HC Deb 16 March 1978 vol 946 cc344-5W
Mr. Hugh Jenkins

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to move towards a free market or a planned economy.

Mr. Joel Barnett

Improvement of the United Kingdom's economic performance requires a strengthening of both the public and private sectors of industry. The Government will continue to use the wide range of powers and incentives available to it to secure this; and believes that economic expansion is most likely to be achieved by co-operation between Government and the two sides of industry in setting and monitoring objectives, as in the tripartite industrial strategy.