.F.T.A. and of other international obligations, and it was essential in the negotiations to ensure that no financial arrangements were made which involved any question of subsidy. This has inevitably taken a very long time.
§ Mr. William HamiltonIs my right hon. Friend aware that his imaginative announcement at about this time last year on the provision of aluminium smelters was widely appreciated, particularly in Scotland, and we are glad that it did not take him 13 years to make it?
§ The Prime MinisterIn common with my hon. Friend, I am disappointed about the time which has been taken, but there have been the most difficult and involved negotiations with individual firms, and, as I say, some of the proposals put forward had to be turned down because of the international obligations involved.
§ Mr. MaudlingIn the context of high energy consumption, can the Prime Minister confirm that, despite the White Paper, the coal industry will provide half the energy requirements of the country in the 1970s?
§ The Prime MinisterYes—the right hon. Gentleman gives me the chance to say that, as is freely acknowledged in theFinancial Times this morning, the doubts thrown on this matter by the misreport-ing of my speech on Saturday were inaccurate. [Interruption.] I am not blaming anyone, but I am happy to say that theFinancial Times, which got it wrong yesterday, no doubt by inadvertence, got it right today once it heard, which hon. Members opposite have not heard, the tape recording of what I said.