HC Deb 22 June 1979 vol 968 cc1651-2
Mr. Geoffrey Pattie (Chertsey and Walton)

I beg to present a petition, which is couched in the following terms: To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The Humble Petition of Thomas William Pond sheweth that:

  1. 1. The Petitioner is the sole Plaintiff in an action brought in the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, against the sole Defendant, News Group Newspapers Limited, the number of the action being 1978 P. No. 536.
  2. 2. In the said action the Plaintiff claims damages for libel on the basis of articles published in the News of the World newspaper, the authors of the articles being Michael Hugh Litchfield and Susan Joy Kentish.
  3. 3. In the said action issues arise as to the investigations made by Mr. Litchfield and Mrs. Kentish of pregnancy tests carried out by the Plaintiff and others, as to their methods of obtaining and recording information in the course of these investigations, and as to their use of such information in the aforesaid News 1652 of the World articles published following those investigations.
  4. 4. On Monday 7 July 1975, Mr. Litchfield and Mrs. Kentish gave evidence to the Select Committee on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill. The Minutes of their evidence were ordered to be printed by the House of Commons on 7 July 1975.
  5. 5. The evidence given by Mr. Litchfield and Mrs. Kentish to the said Select Committee as printed in the said Minutes of Evidence relates directly to the issues referred to in paragraph 3 hereof, and reference is desired to be made by your Petitioner in the action referred to in paragraph 1 hereof to the evidence printed in the said Minutes.
Wherefore your Petitioner prays that reference may be made in the action presently proceeding in the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, referred to herein to the said Minutes of Evidence, and that leave be given to the proper Officers of the House to attend the hearing and formally to prove the same according to their competence. And your Petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc. T. W. Pond Willows 7 Beasleys Ait, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex TW16 6AS. I therefore ask that the House will be graciously pleased to give leave for reference to be made to the said Minutes of Evidence and to the proper Officers of the House to attend the hearing and formally to prove the same according to their competence.

Ordered, That leave be given for reference to be made to the said Minutes of Evidence and to the proper Officers of the House to attend the hearing and formally to prove the same according to their competence.—[Mr. Pattie.]

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