§ Q6. Mr. Wyattasked the Prime Minister whether the public speech of the Foreign Secretary at Brayford North, Lincoln, on 7th July on foreign policy represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir.
§ Mr. WyattAs the Foreign Secretary in his speech repeated the false charge that in some mysterious way the Labour Party destroyed the deal over the Spanish frigates, will not the Prime Minister agree that what really happened was that because of the premature disclosure in the British Press, authorised by the Ministry of Defence, that negotiations were going on, the Spanish took umbrage and went back on the negotiations? Even the Ministry of Defence spokesman said that the announcement was supposed to be made in Madrid. [Interruption.] I can wait until hon. Members opposite have finished. I can understand their not wanting to ascertain the facts. They are immensely discreditable to the 1025 Prime Minister and his Government. Will the right hon. Gentleman agree to publish a White Paper setting out all the facts about the negotiations and stating exactly what happened, what orders were given and when they were withdrawn?
§ The Prime MinisterThese were commercial deals. Whatever hon. Members opposite suspect, they were deals between our shipbuilding and engineering industries and the Spanish Navy. It is not for me—[Interruption.] I think hon. Gentlemen opposite must be feeling extraordinarily guilty about this. If it is a question of insults, it is not for me to interpret the position of the Spanish people or of the Spanish Government. The right hon. Gentleman and other hon. Members opposite offered a gratuitous insult to a proud people, and they have also put an effective end to an ordinary commercial deal.
§ Mr. F. M. BennettSince there seems to be so much furore about all this, can my right hon. Friend tell us how much pressure he has received from the Opposition for a Supply Day debate on this subject which would particularly give to those hon. Members opposite who have first-hand recent experience of conditions in Spain an opportunity to express their views?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have not heard much about that yet.
§ Mr. Gordon WalkerIs the Prime Minister aware that the Foreign Secretary admitted that there was a premature disclosure on this matter by the Government? Will he say whether the Ministry of Defence began by confirming that there was an order and then failed to deny it, and could he also tell us whether, from about 1961, this kind of negotiation with the Spanish Government has taken place, off and on, and that this last one was no more real than the previous ones in the last two or three years?
§ The Prime MinisterNot only was this one real but a great many others would have been real, too. If right hon. and hon. Members opposite had not made such a continual noise during the past 10 minutes, I should have answered the Question on this subject later on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. SwinglerIn view of the time and the Prime Minister's expressed intention to answer Question No. Q8, a Question he had redirected to himself after having first transferred it to the Minister of Defence, will you, Mr. Speaker, say whether, in these unusual circumstances, you would give the Prime Minister permission now to answer Question No. Q8?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe position is that I do not make pronouncements of that kind. I merely say whether I have had such a request. I have not.
§ Mr. FernyhoughOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not want to discuss the matter.
§ Mr. SpeakerI will explain what is happening so that there will be no need for anyone's indignation. I called the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) in the belief that he wished to ask a supplementary question on the Answer now current. He responded in other terms, but I reserve to him the right to ask a supplementary question should he wish to do so now.
§ Mr. SwinglerMay I then, Mr. Speaker, ask a supplementary question which is perfectly relevant to the answers which have just been given?
Will the Prime Minister now answer Question No. Q8 as to what action he is taking about the premature disclosure of information on the negotiations with Spain, as confirmed by the Foreign Secretary? Who was responsible for the leak? Who was responsible for telling the Daily Express on 8th June that the deal was going through, and what action is the Prime Minister taking about it?
§ The Prime MinisterIf hon. and right hon. Members had listened a bit earlier, they would have heard the answer long ago, but if the hon. Gentleman wants me to answer his Question, I can tell him that the Answer is "No, Sir". Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, if you were to allow a supplementary question on that, it might be in order.
§ Mr. BellengerOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is the right hon. Gentleman answering a supplementary question from my hon. Friend or is he answering Question No. Q8?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme asked whether I would answer his Question No. Q8 on the Order Paper—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I want to straighten this. There is a state of some confusion. The last operation was that I called the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) to ask a supplementary question on Question No. Q6. He did so, and the Prime Minister answered it. There can be no question of answering Question No. Q8—[HON. MEMBERS: "He did."]—unless I understand what was just said to be a request to answer Question No. Q8 after the hour of 3.30.
§ The Prime Minister indicated assent.
§ Mr. SpeakerVery well.