§ 7. Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, pursuant to the answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 1020, he will make a statement on the seminar chaired by the Minister for Information Technology on the morning of 24 January.
§ The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Paul Channon)The seminar to which my hon. Friend referred was one Iola series involving the research and development directors of technology-based companies. It was attended also by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science and by representatives of financial institutions and of the Government.
§ Mr. DalyellDoes the right hon. Gentleman recollect that 24 January was the morning when his predecessor consulted Sir Brian Hayes and other distinguished civil servants about Westland? What has happened to the doctrine of ministerial responsibility? What would Rab Butler, whose parliamentary private secretary the right hon. Gentleman was, have said about politicians who, when they get into a jam, start blaming civil servants for what they themselves have set in motion, authorising inquiries into so-called leaks knowing full well where the responsibility and initiative for the problem rested in the first place?
§ Mr. ChannonI do not think that the hon. Gentleman will expect me to comment on what he alleges in his question, which relates to a seminar chaired by my hon. Friend the Minister for Information Technology. It has nothing to do with the points that the hon. Gentleman has in mind. As the hon. Gentleman was kind enough to refer to Rab Butler, I assure him that Rab Butler always told me to answer the question on the Order Paper and not some fictitious one that came up later.
§ Mr. DalyellThat is a good answer.