HC Deb 04 March 1969 vol 779 cc213-4
Q4. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Prime Minister if it remains the practice of his Administration that Ministers do not communicate directly and personally on offical matters relating to their departments with individual constituents of hon. Members without reference to the hon. Member concerned.

The Prime Minister

I have nothing to add to my reply to a Question by the right hon. Gentleman on 8th November, 1966.—[Vol. 735, c. 1144.]

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Is the Prime Minister aware—I think he is—that his right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Building and Works a short time ago was communicating on a matter relating to his Department, the future of Richmond Park, with the Chairman of Kingston Labour Party without informing the hon. Member concerned? Is not this a breach of the normal standard of good manners for Ministers?

The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman was kind enough to let me know the case he had in mind. It was not dissimilar from the case he raised in 1966, when I said that I could not think of any general rule that could be laid down. In this case I think the Minister asked for views from the public, and it was right that he should reply to those members of the public who gave their views, including the gentleman in question. I think the right hon. Gentleman will recognise that it would be very tedious, not only for Ministers, but for Members, if every letter from every Minister to every member of the public was sent to the constituency Member.

Mr. Richard Wainwright

Does the Prime Minister acknowledge the convention that when Ministers make premeditated public speaking engagements in another Member's constituency they should give some warning to the Member concerned? If the Prime Minister agrees with that, will he remind his Cabinet colleagues about it?

The Prime Minister

I agree about this. I recognise that under successive Governments it has not always been 100 per cent. honoured. Successive Prime Ministers have tried to see that it was. If the hon. Gentleman, or any other hon. Member, knows of particular cases, and they let me know, I shall do my best to see that these things are honoured in future.