§ Q3. Mr. Wigleyasked the Prime Minister if he will visit Caernarvon.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no present plans to do so, sir.
§ Mr. WigleyWill the Prime Minister assure the people of Caernarvon and elsewhere that, should the Government fail to get a timetable motion on the Scotland and Wales Bill because of the collaboration of Labour Members with Conservatives who are determined to wreck the Bill, he will extend the present Session through to 1978 or for however long it takes to get the Bill through?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that I would be in accordance with precedent if I answered that question as my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Houses would answer it, by saying "Not next week, Sir."
§ Mr. LeeWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that some of us who support the devolution Bill will not be prepared to support a guillotine if it allows the European direct elections Bill to come in? Would not the best occasion for Royal Assent to be given to the Scotland and Wales Bill be the fourth Friday in July 1979?
§ The Prime MinisterThere is no direct connection between these two Bills. I hope that my hon. Friend does not intend to play the fool on either of them.
§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopIs the reason why the Prime Minister will not visit Caernarvon the fact that he was visiting it last night, instead of voting in the House to prevent the defeat of his own Government—although he was unpaired last night—on the Reduction of Redundancy Rebates Bill? If not, will he tell the House why he secured the defeat of his own Government by not voting last night?
§ The Prime MinisterI understood last night that I was paired. I hope that the lesson has been learnt by all of us, in view of the difficulties over the pairing of sick Members yesterday, that if the Opposition are setting a trap we ought to be a little more careful in the future than in the past.