HC Deb 05 November 1970 vol 805 cc1405-6

Motion made and Question proposed, That a sum, not exceeding£4,835,616,500 be granted to Her Majesty out of the Consolidated Fund, on account, for or towards defraying the charges for the Civil Departments, as set out in House of Commons Paper 143 for the year ending on 31st March, 1972.—[Mr. Patrick Jenkin.]

10.28 p.m.

Mr. R. H. Turton (Thirsk and Malton)

I rise only to draw to the attention of the House the fact that the Motion is quite contrary to the recommendation of the First Report of the Select Committee on Procedure in the last session. The Committee recommended that the Vote on Account be taken on one of the two days when public expenditure is debated. This practice was adopted in the last Parliament. Will my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary give an assurance that tonight's precedent will not be followed, and that in future the Vote on Account will be taken on one of the two days on which public expenditure is debated? All of us appreciate the unusual circumstances of the present year, but this was an important recommendation and it would be a pity if the House changed its procedure and did not give that opportunity. Will my hon. Friend also give an assurance that there will be a two-day debate on public expenditure when the public expenditure White Paper is produced?

10.29 p.m.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Patrick Jenkin)

I am very happy to respond to my right hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton). He asks for two assurances. The first is that our taking the Vote on Account after the White Paper, "New Policies for Public Spending", this time should not be treated as a precedent. I am very happy to give him that assurance. As he acknowledged, I think, it was a rather special occasion this year that we had the extra White Paper setting out the changes of direction of the Government's policies on public expenditure. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has already made it clear that later in the Session there will be the usual full five-year expenditure White Paper, which will be debated in the House.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton then asked for an assurance that there will be a two-day debate. I promise to draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House, whose province this is, to his remarks. That there will be a debate I have no doubt, but as to its timing, that must be arranged through the usual channels. The main point is that it should not be a precedent that we take the Vote on Account separately from the five-year expenditure forecast White Paper. I gladly give that assurance.

Question put and agreed to.