§ Q8. Mr. Gregor Mackenzieasked the Prime Minister how many people are employed in the central capability unit of the Cabinet Office; and what is the cost to public funds.
§ The Prime MinisterThe staffing of the Central Policy Review Staff is now the subject of consultation with Lord Rothschild. Costs cannot yet be estimated; but the staff will not be large.
§ Mr. MackenzieDoes the Prime Minister intend to fix a ceiling on the number of people employed and on the amount of money to be spent on the unit? Second, to what extent will this unit be responsible for the evaluation of budgetary and, particularly, defence decisions?
§ The Prime MinisterThe staff will be small in any case. I do not think that there is an actual ceiling on the amount, but it will be a small staff and the expenditure, therefore, will be limited. Budgetary matters will continue to be dealt with in the Treasury.
§ Mr. JenningsIs my right hon. Friend aware that there are many other capability units in this House, namely, backbench Members of Parliament? In the new pattern of Government, the new concentration of power, will he make sure that the rights, powers and privileges of back-bench Members are constantly safeguarded?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir.
§ Mr. CroslandAccording to the White Paper, the first task of the new unit is to produce a definition of strategic objectives. Are we to assume from that that the Conservative Party came to power without a definition of its objectives? If, as it appears, that is the case, is it not somewhat eccentric to entrust the task of defining objectives not to a group of Ministers responsible to Parliament but to a small group of officials headed by a Labour Peer?
§ Mr. JenningsHear, hear.
§ The Prime MinisterI do not see why the right hon. Gentleman should be particularly prejudiced about that. As for 1262 the work of the unit, of course political objectives are laid down by the Cabinet and the organisation itself will be setting its own objectives within that framework. I should have thought that that was a sensible way to go about it.
§ Mr. Raphael TuckWill the right hon. Gentleman be careful not to go towards the American system of presidential government in which his team of advisers are not responsible to Parliament?
§ The Prime MinisterMinisters are responsible to Parliament. I believe that it is responsible to provide the best analysis which can be obtained within the machinery of government. This unit is within the Cabinet secretariat and therefore at the disposal of the Cabinet as a whole and individual members of the Cabinet. This is, therefore, in no way a movement towards the presidential system. In fact, it is exactly the reverse. It is giving the collective body of the Cabinet better analysis than has been available in the past.
§ Mr. HealeyWould the Prime Minister assure the House that he will refer the problems of Concorde and South African arms to the central capability unit before taking a final decision in either of these matters and will explore fully the costs and benefits of alternative courses of action on both issues?
§ The Prime MinisterThe particular projects to be dealt with by the unit will be settled by the Government and the Cabinet secretariat.
§ Sir F. BennettWill my right hon. Friend remind us to which House of Parliament Lord Balogh and Mr. Kaldor were responsible when they formed part of the incapability unit of the late Government?