§ Mr. ShinwellOn a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I am seeking your guidance. I know that you have no control over Ministerial replies, but in a supplementary question to the Minister of State, Board of Trade, I asked whether the £109 million expenditure on military aircraft in the United States would appear in the Defence Estimates or in the Estimates of some other Department. The Minister replied that this was Government expenditure. Is it possible for the President of the Board of Trade to amplify the statement and to remove my mystification?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe right hon. Gentleman answered his point of order at the beginning. It is not for Mr. Speaker to decide in what way a Minister will answer a Question; indeed, he need not answer.
§ Mr. DalyellOn a point of order. The Minister of State declined to answer the question asked by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. Wolrige-Gordon) on the very proper grounds that there were further Questions on the matter. In view of his Answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, East, Mr. Speaker, may I again, through you, ask that the Minister of State may be able to comment on this urgent matter?
§ Mr. SpeakerA repetition of a request that a Minister should answer a Question that he has given no indication that he wishes to answer does not make him answer it.