§ 7. Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what way the procedure adopted for the publication of Command Paper No. 4084 differed from that used for Command Paper No. 9311.
§ Mr. CallaghanI presented the recent Report of the Boundary Commission for England, by command of Her Majesty, for the information of the House. It is not for me to explain the procedure adopted by a previous administration.
§ Mr. OnslowIf the right hon. Gentleman will look at the title page of Cmnd. 4084 he will see that it is presented to Parliament by himself. Can he tell us, from a comparison with the report of the Boundary Commission in 1954, where the difference in these title pages lies in order to justify the Attorney-General's claim that one was laid under Section 2(5) of the 1949 Act and the second was not?
§ Mr. CallaghanI wish that the hon. Gentleman would not press me on these matters. I have no desire to explain the errors committed by the last Administration in presenting these documents.
§ Sir D. RentonI appreciate the Home Secretary's reluctance to explain anything in this matter, but is not he aware that precisely the same procedure was followed by him as was followed by the then Home Secretary in 1954?
§ Mr. CallaghanYes, I am aware of that. The difference is that I did it correctly and my predecessor, alas, was wrong.
§ Mr. OnslowOn a point of order. Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter at an early opportunity.