§ Q2. Mr. Dalyellasked the Prime Minister if he will make an official visit to Edinburgh.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 5th November to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Taylor).—[Vol. 880, c. 115.]
§ Mr. DalyellWhen are we to expect a timetable for the Assembly?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Lord President told the House last Tuesday at the end of the debate on the Gracious Speech that he hoped that the legislation would be drafted during the present Session. In any case, my right hon. Friend said that he hoped that by Christmas he would be able to indicate a firmer timetable to the House. There is no question of any delay that can be avoided, but as I have already told the House, as did my right hon. Friend, the measures that we are taking are of a nature and depth unprecedented in our history. I think that it would be wrong to rush legislation before the House and on to the statute book until full consideration and consultation has taken place.
§ Mr. Alexander FletcherWhenever the Prime Minister visits Edinburgh, will he take the opportunity to inform himself of the important contributions that the independent Scottish banks and insurance companies make to the Scottish and, indeed, to the British economy? Will the right hon. Gentleman remove the threat of nationalisation from those institutions, particularly the threat of centralisation of their control to London which would follow nationalisation?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure that the hon. Gentleman is right in what he said about the important part played in the economy, not only of Scotland but of the United Kingdom as well, by those banks. However, I cannot myself recall anything, either in the Gracious Speech or in the Labour Party manifesto, that would give rise to any anxiety on the part of the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mrs. Winifred EwingIn view of the Prime Minister's promise of early legislation—at least we on this bench hope 236 that there will be early legislation—is it not time that the right hon. Gentleman visited Edinburgh, among other things to tell the incumbents in Parliament House that he has no designs—[Interruption.]—on that particular building for the new parliament? Will the right hon. Gentleman consider setting up a committee to settle where the site of the parliament will be? Is he aware that that is a matter of considerable importance in Scotland? Will the Prime Minister also give his mind to setting up a committee now to consider decentralisation as a good thing and to consider sites other than in Edinburgh, and when he sets up that committee, as he will do, will he put me in charge of it?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Lady has certainly raised a very important question, but I do not think that it is one for immediate decision. When other more constitutional matters have been settled in respect of the legislation, the question of premises will be of great importance. There will be a number of possible claimants not only from Edinburgh but, as the hon. Lady said, perhaps from outside Edinburgh as well.
There was a little noise, but when the hon. Lady mentioned "Parliament building" I do not know whether she meant the Assembly of the Church of Scotland building.
§ Mrs. Ewingindicated dissent.
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think we can possibly take any decisions on the subject now. There will be consultations on those matters and, should it be necessary to build new premises, consideration might be given to an architectural competition for it. All those matters are still some way in the future.