Queen's Speech

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 31 October 1961.

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Photo of Mr Samuel Silverman Mr Samuel Silverman , Nelson and Colne 12:00, 31 October 1961

On a point of order. There appears to be some doubt whether all hon. Members of the House of Commons are in possession of the same Gracious Speech. In the Speech which you have just read, Mr. Speaker, near the foot of page 2, there are the words: In spite of the action of the Soviet Union in continuing to conduct nuclear tests on a massive scale in defiance of world opinion", after which the rest of the sentence is printed.

Many of us attended the House of Lords this morning and heard Her Majesty deliver the Gracious Speech. We did what you did, Mr. Speaker; for greater accuracy we obtained a copy immediately afterwards. In the copies that were then handed to hon. Members those words do not appear, and I would like your assurance that Her Majesty did, in fact, include that passage in her Speech. I should also like to know how it came to be omitted from the printed versions of the Speech subsequently handed out.