Suez Canal Zone (Hansard, 5 December 1956)

§ 37. Mr. Lewis
asked the Minister of Defence why plans were prepared by the military authorities in Cyprus for a landing in the Suez Canal Zone, by Her Majesty's Government on 25th August, 1956; and why this plan was altered and the landing called off on 18th August, 1956.

§ The Minister of Defence (Mr. Antony Head)
They were not.

§ Mr. Lewis
Will the Minister look at the position again in view of a report in the New York Times that the officers concerned in Cyprus—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I do not think the Minister can be responsible for what appears in the New York Times.

§ Mr. Lewis
Will the Minister look at the position again,;n view of the fact that the officers concerned have issued a statement to the effect that the War Office and the Ministry of Defence did, in fact, give these orders?

§ Mr. Head
I can only repeat that that is not so.

§ Mr. Warbey
Is the Minister aware that the French Minister of Defence, M. Bourges Manoury, stated that the British Government had asked for 60 days' delay—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Member is quoting the French Minister of Defence, but he is questioning the British Minister of Defence.

§ Mr. Warbey
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The Question relates to an operation conducted under a joint Anglo-French command. Therefore, I submit that such supplementary questions as mine can be raised.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member can ask his supplementary question without basing it on something said by someone for whom the Minister of Defence is not responsible, joint though the operation may have been; and it might then be in order.

§ Mr. Usborne
On a point of order. If it is true that one may not ask a Minister about a point of view which is expressed by a person for whom he is not directly responsible, how do you explain, Mr. Speaker, that we are apparently entitled to ask Ministers what is their view of statements made at the United Nations by people for whom they are not directly responsible?

§ Mr. Speaker
That is a general question, and I should like to look at the individual questions the hon. Member has in mind. Of course, there is Governmental responsibility for the representations which they make at the United Nations, and that is a slightly different procedure.

§ Mr. Lewis
Further to that point of order. When I put my supplementary question, you will recollect, Mr. Speaker, that I started to ask the Minister whether he would look at the New York Times and I was about to say—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—that one of his officers had made statements. You stopped me from quoting the New York Times, That I appreciate, but is it not a fact that on many occasions questions have been asked about serving officers and that Press reports of what the officers have said have been quoted?

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member asked his second question and it was answered. I did not stop him asking his second question.

§ Mr. Warbey
Will the Minister say whether the Anglo-French operation against Egypt was postponed for 60 days 1233 at the request of the British Government and against the wishes and desires of the French Government.

§ Mr. Head
That has nothing to do with this Question. [Interruption.] Hon. Members really must give me a chance. This has nothing to do with the Question, but I can repeat the same answer, and say it was not.