Oh, oh.

Mr. Martin (Essex East):

This statement has come up before, and the hon. gentleman should not make that remark. Under the rules of the house he should be asked to withdraw it.

Mr. Churchill:

I think the point of order is rather unsoundly based, something like the amendment the other day. But I accept the hon. member's explanation, and I would suggest to him that it is very interesting to us to see his increased interest in the United Kingdom. I hope he will now speak about the commonwealth.

Mr. Gauthier (Portneuf):

Withdraw.

Mr. Martin (Essex East):

How about answering my question?

Mr. Speaker:

I take it that the point has been dealt with. Actually the imputation

On the orders of the day:

Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):

Mr. Speaker,

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Agriculture arising out of press statements that New Zealand would like to offer India credits for the purchase of skim milk powder. My question is, has India approached Canada, or are there any discussions going on, for any such credit? Is such a credit available, in order that an additional market may be obtained for our dry skim milk powder, of which I am told we have 25 million to 30 million pounds on hand?

Hon. D. S. Harkness (Minister of Agriculture:) Mr. Speaker, India has not approached us in regard to securing supplies of dry skim milk. We would be very glad to entertain any requests in regard to that matter.

Mr. A. M. Nicholson (Mackenzie):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. I should like to thank the Prime Minister for his statement yesterday in reply to my question of January 7. Will the Prime Minister now take the initiative in trying to persuade the leaders of the governments of the United Kingdom, United States, France and India to attend a summit conference in Canada at an early date?

Right Hon. J. G. Diefenbaker (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, I would not wish to add anything to what I said yesterday or to that portion of the reply to the letter of Premier Bulganin which dealt with the possibility of a summit conference. Further than that I would not want to go at this time in this delicate matter.

Hon. Sidney E. Smith (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

On Monday, January 13, the hon. member for Okanagan Boundary asked the following question:

I have a question for the Secretary of State for External Affairs of which I have given him notice.

Would he care to comment on Canada's position with respect to the neutrality drive of the Soviet government for the establishment of a buffer zone in Europe?

I presume, Mr. Speaker, that the hon. member was referring to what has come to be known as the "Polish plan" for the setting up of an atomic-free zone in Europe. In his letter to the Prime Minister of December 13, Mr. Bulganin referred to this plan. I can best answer that question by reading a few sentences from the reply the Prime Minister tabled yesterday to the first Bulganin letter:

-we are studying the comments which * you made on a proposal put forward earlier by Poland for the creation of a zone in central Europe free of nuclear armaments. The NATO communique pointed out that we are prepared to examine any proposal, from whatever source, for general or partial disarmament and we therefore intend to join with our NATO allies in looking into the implications of this type of proposal.

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Leader of the Opposition):

May I ask a supplementary question. Does the Secretary of State for External Affairs not realize there is a very great difference between a neutral zone and a zone free of atomic weapons?

Mr. Smith (Hasiings-Fronienac):

I do, but

the question asked me included the words "neutral zone".

Right Hon. J. G. Diefenbaker (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, may I by leave of the house at this time-I should have done it earlier-announce the transfer of Mr. Wallace Nesbitt, the hon. member for Oxford, from the position of parliamentary assistant to the Prime Minister to that of parliamentary assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. I might add that in the last few months Mr. Nesbitt has been one of the able representatives of Canada at the United Nations. I felt it only proper that an opportunity should be given him to serve the department to which he has contributed so much.