§ 4.8 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I wish to repeat a Statement which my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has just made in another place It will be convenient if I use his exact words. They are as follows: "I"—
that is, the Prime Minister—
"have been consulting other Common-wealth heads of Government about the possibility of holding a Commonwealth Prime Ministers' meeting during the summer. I am glad to be able to inform the House that there is general agreement to a meeting during the second half of June. The precise dates are to be settled later."
§ VISCOUNT DILHORNEMy Lords, I am grateful to the Leader of the House for repeating this Statement, and am glad to hear that there is the possibility of holding a further Commonwealth Prime Ministers' meeting during the summer. I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that on the tape to-day, at ten minutes past twelve, this information was made public. It seems to me somewhat curious, and I think this is the second such occasion. I believe that yesterday also a Statement was published in the Press before it was made in your Lordships' House. It is surely unusual to have Statements published in the Press before they are made to Parliament.
§ THE EARL OF LONGFORDMy Lords, I was not aware of what the noble Viscount has just told us about the publication on the tape. I cannot comment, obviously, without looking into the matter. He will see that I have been most religious in declining to make the Statement here until ten minutes past four, in order that I should not make it before it was made by the Prime Minister. If it was already on the tape, that perhaps makes the delay even the more trying.
§ VISCOUNT DILHORNEWould the noble Earl perhaps look into that? Because it is really rather a farce to delay making a Statement here when it has already appeared on the tape.