§ 11.5 a.m.
§ THE EARL OF CORK AND ORRERYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is true that Airwork Services Ltd. are to supply strike aircraft to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and to recruit ground crews for their maintenance; and if so, by whom these aircraft will be flown.]
§ The MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD SHEPHERD):My Lords, in a short while I shall be speaking in the debate on Nigeria, and will touch on the role of Biafran propaganda. There is no truth whatsoever in this allegation, and therefore the answer to the noble Lord is,"No".
§ THE EARL OF CORK AND ORRERYMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord for this most reassuring Answer. I wonder whether he would feel inclined to think that an inquiry into this matter would be in order, as the information which he so reassuringly contradicts is alleged to have come from British Airwork Services themselves.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I do not think Her Majesty's Government would wish to spend money investigating the activities of the Mark Press and the various Biafran propaganda machines.