§ 21. Sir C. Osborneasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has sent to the French Foreign Secretary's official proposal that Great Britain must devalue the £, as France devalued the franc, before Great Britain will be allowed to join the Common Market.
§ Mr. George BrownThe French Foreign Secretary made no such proposal, either official or unofficial.
§ Sir C. OsborneMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether Lord Chalfont was the chief—[HON. MEMBERS: "Reading."]—I am reading because it is a very good question.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Even if it is a good question is must not be read.
§ Sir C. OsborneWas Lord Chalfont, our chief Common Market negotiator, informed of Thursday's decision to devalue the £ before he made his speech the following morning in Paris, or was he instructed by the Cabinet to deny this truth, and if so—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder.
§ Sir C. Osborne—has this not destroyed his credibility in Europe?
§ Mr. BrownIt is very difficult to see how any of that question, read or unread, possibly connects with the Question on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesCan my right hon. Friend confirm that the French have devalued the franc quite a number of times, and is not this the reason why they are now so economically prosperous that they can lend us money?
§ Mr. BrownI suggest that we leave the general question of the devaluation of currency until later in the day. On the first part of the question, the factual answer is, Yes, they have done it several times.
§ Sir C. OsborneOn a point of order. Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.