HC Deb 30 November 1971 vol 827 cc247-8
Q4. Mr. Bidwell

asked the Prime Minister if he will pay an official visit to Longford, Middlesex.

The Prime Minister

I have at present no plans to do so.

Mr. Bidwell

Is the Prime Minister aware that a few weeks ago the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-West (Mr. Powell) visited Longford, a few miles from my constituency, to make, yet again, a demagogic, racialist speech aimed at my constituents seeking, one assumes, to turn many of them white with fright. Since in this speech, which received wide publicity—although it was not handed out from the Tory Central Office this time—the right hon. Gentleman accused the Government of back-tracking on Conservative policy, and since in a cowardly way he accused Home Office officials of issuing falsified monthly figures, will the Prime Minister reconsider his answer and come either to Longford or to Southall to explain the Government's true position?

The Prime Minister

I have no responsibility for such matters, and it is an abuse of Question Time.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Is the Prime Minister aware that this is the second time that a Privy Councillor has accused a Government Department of issuing false statistics? Cannot civil servants be protected from this sort of allegation?

The Prime Minister

I have repeated constantly in the House that if any hon. Member, a Privy Councillor or otherwise, has any complaint to make and sends me the information, it will be inquired into. I have never received such information.