HC Deb 08 March 1976 vol 907 cc24-6
36. Mr. Madden

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list his official engagements for Monday, 8th March 1976.

39. Mr. Viggers

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list his engagements for Monday 8th March 1976.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Harold Lever)

Apart from Question Time, I have no official engagements today.

Mr. Madden

Does my right hon. Friend know that only last week the chairman of Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd. confirmed that my right hon. Friend was one of the Ministers closely involved in the Chrysler agreement? As he has recently had time to purchase an expensive blazer with gold buttons and to play bridge with members of another place, will my right hon. Friend now find time to put on public record his unique contribution to the Chrysler deal, so that all of us may know—?

Mr. Speaker

Order. I should have stopped the hon. Member before. The Question is about official engagements today.

Mr. Lever

On the subject of Chrysler, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) on 19th January. If my hon. Friend has not come across that reply, I shall be very happy to furnish him with a copy. As to one of the more amusing and characteristically inaccurate flights of fancy on the front page of the Morning Star, I do not think that is of the direct relevance to my official engagements that you might wish, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Viggers

Will the right hon. Gentleman find time today to interview prospective holders of Government appointments, as presumably he met and knew Sir Richard Dobson before his appointment to British Leyland, even though the responsible Minister did not?

Mr. Lever

My reply related to official engagements. I hope that hon. Members are not under the impression that my official work for today consists of gratifying the more innocent curiosities of colleagues in the House.

Mr. Lipton

May I return to the subject of my right hon. Friend's official engagements? Has he forgotten that there may be a Division at about 7 o'clock tonight? Will he take part in that?

Mr. Lever

That thought had already occurred to those briefing me, but I came to the conclusion that it could not be accurately described as an official engagement.