§ Q3. Mr. Ridleyasked the Prime Minisster if he will appoint a Minister with special responsibility for phasing out the statutory control of prices and incomes.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. RidleyAs the Prime Minister is now capitulating to the T.U.C. all round, will he go the whole hog and abolish the Prices and Incomes Board, along with the policy?
§ The Prime MinisterOn the preamble to the hon. Gentleman's question, there will no doubt be an opportunity to discuss that at the end of Questions. If the hon. Gentleman regards it as capitulation to end these special powers in the Prices and Incomes Act, I wonder why he voted against that Act throughout.
§ Mr. David HowellDoes not the right hon. Gentleman recall describing the introduction of the prices and incomes policy as a "categorical imperative"? Now that another categorical imperative seems to have become less imperative, does he now propose reintroducing this categorical imperative?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. The Prices and Incomes Act has done extremely valuable work, as my right hon. Friend has said, despite the opposition of hon. Members who tried to make it as unworkable as possible throughout. With regard to the second part of that question, I shall deal with it at the end of Questions.
§ Mr. PavittIn spite of the obvious difficulties in an inflationary situation of holding prices, would my right hon. Friend give more publicity to the several cases in which this procedure has kept down prices, notably hearing aid batteries, the price of which was reduced by 25 per cent.?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I am sure that he has lost no opportunity, because of his interest and concern in these matters, of making that clear.