§ The Minister for Aerospace and Shipping (Mr. Michael Heseltine)With the permission of the House I should like to make a personal statement.
I very much regret that an Answer I gave on 12th February should have led to the view of the Select Committee on Science and Technology that it was untrue. I ask the House to accept that I had no intention of misleading it on 12th February, and to recall that I made a full statement on the matter at issue two days later on 14th February. However, I realise on reflection that the wording of my Answer on 12th February was capable of more than one interpretation and led to misunderstanding. I apologise most sincerely to the House for the misunderstanding which arose.