asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will introduce legislation to enable members of local authorities to vote upon issues relating to the terms of tenancies of council houses when they are tenants of such houses.

No, Sir. The existing law enables my right hon. Friend to give such members a dispensation to vote in appropriate circumstances. But I think it is generally accepted that a member should not, if it can be avoided, vote on matters which manifestly affect his own pocket.

Has the hon. Gentleman conferred with the Prime Minister on this issue? Is he aware that the Prime Minister has repeatedly justified to this House Ministers, including himself, initiating and voting on policy from which they have themselves received vast sums of money in the form of subsidies? Why should there be a higher standard of public conduct for councillors than for the Prime Minister and other Ministers?

I think that the operative words in my Answer were "if it can be avoided". The hon. Gentleman will realise that most of us here hope one day to retire and to get an old-age pension, but we would be very pushed to do so if we could not vote on it.

Will the hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that he will discuss this matter with the Prime Minister and let us have the Prime Minister's views on it?

May I ask the Minister whether he is aware that these rules sometimes create very real difficulties, and would not it be simpler to enact that any councillor may vote on any issue, provided that if he has a personal interest he declares it so that his fellow councillors and the whole electorate know?

Mr. Corlfield:

As the hon. Gentleman knows, the broad principles both of Section 76 and the policy of granting dispensations are accepted by the local authority associations, and dispensation is readily granted to speak, though not to vote, on matters of specific individual interest.

Mr. Loighlin:

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.