HC Deb 16 June 1969 vol 785 cc7-9
4. Mr. Ogden

asked the Paymaster-General if she will hold consultations with local, regional and national authorities to ascertain what difficulties prevent responsible persons from taking an active part in local, regional or national government.

Mrs. Hart

No, Sir. As my hon. Friend is aware, the Report of the Redcliffe-Maud Commission considers this question in some depth, and we shall now be considering its conclusions about them.

Mr. Ogden

Are not some of my right hon. Friend's duties concerned with participation at all levels? Will she give an assurance that, in seeking to provide some solution to this phased participation, she will not be misled into thinking that all those who object to Government decisions, either locally or nationally, are ready to take part in the sometimes irksome duties of Government?

Mrs. Hart

Yes, indeed. When we come to consider in depth the conclusions of the Redcliffe-Maud Commission, the whole question of how we can best increase direct democracy at grass roots level is bound to occur, and certainly to me.

5. Mr. Ogden

asked the Paymaster-General what consideration she has given, and what proposals she has made, to ensure that Members of Parliament can take a more effective part in local and regional government.

Mrs. Hart

I shall be glad to consider, together with my right hon. Friends, any particular proposals my hon. Friend has in mind.

Mr. Ogden

Will the scope of the Parliamentary year fall within these considerations and, indeed, the difficulties experienced by many Members of Parliament of taking an effective part in their constituencies by having to spend five days a week trapesing through the Lobby in this House?

Mrs. Hart

I think that my hon. Friend will agree that there are two views about this. It is very much a matter for hon. Members to consider where the balance of advantage lies in terms of time in the House of Commons and time in their constituencies, particularly in relation to the structure of local government which emerges following the Redcliffe-Maud consultations?

Sir Knox Cunningham

Would it not be wise if hon. Members opposite who do not want to go through the Lobby were encouraged to carry out their desires, and then we should have a completely new and a good Government?

Mrs. Hart

Perhaps the need to go through the Lobby so frequently would not arise if the Opposition were not somewhat confused in their own mind.

Mr. Milne

Getting back to the serious aspect of the question, is my right hon. Friend aware that with the enlarging of local authority units on the basis of the report, and on the question of closer participation of people, there is a great deal of merit in this question, and will she look at the matter more closely, because if democracy is to exist in a situation of that kind a greater interlocking of Parliamentary and local government is required?

Mrs. Hart

I hope that nothing I have said indicates that we are not prepared to look at this very closely. What I was saying was that we need to see what eventual structure emerges for local government, and then there will be a number of questions, not merely for the Government, but for hon. Members, to consider.