§ Lord John HopeOn a point of Order. I rise with your permission, Mr. Speaker, to correct a mistake that was made in the Debate on the Adjournment yesterday, a mistake made, I am sure quite inadvertently, by the hon. Member for East Islington (Mr. E. Fletcher) to whom I have endeavoured, I am afraid unsuccessfully, to give notice of this matter. He said, and he is reported at column 848 of HANSARD as follows:
I think the country should know that apart from the literature which the Government sent to America through British Information Services they also arrange for a series of visits by Members of Parliament, to 924 tour the United States from time to time, and that those visits are not confined to Members from the Labour benches, but include visits by Members from the Opposition benches. The noble Lord himself"—that is referring to me—is one of the Members who have been selected since this Government have been in power to go to America to explain what is happening in Britain, and he was given a perfectly free hand in doing so."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 25th January, 1949; Vol. 460, c. 848.]I am afraid that at the time I did not realise the import of what the hon. Member was saying. It is, of course, quite inaccurate to suggest that, and I want to say to the House that I was in no way indebted to the Government for my visit to the United States last year.