During PMQs today Robert Courts, MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, began his question @29:45: Seventy-five years ago tonight, the first steps in the liberation of Europe were taken by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, when they dropped by parachute to liberate Pegasus bridge. I was surprised to discover that Hansard corrects this error and reads: Seventy-five years ago tonight, the first steps in the liberation of Europe were taken by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, when they flew by glider to liberate Pegasus bridge. This is not intended as a party political point so hopefully will not fall foul of the house rules.
That's brilliant. Picturing a member here being a house stenographer & tutting while they instinctively corrected. About - Hansard "Hansard is a “substantially verbatim” report of what is said in Parliament. Members’ words are recorded, and then edited to remove repetitions and obvious mistakes, albeit without taking away from the meaning of what is said. "
The staff who complile Hansard regularly labour to 'save the blushes' of our esteemed parlimentarians. It has long been remarked that certain high-profile MPs have many more such blushes to save, and that a surprising number of utterances have now to be edited to make them grammatically comprehensible, let alone factually correct.
