§ 9. Major C. S. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Air what appointment Air Vice-Marshal Lloyd now holds; whether his attention has been drawn to reports of an interview given by this officer in Washington; and whether he authorised the statements in that interview?
§ Sir A. SinclairAir Vice-Marshal Lloyd has been appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters, Royal Air Force, Middle East. I am responsible for what the air vice-marshal said in his very successful interviews with the Press in Washington. I am not responsible for statements which were incorrectly attributed to him.
§ Major TaylorCan my right hon. Friend say that the very damaging statements which were reported in the Press were untrue, and, if so, will his Department consider publishing a denial?
§ Sir A. SinclairNo, Sir; but if the hon. and gallant Member has any statement in mind and will ask me about it, I will gladly give him an answer. This officer is the very gallant officer who commanded the air defence of Malta during the worst months of the blitz, and the interview he gave in America at a time when there was a good deal of depression about the war and the description he gave of the gallant resistance of Malta to air attack were of the utmost value to the Allied cause.