§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was with the Secretary of State's authority that the permanent secretary at the Home Office visited Sir David McNee and asked him to resign as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in the wake of Mr. Fagan entering Her Majesty the Queen's bedroom.
§ Mr. BrittanMy noble Friend Viscount Whitelaw asked his permanent secretary to explore whether Sir David McNee might wish to offer his resignation following the incident involving Mr. Fagan. The permanent secretary subsequently called on Sir David McNee for this purpose on the morning of 12 July 1982, not 13 July, as is reported in Sir David McNee's book. My noble Friend did not know in advance of the meeting itself; the outcome was reported to him immediately afterwards. As my noble Friend told the House on 21 July 1982—346W [Vol. 28, c. 401]—he had been told of the incident involving Mr. Fagan at 1 pm on Friday 9 July, and not on Monday 12 July as is reported in Sir David McNee's book.