§ 47. Mr. Swinglerasked the Prime Minister if he will now make a detailed statement concerning the control exercised by Her Majesty's Government over flights by British or United States aircraft carrying atom and hydrogen bombs over the United Kingdom and the circumstances in which such flights take place.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI have been asked to reply.
No, Sir. I hope to make a statement in answer to Questions tomorrow.
§ Mr. SwinglerI thank the acting Prime Minister for that promise. Is he aware of the confusion and anxiety which have arisen from previous statements that H-bombs were being regularly carried on patrol, in contrast to his own statement last week that the carriage of H-bombs was a very rare occurrence? Will he be able to reconcile his statement tomorrow with the other statements that have been made and state exactly upon whose authority and why these practices are taking place?
§ Mr. ButlerYes, I shall certainly do my best in the statement, but it will simply be, in effect, the introduction of further clarity into a series of consecutive statements.
§ Mr. PeytonDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that almost all the confusion and doubt that exist upon this subject have arisen out of supplementaries put from time to time by Members of the Opposition?
§ Mr. ButlerI think that they also arise partly out of repetition. Last Friday we had a debate about the procedure of the House, and I cannot help thinking that if a matter comes up continually in the same sense it is very difficult not to repeat the same answers.