HL Deb 17 July 1973 vol 344 cc1006-7
LORD JANNER

My 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 what steps they are now prepared to take to prevent the Crown Agents from distributing such vile and horrific stamps as were issued recently by the Government of Egypt against Israel and whether they regard the abuse of the postal services involved in any such distribution as tolerable.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)

My Lords, I am informed that distribution of the stamps by the Crown Agents has ceased and that no more will be distributed by them. The question of abuse of the postal services does not appear to arise in this connection.

LORD JANNER

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Baroness for that Answer, which will give considerable satisfaction to those who were really horrified by what was being done.

LORD NUGENT OF GUILDFORD

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that while I greatly sympathise with the noble Lord's Question, the form of the Question on the Order Paper is objectionable in terms of Rule 31 of our Rules of Order, and that the noble Lord's Question would be more effective if he put it in proper terms?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, no doubt the noble Lord, Lord Janner, will take that into account.

LORD JANNER

My Lords, I have already had an intimation to the effect that procedure is rather different in your Lordships' House from that in the other House during the 30 years' experience I had there. It takes a little time to change from the one kind of procedure to the other.