§ 26. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he proposes to carry out his undertaking to send to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon Thames reports of Lord Citrine's speech on 5 th December.
Mr. P. Noel-BakesI did not send the hon. Member the transcript of Lord Citrine's words because, before I could do so, he had put down a further Question, from which I assumed that he preferred to deal with the matter in the House rather than by correspondence. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary answered that Question on my behalf, and pointed out that the extracts from the Press reports of Lord Citrine's speech which the hon. Member sent me did not bear the interpretation which the hon. Member had placed upon them in his original Question. I therefore considered that the matter was closed. But since the hon. Member still desires to have it, I am now sending him a verbatim transcript of what Lord Citrine said.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWhile thanking the right hon. Gentleman for the last part of his reply, may I ask is he aware that his hon. Friend, in the Question referred to, did not deal with that matter at all? If the right hon. Gentleman has any doubt about that, will he look it up again?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerIf the hon. Gentleman will look up what my hon. Friend said, he will see that he said quite plainly that Lord Citrine's words did not bear the interpretation which the hon. Member puts upon them.