§ Mr. RandallTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions and on what dates(a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have met Major Eric Joyce. [19039]
§ Dr. ReidTo the best of our knowledge, no Defence Minister has met Major Eric Joyce since 1 May 1997. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, my noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State have never knowingly met him prior to that date.
Over six years as an Opposition Defence Spokesman prior to 1 May 1997 I met a great many Members of all three Services at all ranks. To the best of my recollection, I met Major Joyce twice: once during the second half of 1995 and again in May 1996.