§ Q3. Mr. A. Royleasked the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the public speech that he made to the Press Association in London on Tuesday, 26th November, 1968.
§ The Prime MinisterI did so, Sir, on 29th November.
§ Mr. RoyleBut does the Prime Minister recall that in his speech he said that he would do everything possible to obtain the release of Anthony Grey, and since then all we have had, as usual from his Administration, has been words? [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We are on a very serious topic.
§ Mr. RoyleWhen will the Prime Minister take action to obtain the release of Mr. Grey from the barbarous imprisonment which he is undergoing in Peking?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is a serious question as, if I may say so with respect, you pointed out, Mr. Speaker, too serious to be treated in the way in which the hon. Gentleman treated it in his supplementary question. The hon. Gentleman, I know, would not, on consideration, want to do or say anything which would make more difficult the task of securing the release of Mr. Grey from what he rightly describes as the intolerable conditions of his confinement.
Since the speech which was the subject of the Question, our chargé d'affaires has made further representations to the Chinese Government. I do not think that it would help if I went further into the matter today. All of us want to see Mr. Grey released. If the hon. Gentleman has any action in mind, as opposed to what we are doing, he will, no doubt, in view of the seriousness of the matter, stand up and tell us what it is.