§ 3. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the date on which his Welsh Office received a request to print the document circulated on behalf of the Advisory Council for Wales; and to what extent priority was given to this work in his Department.
§ Mr. H. MacmillanI assume that the hon. Member refers to the memorandum issued by the Council on 7th December, 1953. Preliminary notice was given by the Council to my Welsh Office on 3rd December that copies of a document would be required on 7th December. The manuscript draft was supplied early on 7th December, and copies were duplicated on the same day.
§ Mr. ThomasAs this document included a very severe personal attack upon the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Welsh Affairs, will the Minister state whether he consulted his right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary, or whether he will give a guarantee that further attacks by this body will be so obligingly published?
§ Mr. MacmillanThe Welsh Council is an independent body, and I do not propose to try to control its decisions. All we do is to give it the courtesy of our office in an endeavour to help it.