HC Deb 22 July 1964 vol 699 cc453-4
1. Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Minister without Portfolio whether he will publish in HANSARD a list of his official public and Government appointments and engagements during the month of June, 1964.

The Minister Without Portfolio (Mr. W. F. Deedes)

No.

Mr. Lewis

Why is the Minister so diffident? We do not often see him in the House and when he comes here he does not often have to answer many Questions. There are only two for him to answer today. May I ask what he does with his spare time other than make propaganda for the Tory Party? Can he give us some idea of what he does to earn a salary apart from a political stipend?

Mr. Deedes

If I had done anything wrong there would have been more Questions put down for me to answer than there are today. We had this argument in a debate a short time ago. My duties have not altered specifically from the duties of my predecessors who have been responsible for co-ordinating information services.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the promotion of the general information services and his official help and guidance to the Foreign Press are widely appreciated and very much in the country's interests?

Mr. Deedes

As to the foreign Press, I accept the fact that the Government information services ought to be made available to the overseas Press as well as to our own.

Mr. Lipton

If the right hon. Gentleman is responsible for information, why is he so reluctant to give us some information about himself? Is it due to modesty or panic?

Mr. Deedes

Modesty.