§ Lord GEORGE-BROWNMy Lords, it may be a pro-forma matter, but may I 853 ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper?
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a full Statement on the situation in Rhodesia and on the current negotiations.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS)My Lords, with the right honourable and noble Lord's agreement and by leave of the House I shall repeat a Statement being made in another place by my right honourable friend at a convenient moment after 3.30 o'clock.
§ Lord GEORGE-BROWNMy Lords, while confessing that there is a certain satisfaction in having scored a "bull" at four weeks distance, may I, nevertheless, ask my noble friend whether he is aware that the consequence of my having done so is that if I defer all my scintillating supplementaries to the Statement, the top brass, on the Opposition Front Benches tend to have a certain take-over procedure? May I ask, therefore, whether I shall be looked upon with a certain degree of indulgence if indeed I do that?
§ Lord GORONWY-ROBERTSMy Lords, I am quite sure that the noble Lord does not need my or anybody else's indulgence and is quite capable of looking after himself. As to top brass, I think that we would agree that he is top brass himself.