§ 7.36 p.m.
§ LORD MILVERTONMy Lords, with the permission of the House I ask leave, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Barnby, to make a rather important correction. In column 997 ofHansardof December 21, Lord Barnby quoted from the House of CommonsHansardof 1137 December 14, column 1207. He quoted the Chief Secretary to the Treasury as saying:
… we, the British Government, own the assets or funds of the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia.As a matter of fact, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said the precise reverse of this, because before the words quoted the Chief Secretary's sentence began:It is absolutely inaccurate℄and then he broke off℄I hope that my honourable and learned friend will not mind my being quite clear in my reply℄and then returned to the beginning of the sentence and said:that we, the British Government, own the assets or funds of the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia."℄[OFFICIAL REPORT, Commons, Vol. 722 (No. 26), col. 1207; 14 /12 /65.]The latter words belong, of course, to the words "it is absolutely inaccurate". It is obvious that the noble Lord, Lord Barnby, inadvertently misread this passage owing to this interpolation which occurred, and I have taken this opportunity of correcting his error and of expressing the regret which I am sure the noble Lord would have been the first to wish to convey himself had he been able to be here to-day.