§ Q5. Mr. Frank Taylorasked the Prime Minister what was the total cost to public funds of his recent official visit to North America.
§ The Prime MinisterDetailed final figures are not yet available, but the total cost is expected to be less than £10,000 including the imputed cost of some £6,200 for the charter of an aircraft from Air Support Command.
§ Mr. TaylorI am grateful to the Prime Minister for that reply, but could he confirm that this is the thirtieth trip abroad he has made as Prime Minister at the expense of the public purse? [HON. MEMBERS: "Cheap."] Does he consider that the State has received value for money —[HON. MEMBERS: "Who is he?"]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The House must be fair. Mr. Frank Taylor.
§ Mr. FauldsOn a point of order. Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, you could enlighten me as to who is this Gentleman. I have never seen him here before.
§ The SpeakerOrder. I do not think the hon. Member for Manchester, Moss Side (Mr. Frank Taylor) could ask the same question.
§ Mr. TaylorAnd, furthermore, does the Prime Minister not agree that a considerable proportion of this hidden expenditure should be charged to the Huyton constituency as election expenses?
§ The Prime MinisterI very much welcome the intervention of the hon. Gentleman in our affairs here, but perhaps he has not heard the very moving and touching Questions from his colleagues suggesting that I should visit almost every other country in the world. I can understand their concern about my being in this country.
The cost of these visits compares in general with the cost of my predecessors' visits, though they used chartered commercial aircraft and I prefer to fly with the Royal Air Force. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the utility of many of these visits. If it had not been for the first visit discussed in Question 1, I might have crossed the Atlantic not in a Royal Air Force aircraft but in a mixed-manned submarine, which I would not have preferred.
§ Mr. C. PannellWill the Prime Minister bear in mind that we consider that it is far better he should travel abroad quite properly and honourably as the Prime Minister of this country rather than that he should go as the guest of the Cunard Line and at the expense of private enterprise, as did Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Anthony Eden on one occasion?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not know anything about that, but if the hon. Gentleman who asked this Question is correct in saying that I have been abroad 30 times in 5½ years, I can say that on none of those 30 occasions have I ever "knocked Britain", unlike right hon. Gentlemen opposite when they are abroad.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyNotwithstanding the cost, will the Prime Minister seriously consider, in the remaining months, paying a visit to Malta, which is a fiercely independent island to which we owe a great deal, bearing in mind the Government pledges to be carried out which still have to be settled?
§ The Prime MinisterI know that the hon. Gentleman is putting forward this seriously, unlike some other suggestions which have been made. I have had close relationships with the Prime Minister of Malta when he has visited this country, not only for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' conference. Certainly I will consider what the hon. Gentleman suggests, though a number of my right hon. Friends have been to Malta to discuss some of the very acute difficulties which arise on the financial side.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs my right hon. Friend aware that, although we have no right to object to fair criticism, the time has come to treat with contempt the infantile vapourings of some right hon. and hon. Gentlemen opposite?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Mr. Heath Business Question.