asked the Minister for Finance whether he has any plans to issue a White Paper on the economy.

In my budget speech of last January — column 391 of the Official Report for 28 January, 1981 — I stated that the Investment Plan 1981 would be followed by a paper dealing with medium-term economic development. Preparation of this paper is proceeding in my Department. A date for publication has yet to be settled.

Has the Minister any indication of when the paper will be ready?

It should be ready shortly.

What is the Minister's definition of "shortly"?

I should like to be able to put a time on it but it is not all that easy. I should hope that at the latest it would be available by mid-summer.

May I take it from what the Minister has said that neither the document nor a draft of it has been circulated to the members of the Government yet?

A draft of it is in the late stages of preparation. It is my intention to have certain discussions on that document with interested parties, such as both sides of industry.

Will the Minister make available to Members of this House as much information as to the contents of that document as he is prepared to make available to both sides of industry?

As I said, the document is in the final stages of preparation. I believe that it would be in the best interests of everybody that its contents should not be made publicly available at present.

Does the Minister intend discussing with interested parties the draft document or the one that has been finalised and passed by the Government?

The document that had been considered previously by the Government.

But in its final form?

Not necessarily.

The Minister said a draft document was now nearing completion. One assumes that would go to the Government. I understood the Minister to say that it would be discussed with both sides of industry, that the purpose of that discussion would be that they would have an input into the final document. Is that the case?

Surely that would be the reason for the discussion and would be consistent with the policies being continued by this Government.

I am asking the Minister in regard to this document, before it is finalised, before it becomes Government policy, will both sides of industry and other interested bodies have an input that could have an influence on the final document?

Not other interested bodies but, yes, both sides of industry could have.

Might I ask the Minister——

We have had six questions answered in 23 minutes. We must make more progress with questions than that.

What about the farming organisations?

I have had no such request.

I want to impress on the Minister this one point: does he not agree that to consult both sides of industry and give them draft copies of the document before its final form and refuse to reveal it to this House is something which is damaging to democracy in this country? Would the Minister reconsider his decision on that?

I would reconsider any decision but I would say to the Deputy that I think the Government would act at all times in the best interests of the development of this country.

Question No. 7.

Does the Minister consider it healthy to make this available to both sides of industry but not to agriculture?

Question No. 7.