CENTRAL POLICY REVIEW STAFF (Hansard, 10 July 1973)

§ Q4. Mr. Ashley
asked the Prime Minister what criteria he uses to appoint new members of the Central Policy Review Staff.

§ Q5. Mr. Atkinson
asked the Prime Minister what is the present size of the Central Policy Review Staff.

§ The Prime Minister
New members are appointed to the CPRS to maintain a balance of discipline and expertise. The CPRS has at present 18 members.

§ Mr. Ashley
Will the Prime Minister ask the Central Policy Review Staff to examine the plight of one-parent families, many of whom are the poorest of the poor and even worse off than some pensioners? Will he also ask it to comment on the gross incompetence of the so-called Finer Committee which was set up in the 1960s and is still sitting on its collective backside'?

§ The Prime Minister
I know that the hon. Gentleman is disturbed about the delay in the report of the Finer Committee on this matter. The committee had a very wide-ranging task. I understand that it now hopes to complete its report before the end of the year. In these circumstances, I do not think it is necessary to put this matter before the CPR S. Although there has been a long delay, I think we should await the Finer Committee's report.

§ Mr. Ridsdale
Will my right hon. Friend ask the review staff to look into the position of pensioners, particularly in the lower income group, because it would be a practical way of helping such pensioners, especially with the steep rise in prices, if tax reductions could be made from time to time between annual reviews?

§ The Prime Minister
If my hon. Friend is referring to the tax question of old-age pensioners, that is better conducted by the Treasury and the Inland Revenues which have all the information.
The annual review of pensions is carried out by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services. By October, as the House knows, the increase in the old-age pension will have reached 55 per cent. during the life of the present Government.

§ Mr. Atkinson
Will the Prime Minister ask his advisers to have another look at the whole question of wage restraint in phase 3 of the counter-inflation policy? In view of the anomalous position which has been created as a result of phase 2 wage restraint, may I ask whether the Prime Minister agrees that workers today are worse off than they were 12 months ago? Does he accept that, using his own figures, if the average gross increase is 7 per cent. at the moment—take-home pay must be less than that—and prices have increased on average by 9½ per cent., wage restraint must be a very unfair policy as the Government are now pursuing it?

§ The Prime Minister
I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman on those figures. He is completely omitting the large settlements that were carried out before November, which are now operative. That was one reason for bringing in the standstill. All these matters are being discussed between the Government, the TUC and the CBI. The work is being done urgently by all three parties to the talks, and it will be carried further forward at the meetings on 27th and 30th of this month.

§ Sir Gilbert Longden
Will my right hon. Friend tell us whether the review staff is concerned with foreign affairs? If so, has its advice been asked on how the common agricultural policy can be reviewed and hon. Members can best be elected to a directly elected European Parliament?

§ The Prime Minister
I do not think that either of those matters is for the Central Policy Review Staff. The CAP is being reviewed in the Community by the Commission and by individual member Governments putting forward their own proposals. That can be handled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Parliamentary affairs are for the House itself to study if it so wishes. In particular, it is for those who have been attending the European Parliament in Strasbourg to give the House the benefit of their advice.