Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 4 July 1963.
Mr Harold Macmillan
, Bromley
12:00,
4 July 1963
Having made his well-prepared supplementary, perhaps the hon. Member will allow me to make an equally well-prepared reply. In several Administrations over the last 20 years it has been the practice of the Prime Minister to appoint a senior member of the Government to act as Deputy prime minister. This helps in the efficient dispatch of Public Business. But it is not an appointment submitted to the Sovereign and in my view it should not be so.
The office of Deputy Prime Minister is one that has only existed occasionally in the history of the United Kingdom. Unlike analogous offices in other nations, the Deputy Prime Minister does not have any of the powers of the Prime Minister in the latter's absence and there is no presumption that the Deputy Prime Minister will succeed the Prime Minister.
The post has existed intermittently and there have been a number of disputed occasions as to whether or not the title has actually been conferred.
More from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom
Public Business is the main business of the day that follows questions, urgent questions and statements.
