§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the consultation proposals sent by the Treasury to the chairmen of nationalised industries were sent also to the chairmen of the relevant consumer councils, and if so whether comments from the latter have been received and are being taken into consideration.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Arts (The Earl of Gowrie)My Lords, copies of the Government's consultation proposals on possible nationalised industry legislative proposals have been made widely available and sent to all those who requested them. I am pleased to say that all the nationalised industry consumer councils received copies and most have submitted comments. All the comments that have been received are, of course, being carefully considered.
§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, knowing the Minister as I do, I wonder whether his brief gives him the background to this matter. Is he aware that the Government slipped this through on 20th December by means of a Written Answer in another place; that Members in another place knew nothing about it until Mr. Jeff Rooker spotted it in the Library and raised the matter by means of a Question for Written Answer on 11th February? Does the Minister realise that the chairmen of the consumer councils knew nothing about it until Mr. Rooker raised the matter, and that they then asked for the consultation proposals to be sent to them? Would it not have been better if they had been sent to them in the first place?
The Earl of GowrieMy Lords, I do not think that it is for me to comment precisely on what went on in another place, but, as I said in my original reply to the noble Baroness, all the comments that have been received are being most carefully considered, and I give the noble Baroness an absolute undertaking to that effect.
§ Baroness Burton of CoventryMy Lords, will the Minister not agree that matters affecting the consumer councils are not confined to another place and that we in this House are also interested? Can he persuade the Government to recognise that it is very difficult for us to believe that they really wish to give authority to the consumer councils if they persist in ignoring them in this way? Finally, I should like to ask the noble Earl 798 whether he has read the Written Answer by Mr. Peter Rees in another place on 11th February, and, if so, does he not think that it is a sorry business?
The Earl of GowrieNo, my Lords, I think nothing that my right honourable friend does is a sorry business. However, I was trying to meet the noble Baroness when I said at the beginning that I was concerned with what takes place in this House, and I give the noble Baroness and, through my Answer to her Question, the House, a guarantee that this will be most carefully considered.