Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 21 Rhagfyr 1973.
I have almost run over my time because there are so many points on which I would wish to answer the hon. Gentleman. Indeed, he has put forward and categorised the points on which he wants answers. Essentially, however, he has asked me to answer the question whether I accept a document which has just been published as a discussion document upon which the Government will make up their minds in due course, when they have consulted and discussed the contents of it with the appropriate authorities, and studied those contents carefully, over the next few months. It is a little disappointing when my Department has had the courtesy to provide hon. Members from North-West constituencies with copies of this document then to find it said in the Press that Labour Members have discovered a secret weapon in an unpublished document. That remark appeared in The Guardian today. It is not a secret weapon. It is an unpublished document. It was provided for hon. Members—they did not discover it—so that they might assist in the discussions and consultations on the document.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity of answering those points. I shall certainly take into account all the points that the hon. Gentleman has raised. It may well be that we shall have an opportunity to discuss them further when the hon. Gentleman brings to me a deputation from Oldham during the next few days.