§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Prime Minister whether she will require of all Ministers, before they carry out cuts in public services, that they must discuss with elected public authorities or their elected representatives, employers and trades unions and others connected with the service the envisaged proposals connected with these cuts.
§ The Prime MinisterWhere local authority expenditure is concerned, consultative machinery already exists in the form of regular meetings with representatives of local authorities and between Ministers and the TUC local government committee. The Government also discuss with the nationalised industries their financing requirements for the coming year before settling their external financing limits. Similar discussions are held with other spending authorities. It is for the spending authorities to consult interested parties, as they think fit, including the trade unions, about the ways in which they will keep within their expenditure totals.