HC Deb 13 March 1979 vol 964 cc262-9
Q1. Dr. Edmund Marshall

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to propose amendments to section 2 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Michael Foot)

In my right hon. Friend's absence at a meeting of the European Council, I have been asked to reply.

The Government, at present, have no plans to propose amendments to section 2 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975.

Dr. Marshall

As that section relates to the number of Ministers who sit in the House, is my right hon. Friend aware that on the Opposition Front Bench there are fewer than 19 years of Cabinet experience, whereas the corresponding figure for the Treasury Bench will reach 105 years tomorrow? Is it not clear that the Opposition lack anything like sufficient experience to provide an alternative responsible Government?

Mr. Foot

I listened with great fascination to the statistical comparisons made by my hon. Friend, but I would not have thought it necessary to go to those lengths to prove the simple proposition that the Opposition are unfit to govern.

Mr. Michael Latham

Are not the 95 Ministers in the Commons for which section 2 of the Act provides more than enough? Are there not already too many Ministers, too many civil servants and too many quangos in this over-governed and over-taxed country?

Mr. Foot

The full quota of Ministers under the Act has not been taken up. Therefore, I suppose that all Ministers now in office are entitled to a productivity deal.

    cc263-9
  1. PRIME MINISTER (ENGAGEMENTS) 2,043 words
    2. c269
  2. QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS 183 words