§ Q1. Mr. Douglasasked the Prime Minister what administrative arrangements are in existence to ensure that a Minister's Departmental responsibilities are not encroached on in public pronouncements made by other Ministers.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)In this as in previous Administrations it is at times appropriate for my right hon. Friends to refer in their public speeches to subjects which are the Departmental responsibility of another Minister. But such cases are covered by the standing arrangements for consultation between Departments.
§ Mr. DouglasHas it escaped the right hon. Gentleman's attention that Scottish 239 junior Ministers have been given distinctive titles? Can he give us details of the number of occasions on which those Ministers have appeared on television in Scotland to discuss topics outside their Ministerial job description? Will he make it clear that the television companies concerned should explain to the general public that, on such occasions, the Ministers concerned possess less than even their usual competence, if that is possible? What fees have been paid to the Ministers for their performances?
§ The Prime MinisterMinisters at the Scottish Office, other than the Secretary of State, have particular titles. It was generally thought to be for the convenience of the House and of the public outside that it should be known on which particular activity each Minister was concentrating. But it has never been the practice in any Administration that a Minister should be limited to speaking, either in the House or in public, on the subjects which were in his title. This step was meant to be helpful, and I think that it is known to be so.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIs not the problem for members of the Shadow Cabinet to avoid encroachment on each other's memoirs?