Resignation Of Labour Lord Demanded

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1949, Page 5

Resignation Of Labour Lord Demanded

Received Friday 8.50 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 2. Reuter says Conservative and Liberal 'Peers in the Lords last night demanded, 'the resignation of the Civil Aviatioq. ; Minister, Lord Pakenhaiu, after they rejected his explanation of his action iu announeing with the report of the coinmission of inquiry on the Prestwick air disaster his disagreement with- the findings. Soeialist Peera def ended Lord Paken■ham and accused the Opposition of starting a witclu.hunt. In the Comnjong Mr. Morrison agreed to consider a request for a debate on the matter next week. An earlier message stated that Lord Pakenham, Minister of. Civil Aviation, today apologised in the House of Lords; for the manner in which he publishedhis dissent from the finding of the Dourt of Inquiry into the Prestwick air disaster in October, 1949. He had asserted in. a statement issued with the officiai report of the inquiry, that the. ground serviees at Prestwick did not bear the responsibiiity for the crash of the Dutch KLM airliner, in which 40 people were killed. Lord Pakenham told the House of Lords today that he could now see that the proper course was to havu expressed his di,ssent,. and make his explanation in Parliament. "I hope that the House will accept this simple but sineere expression of regret that T did not do so in the first instanee. " The Minister for Air (Mr Arthur Henderson), ■ whose-hname was associated with. Lork Pakenham 's statement dissenting from the inquiry, also apologised today. He told fhe Hous« of Commons fhat he associated him self witk Lord Pakenham 's expression of regret about the method adoptea in making his dissent public.