HC Deb 20 June 1968 vol 766 cc1302-4
Q2. Sir F. Bennett

asked the Prime Minister whether the speech of the Lord President of the Council on Friday, 29th March at Basildon on post-devaluation economic strategy represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

The Prime Minister

In referring the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave to a similar Question by the right hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter) on 28th May, which followed 12 Answers given by me in this House on this particular speech of nearly three months ago, I regret that the hon. Member has thought fit to waste the time of the House by repeatedly tabling and retabling this Question on the Order Paper, Sir.—[Vol. 765, c. 208–9.]

Sir F. Bennett

If the Prime Minister thinks that he has already adequately dealt with this Question, will he now take the advice of the Lord President of the Council to take the people of this country into his confidence and tell them about the true state of this country's international indebtedness?

The Prime Minister

I dealt with all the questions arising from my right hon. Friend's speech in 12 Oral Answers that I have given to the House. If the hon. Gentleman is fairly interested in the position of our international indebtedness, perhaps he will put down a Question to the appropriate Minister.

Mr. Barnett

rose—

Mr. C. Pannell

On a point of order. My right hon. Friend said that he had answered 12 Oral Questions on this matter. Does not the rule of tedious repetition extend to this? Mr. Speaker, will you give consideration to the idea that a continuity of repetitive Questions, which always come on to the Prime Minister's list, amounts to an abuse?

Mr. Speaker

I do give consideration, but there is little I can do about it.

Mr. Barnett

Whilst recognising that the original Question was framed for cheap party interests rather than Britain's, is it not a fact that the recent figures of capital outflow are sufficiently disturbing to make the Government perhaps reconsider their strategy, at least in this sense, and recognise that, no matter what value there is in capital outflow abroad at some times, at the present time, as we need it so desperately at home, it might be as well to reconsider it?

The Prime Minister

That is an important but entirely different question. It was not raised in my right hon. Friend's speech at Basildon on 29th March, and it raises broad issues which, as my hon. Friend knows, have been repeatedly debated in the House, and which are incapable of being answered adequately at Question and Answer time.

Mr. Strauss

On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, in view of the answer you gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. C. Pannell) that you could do nothing about repetitive Questions, may I draw your attention to the fact that Erskine May states categorically that no Question may be put down which has already been answered? In view of that, may I suggest that it is within your power and authority to take action?

Mr. Speaker

I assure the hon. Member that the Table refuses Questions which have already been answered. There are, however, circumstances in which the Table must accept Questions from hon. Members.

Mr. Heath

The Prime Minister and his hon. Friends do not realise the fascinating importance of the Lord President's speech. One of the things which he emphasised most was that the Government's economic strategy would not be effective unless the Prime Minister and the Government took the people of this country into their confidence. When will the Prime Minister explain, as his hon. Friend has asked, the seriousness of the economic situation in which the first quarter's deficit was £370 million, in which unemployment is now the highest for any June since June, 1940, and in which the Government's net borrowing is now 10 per cent. of the national income for the year?

The Prime Minister

None of that arises out of my hon. Friend's question. The right hon. Gentleman is free to raise the matter at any time and to get a very full answer. What my hon. Friend raised was the question of capital controls. If the right hon. Gentleman wants to urge capital controls upon us because of the very high element in the first quarter's figures, I shall note what he said.

Mr. Heath

Does the Prime Minister's answer that if a Question is put down about our indebtedness it will get a full reply mean that he will now tell us the answer?

The Prime Minister

With regard to a question about indebtedness, I said last week that we followed the practice of the previous Government, of which the right hon. Gentleman was a member.

Sir F. Bennett

On a point of order. As my Question has three times been referred to in points of order—

Mr. Speaker

Order. If the hon. Member wishes to give notice, he must do it in the proper way.

Sir F. Bennett

I am not doing that. With respect, Mr. Speaker, you have anticipated what I was not going to say. As my Question has been referred to, I want on a point of order to state that it was put down within 48 hours of the speech being made. The reason why it has not been answered is the turgidity of the Prime Minister in not answering Questions when they are put to him.

Mr. Speaker

Part of that is a point of fact, the other is a point of comment.