§ 18. Mr. Rifkindasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the effect on the Scottish economy of British withdrawal from the EEC.
§ Mr. MillanThe Government's view remains as I described it in my reply to the hon. Member on 7th April.—[Vol. 889, c. 349.]
§ Mr. RifkindWill the Minister indicate why the Secretary of State has not himself chosen to reply to my Question as he promised he would if I put one down? Will he also indicate how the Government reconcile the statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland that the European Community is a monstrous bureaucracy with the simple fact that the Scottish Office employs more civil servants than the European Commission?
§ Mr. MillanThe Scottish Office does a lot of things that the European Commission does not. It runs the police and prison services, for example, and so far as I know we do not yet have a Common Market prison service. Some of these comparisons are, therefore, perhaps a little misleading. My right hon. Friend said that if the hon. Gentleman put down a Question he would get an answer. He put down a Question and he has had an answer.