§ Mr. BraineOn a point of order. May I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the fact that my question on the statement of the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs yesterday and his reply to it were omitted from the appropriate place in HANSARD and appear somewhere else in a totally different context.
Since much of what happened subsequently yesterday related to what I said, and may be of some relevance to what may be said in a statement later today, may I respectfully ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether the omitted passages might appear in the OFFICIAL. REPORT of today's proceedings?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for putting his point of order so pleasantly. If I may make an Obiter dictum, it is that, although we appear to take for granted the splendid work of those who serve us, and never speak of it unless there is an error, the whole House deeply appreciates that work.
I have had a note from the Editor of the OFFICIAL REPORT on the point which the hon. Gentleman raises. It is clear that the typescript left the House with the pages in the proper order and correctly code lettered and numbered. Apparently, one complete page of typescript got out of sequence at the printers and was printed in the wrong place.
I express my regret to the hon. Gentleman. At the same time, I pay tribute, not only to HANSARD, but to the printers who work through the night to provide the OFFICIAL REPORT each morning. Errors nay be distressing, but they are remarkably rare. The error in this instance will be corrected in the Bound Volume and, as the hon. Gentleman requests. an erratum will be printed in today's OFFICIAL REPORT.