asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a committee to investigate the feasibility of restoring to private ownership, in part or whole, the nationalised industries.

I have been asked to reply. No, Sir.

As many people, particularly in Scotland, are outraged by the rise in prices and the poor services and the disastrous social policies of certain nationalised industries, should not the Government be seriously thinking about restoring to private enterprise those sections of the nationalised industries which, in the right hon. Gentleman's own phrase, are failing the nation?

If the hon. Gentleman takes a moment to consider the record of those basic industries and services when they were last under private enterprise, he will hesitate about repeating that question.

Will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that in the aircraft industry as in other industries the possibilities of nationalisation will be treated as practical questions on their economic merits and not as a subject of Tory ideological bias?

I find it hard to believe that there is such a thing as Tory ideological thinking, but I assure my hon. Friend, sharing as we do the same ideological background, that we will consider all these matters on their merit.