Clause 10. — (Extracts from Parliamentary Reports.)

Part of Orders of the Day — Defamation (Amendment) Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 June 1952.

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Photo of Sir Lionel Heald Sir Lionel Heald , Chertsey 12:00, 27 June 1952

With permission, I should like to say one or two words out of courtesy to the hon. and learned Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Bing), who was not here when I spoke earlier. First of all, I should like to correct the misapprehension on his part. The fact that he did not hear me no doubt explains why he did not get this matter quite right. He rather suggested that I had said that this matter was dependent upon the views of the permanent officials in the Stationery Office and elsewhere, and that I said that the Stationery Office did not want this task. These matters are not decided by permanent officials but by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and what I said was that it was not wanted by the Government, as represented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I hope that that is plain.

It would be rather impertinent for me to add anything on the rest of this matter after what the right hon. Gentleman the Member for South Shields (Mr. Ede) has said. But there is one point. The hon. and learned Member for Hornchurch said that the proper thing to do would be to leave this Clause in the Bill and, if necessary, take it out in another place. Another way would be to take it out now, and if anyone wanted to do so it could be put back again in another place. If it turns out that the hon. and learned Member for Hornchurch is not Athanasuis contra mundum he might find someone in another place to put the Clause back.