Parliamentary Questions

HC Deb 23 January 1980 vol 977 cc239-40W

Mr. Michael Spicer

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will make a statement on future arrangements for handling parliamentary questions.

The Prime Minister

I am replying since the question raises matters of ministerial responsibility.

Following the enactment of the Competition Bill, responsibility for issues affecting prices will be dealt with by Ministers as follows:

1. 1. Questions on individual price rises will be the responsibility of the sponsoring Minister of the industry concerned.
2. 2. Questions on prices which are statutorily controlled will be the responsibility of the Minister exercising the control.
3. 3. Questions relating to competition policy will be the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Trade.
4. 4. Technical questions on the construction of particular price indices will be the responsibility of the Ministers whose Departments are responsible for the compilation of the index in question
5. 5. Questions on the past or current movement of price indices will be the responsibility of the Minister responsible for the policy to which the particular index relates.
6. 6. Questions on the forecast movement of particular indices in the future will be the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
7. 7. Questions of the relationship between the movement of particular price indices and other factors or aspects of policy will generally be the 240 responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer or, if different, the Minister responsible for the aspect of policy concerned.