Government Information Co-ordination (Hansard, 24 January 1984)

§ Lord Diamond
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Lord President of the Council (Viscount Whitelaw)
My Lords, the Prime Minister has asked me to take responsibility for co-ordinating the presentation of Government policy in addition to my duties in this House. My aim is to support the already substantial co-ordination effort at official level. My work in this House has not been, and will not be, affected.

§ Lord Diamond
My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Viscount for that Answer; and I take particular notice of the part that he, as it were, underlined vocally. May I start by asking him whether he is aware that, as regards his duties as Leader of this House, we on these Benches have nothing but praise for the way in which he carries them out. I imagine that that goes for many others of your Lordships as well. But is there not a danger that the impartiality which he shows in carrying out those important tasks may be in conflict with the partiality which I believe is required to carry out the far less important task of trying to prevent the Government from getting a bad press whenever they are doing badly, as they are at the moment? Is it not vital that there should be no confusion between the noble Viscount and whitewash?

§ Viscount Whitelaw
My Lords, I am extremely grateful for what the noble Lord has very kindly said in his all too kind references to my efforts, which will certainly continue; and I shall do my best to serve this House at all times. As for what he describes as a conflict, there is of course a dual role. Whether I like it or not from time to time, I am a member of the Cabinet and a member of the Government and I therefore defend all the Government's policies all the time. That is very proper and very right. At the same time as doing that, I am equally Leader of this House and, as such, am responsible to Members in all parts of this House. I do not think there is a conflict. If there is a conflict, I can promise this House that I will always remember my duties to this House.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, may I also say that we appreciate the manner in which the noble Viscount conducts his duties and wish him a happy tenure, but not a long one. First, may I ask the noble Viscount whether he agrees that open Government is preferable to closed Government? Secondly, will he say whether or not a central unit is to be set up in No. 10 Downing Street with responsibility for news management in the first place, and personnel matters in the second place? If that is so, does he agree with me that that could represent rather a dangerous development?

§ Viscount Whitelaw
My Lords, I am equally grateful for what the noble Lord has said. As regards the question of open or closed Government, I think it is very important that Government are open. I think that the danger towards overmuch secrecy has, over the years, in many Governments gone a long way and I think that has to be watched. But there are certain things. After all, whether it is in a Government, whether it is in a family or whether it is anywhere else, we do not always want to parade to everybody else in the world everything that happens in our closed consultations. I think that the noble Lord will agree with me about that. But equally, I notice that, whether the Government like it or not, a great many things that the Government seem to be doing—whether or not they wish to let them out—get out, whether I can do anything about them or not, and I have to understand that.
As for the the question of a unit, I can assure the noble Lord that there will be no unit. I shall have no staff. I do not intend to set myself up as some marvellous figure, because I know perfectly well that if I did I would soon be knocked off that pedestal. I do not have the slightest intention of producing what might be described as a forward profile, because the lower my profile the less I have to fall, and that is what I intend to do.