§ 45. Mr. W. Shepherdasked the Prime Minister why the only representative of trade and industry in the delegation to the Five-Power Conference on European Unity at Paris is a representative of the co-operative society.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)With a view to forming an effective and balanced team the British members of the committee in question were chosen on their personal qualifications and not to represent sectional interest.
§ Mr. ShepherdDoes the Prime Minister mean to imply by that answer that it was impossible to find a man of equal calibre from the ordinary private industries of this country, and why does the Government persist in a narrow, partisan attitude on an issue that ought to have a wide general interest?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member himself is showing a partisan attitude. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gill has a very wide knowledge of the international cooperative movement, which has a very wide distribution throughout the world, and, therefore, he is peculiarly qualified to deal with these international questions.