Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 18 Rhagfyr 1973.
Mr William Rees-Davies
, Isle of Thanet
12:00,
18 Rhagfyr 1973
I have in my possession a letter from Simon Weatherby, which I have passed to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and to six other Ministers, in which that statement is contradicted. He tells me that Weatherby's can operate only on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and that it cannot print and publish the Racing Calendar, which is crucial to racing, unless it can publish on Friday and Saturday. Incidentally, the letter has also been sent to my right hon. Friend, but it has probably not reached him yet. It has been sent to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. It was posted on the board this afternoon. It is not true that it can continue to operate. That is the view of those concerned with the management of racing.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.