With your permission. Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a personal statement. I regret to inform the House that in my oral answer yesterday [Col. 574, OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th January, 1951] to a supplementary question concerning the shipment of strategic materials, I unintentionally misled the House in one particular. It relates to rubber. Although we keep a close watch on the movement of rubber, we do not, in fact, subject natural rubber to export control on purely strategic grounds. I apologise to the House.

rose—

The hon. Member may not ask questions on a personal statement.

I was about to preface my remarks, Mr. Speaker, by saying that as this is a personal statement, clearly no one could cross-examine on it, but it did affect a Question which I put down yesterday, and I was about to ask, as this is a matter of considerable gravity affecting our relations with our Allies whether we could have an assurance that some Member of the Government would make an authoritative statement on this important matter before long.

Of course, the way is now open to put down Questions on the matter. Before the statement was made, it could be said to have been fully answered, but now, as I say, the way is open for Questions on the subject.