§ Q5. Mr. Kaufmanasked the Prime Minister whether he feels that any changes require to be made in the coordination of the Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Employment to further the counter-inflation policies of Her Majesty's Government.
§ The Prime MinisterNot at present.
§ Mr. KaufmanHaving sought to devalue Parliament by making his statement on counter-inflation to a presidential Press conference rather than to the House, is the Prime Minister now affirming in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) that he is about to attempt to bamboozle the country over inflation by gagging the Price Commission? Is this open government?
§ The Prime MinisterWhat I told the hon. Gentleman was that the Price Commission's suggestion will be examined.
§ Mr. RedmondWill my right hon. Friend say what proportion of the applications for price increases put to the commission was approved?
§ The Prime MinisterThe Price Commission has set out in its report all the details of those it rejected or got altered and the minority which it approved.
§ Mr. HealeyDoes the Prime Minister agree that one does not have to be either frustrated or a fanatic to think, like the Daily Telegraph, that it is the unprecedented profligacy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that is primarily responsible for the inflation from which the country is now suffering?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no truth in that allegation, from whichever source it comes.