§ Q2. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to improve the co-ordination of the work of the Industrial Reorganisation Corporation, the Monopolies Commission, the Restrictive Practices Court and the National Board for Prices and Incomes.
§ The Prime MinisterThese matters are kept under review but I have no proposals to make at present.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes my right hon. Friend not agree that in certain activities these organisations might be in direct conflict with one another? Is there any formal or informal machinery to ensure that such conflict does not arise, and, if there is not, will he create some?
§ The Prime MinisterThere has been some public comment that at the margin there could be demarcation difficulties between certain of these bodies, and that is why steps are constantly taken to see that in any decision about a reference to one or other of them there is proper co-ordination to ensure that the matter goes to the right body. There is a problem, and we are looking at it.
§ Mr. David HowellAre there not 11 departments and agencies all trying to interfere with industrial policy, and does not this cast doubt on the value of the Prime Minister's five-year old pledge to streamline Whitehall?
§ The Prime MinisterEntirely different functions are covered by the bodies referred to. The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation has an important job to do in streamlining industry and making industry more effective. It has had tremendous successes in many industries, particularly engineering. The Shipbuilding Industry Board has helped the industry enormously. The Monopolies Commission has the powers given to it by this House, and it has a very different function from that of the N.B.P.I. All these bodies are necessary, and we are trying to some extent to co-ordinate their activities a little more.
§ Sir D. Walker-SmithSince the Question links the Restrictive Practices Court with three executive bodies, will the Prime Minister make it clear that the Restrictive Practices Court is a judicial body discharging judicial functions under statutory provisions, and that there is no intention on the part of his Government to limit or encroach upon its judicial independence?
§ The Prime MinisterI agree with the right hon. and learned Gentleman, although when he uses the words "executive body" to describe the others it could 1227 give the wrong impression. The Monopolies Commission, though not a court, is an investigatory body; it has no executive powers. The same is true of the National Board for Prices and Incomes. The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation is an operational agency to promote mergers in industry.