§ 17. Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether he has now fully considered the report of his Department's investigations into the London Counties Securities Limited.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisI have not yet completed my consideration of this lengthy and complex report.
§ Mr. SkinnerMy hon. Friend is taking a long time and it is probably costing a lot of money. Does he appreciate that some of us on the Government side are rapidly concluding that this matter, like many other unpleasant facts, is being swept under the carpet until after referendum day, so as to save the Liberal Party and the Liberal leader some embarrassment?
§ Mr. SkinnerYes I would.
§ Mr. DavisI have no intention of sweeping anything under the carpet until referendum day, nor has my right hon. Friend. When this report—[Interruption.] The hon. Member for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) interrupts constantly from a sedentary position. He would be better off going back to the place where he obtained his suntan over the weekend.
The report that we have is lengthy and complex. It runs to several hundred pages and covers the activities of 20 subsidiary companies. It is taking me a great deal of time to study it so as to arrive at the statement that we shall make. I hope to be able to be more forthcoming when the hon. Gentleman puts down his next Question on the next day that my Department is first to answer Questions. It is important that 1008 the hon. Gentleman should understand—
§ Mr. SkinnerI am your hon. Friend.
§ Mr. DavisIt is important that my hon. Friend should understand that this is a sensitive and difficult matter. I hope that he will not continue to draw the sort of inferences that he has chosen to draw today.