HC Deb 02 December 1952 vol 508 c1283
47. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the Prime Minister whether he has yet come to a decision on the future supervision of the Ministers of Food and Agriculture by a co-ordinating Minister.

The Prime Minister

I have no statement to make on this matter at the present time.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

While it is appreciated that the Prime Minister must still feel his way on this as on many other matters, is he able to say whether or not this principle of over-lordship is now in the course of being abandoned?

The Prime Minister

I did not use the expression "over-lordship." I thought it was connected with an operation in the late war, but it has been used a great deal in a very foolish manner. As was explained by the Leader of the Opposition, he managed to do all these things without telling the public anything about them.