§ Dr. Gilbertasked the Prime Minister if the Solicitor-General's letter of 6 January to the then Secretary of State for Defence was leaked by a member of the private office of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Prime Minister (1) on what date she was personally informed that the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had authorised the disclosure of extracts from the letter from the Solicitor-General to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); and if she will make a statement;
(2) why it was decided not to acknowledge publicly responsibility when the decision was taken to disclose extracts of the letter from the Solicitor-General to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); and if she will make a statement;
(3) if her press secretary consulted any members of the Cabinet before approving on her behalf the disclosure by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of extracts from the letter from the Solicitor-General to the then Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine); and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to add to the statement I made in 23 January at columns 449–460 and my speech in the debate today.
§ Mr. Bellasked the Prime Minister when she first had a sight of the letter which the then Secretary of State for 412W Defence, the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) proposed to send to Mr. David Horne, banking adviser to the European Consortium in the Westland affair and which was subsequently sent on 3 January; and if she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterOn 4 January 1986.
§ Mr. Bellasked the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of the inquiry into the disclosure of official information in relation to the Westland affair; how many officials were involved; on what dates the inquiry started and finished; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Prime Minister if she will List the officials and their position who carried out the inquiry under the Secretary to the Cabinet into the disclosure of official information relating to the Westland affair; and if she will also list the persons who were interviewed in the course of the inquiry.
§ The Prime MinisterAs I told the House on 23 January at column 452, the inquiry started on 14 January and reported on 22 January. The inquiry was conducted by the Head of the Home Civil Service, assisted by one other official. There was no extra cost to public funds.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Prime Minister whether her office was aware that a member of the Department of Trade and Industry would be attending the Westland's meeting of 6 January to distribute the press release about the company's future.
§ The Prime MinisterNo.
§ Mr. Bellasked the Prime Minister what grounds the Head of the Civil Service had for his belief that the testimony of a particular person to be questioned during his inquiry into the disclosure of official information relating to the Westland affair was sufficiently vital to the inquiry as to justify an approach to the Attorney-General for his consent to a conditional offer of immunity from prosecution; and if she will make a statement.
The Attorney GeneralI have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have just given to his question on this matter. The decision was mine. I was satisfied that the person concerned was uniquely able to give a first-hand account of how the disclosure was made.