§ 14. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT his reply to the report of the International Monetary Fund team which inspected the United Kingdom economy between 5th February and 13th February.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI made no reply; none was called for.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneOh, come! I should have thought that there was a need for a reply. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the I.M.F., we are told, complained that the Government had abandoned their incomes policy? Surely the right hon. Gentleman ought to explain to the I.M.F. that during the time that the incomes policy was used, ostensibly to reduce the rate of wage increases, it had precisely the opposite effect, and that now it is being used to increase the size of settlement in the interests of the Government's election policy it is being highly successful?
§ Mr. JenkinsOne of the troubles with the hon. Member is that in dealing with the I.M.F. discussions, which are confidential, he believes all Press reports which he reads. I would have expected him to be cured of that by having had some experience of writing them. What was not confidential was Mr. Schweitzer's statement about the mission, which he made in a broadcast a week or so ago when he said:
You know that we have just completed the last review under our present stand-by arrangement and I must say that our team came back with a very clean bill of health for you. We will have absolutely no problems and I guess British representatives in the Monetary Fund will hear only words of praise ".