§ Q1. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister when he intends to seek to establish a Scottish Assembly; and when he expects it to be functioning.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rutherglen (Mr. Gregor Mackenzie) on 10th November.—[Vol. 806, c. 128.]
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the Prime Minister aware that that Answer conveyed nothing very much? Why is the right hon. Gentleman so tardy in bringing forward this proposal, which in any case had absolutely no effect on the electorate in Scotland at the General Election? What will the difference be between the proposed Scottish Assembly and the Scottish Grand Committee? Is it just a tarted-up version of the Scottish Grand Committee, with no extra powers?
§ The Prime MinisterThe recommendation of paragraph 322 of the Scottish Constitutional Committee was that constitutional reform should follow the proposals for local government reform. We are adhering to that programme.
§ Mr. GrimondDoes the Prime Minister intend to introduce proposals for a Scottish Assembly before or after the Report of Lord Crowther? When does he expect that Report to be in his hands?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have not been informed when that Report will be to hand. We are not committed to holding up the constitutional reform until after Lord Crowther's Committee reports, but we have always said that it will come after the reform of local government.
§ Mr. MaclennanIf the Prime Minister is not prepared to wait until Lord Crowther's Report is forthcoming, will he ask the Committee to accelerate a special report on Scotland to enable him to have the benefit of that important Royal Commission?
§ The Prime MinisterI could pass that message to Lord Crowther. I understand that the Commission does not wish to make interim reports on individual parts of the United Kingdom. If a situation arose in which it was desirable, I could certainly broach that with Lord Crowther.