HC Deb 09 December 1969 vol 793 cc233-4
Q3. Mr. William Price

asked the Prime Minister which Minister is now in charge of the Government's Press and public relations.

The Prime Minister

Each Minister in charge of a Department is responsible for these matters as they affect his own Department. As I told the House on 4th November, the Minister without Portfolio will, among his other duties, answer Questions in the House about the coordination of home information policy.—[Vol. 790, c. 92—3.]

Mr. Price

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the vast majority of my hon. Friends would not want him to make the sort of Ministerial appointment which the Tories made in this context when they were in office? As an alternative, would he perhaps consider sending the members of the Government Front Bench on a weekend course in basic public relations so that they may return better equipped to spell out the magnificent achievements of the Labour Government?

The Prime Minister

The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question is, "Yes, Sir". I have always been opposed to using the taxpayers' money to have a Minister of Information, something which hon. Gentlemen opposite did for party purposes. [Interruption.] The answer to the second part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question is that I am more concerned that my Ministerial colleagues should continue, as they are doing, to add to the record of achievement, rather than go on weekend courses. I felt that the publication of the balance of payments figures yesterday gave a fair indication—[Interruption.] A lot of stuff appeared on the front pages of yesterday's newspapers. I would rather my Ministerial colleagues spent their time increasing achievements like that than going on weekend courses.

Mrs. Ewing

From the public relations point of view, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to say if there is anything sinister in the fact that in a full-page Government advertisement of the right hon. Gentleman with some Members of his Cabinet the face of the Secretary of State of Scotland is missing? Does the right hon. Gentleman think that that is a matter for the Race Relations Board?

The Prime Minister

Strictly speaking, this Question does not fall within my Ministerial duties, because this was not in relation to Government information services but in relation to a happy little picture taken when a few of us got together one Thursday morning. The Secretary of State for Scotland was not with us. He was in his proper place. He was in Scotland.