§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Admiral Sir Peter Abbot required official clearance of the text of his speech to the Royal United Services Institution on 17 October; and to what extent his speech represents Government policy. [5147]
§ Mr. SoamesMinisterial clearance is not required for addresses given to private bodies such as the Royal United Services Institute, whose purpose is to encourage debate of relevant issues. The speech did not represent Government policy; rather, Admiral Abbot was developing a personal view, contributing to just such an academic debate. The issues raised in the speech are already in the public domain.