§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 January 1998,Official Report, columns 408–09, if he will investigate the origin of the statement from an MoD source contained in the Press Association report of 1 December. [24986]
§ Dr. ReidThe author of the Press Association report in question contacted my Department's Press Office on 30 November, following up a story in that day'sSunday Telegraph. He was informed by my officials that the Army Prosecuting Authority, an independent body, had decided not to prosecute Major Joyce at that time. Responding to a question about the reference in The Sunday Telegraph to a letter from the Lord Chancellor, my Department's Press Office drew on the reply I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson) of 17 November 1997, Official Report, column 69.