§ Mr. LubbockWith your permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a personal statement.
In my speech on 1st November I quoted the following words:
… and I commend it on its enterprise in doing so—for, example, into the exploration for natural gas in the North Sea in co-operation with the Gulf Oil Company of America, and the Allied Oil Company of America."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 1st November, 1966; Vol. 735, c. 341.]I wrongly attributed this comment, expressing approval of operations by the National Coal Board in the North Sea, to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton). The hon. Member drew my attention to the error, and said in a letter to me that he felt sure that in the circumstances I would take an early opportunity to put the record straight. The statement was made not by the hon. Member for Yeovil, but by his right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd), who followed him in the debate from which I was quoting.I apologise to the hon. Member for Yeovil for ascribing to him views that he did not express; and to the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield for not having attributed the words to him. [Laughter.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Personal statements ought to be received in silence.