Thank you.

Well, the note of the meeting is there for all to see. My recollection accords with the note that I wrote soon after that meeting had taken place, and, as I say, I left the meeting with no doubt about the implication of what he was saying to me.

Well, I have been thinking for some time about whether I should contact the inquiry. I have been thinking over in my mind, at a time, as I say, when I have been trying to get to grips with new ministerial responsibilities. When Vince Cable gave his evidence, I felt ...

No, I can't. And you are right; I am not a Cabinet minister.

No, I hadn't seen that expression until the secretary of state gave his evidence to the Inquiry a few weeks ago and then I saw it in the newspaper article. I don't think I had even -- I have no recollection of seeing this newspaper article at the time ...

No, I wasn't.

No. I mean, it is not the sort of way I would have put it. I mean, you know, I was -- I was very much aware throughout of the quasi-judicial duty that Vince Cable was under and I just reported to him as factually as I could what had happened ...

I can't remember the date, and my wife has looked for any note of the meeting and hasn't found any. It was a very brief meeting in the House of Commons and I can't remember the date. It was, I think, almost certainly in the fortnight after ...

"Later, discussion with Nick on several issues. He is horrified what I tell him of Fred Michel's meeting last week re News International. We will lose the only papers who have been positive."

That is Tuesday 2 November.

That's right.

Exactly.

No, I can't remember the precise words used. All I can say is that I left that meeting with a very clear understanding that (a) they had tried to be helpful in the period since the election through their newspapers but that if things went the wrong way in ...

"Wednesday 27 October, 9.00 meeting. Fred Michel, News International. An extraordinary encounter. FM is very charming. He tells me News Int papers will land on VC's desk in next two weeks. They are certain there are no grounds for referral. They realise the political pressures. He wants things ...

Right. Shall I -- do you want me to read through it?

Yes.

It was, and I was a solicitor until I --

What I tried to do was at the end of the day, often late at night, to write out notes of interesting things that had happened. I can't confirm that it was definitely the same day, but it would have been within days of the meeting taking place.

No, not during the meeting.

At home, in the pile of notes that I had collated at the time.

Well, I mean, the truth is that I am four months into a ministerial position, as you indicated. We have a bill starting in committee today and I have been -- I have had a very, very heavy workload and my mind hasn't been -- has been on a lot of ...

Yes, this morning.

I wrote the note. It is my own handwriting. I should just explain -- I mean, this was, as I say, the early days of the coalition. It was the first coalition in the post-war period, it was quite an interesting time, and I was making notes of some of the ...

Yes.

It was, yes.

Well, the invitation, the request to meet, didn't refer to it. But when we got to the meeting, yes, he did raise the bid.

Again, it was at Fred Michel's request. I think that it was words to the effect that there were some things he wanted to discuss with me and would I be prepared to meet with him and I said I was.

Yes.

Yes. My recollection is that it was in the public domain that this might happen at some stage and, as I say, there was a general discussion about the case for it, as it were. But beyond that, I don't really recall anything else from that meeting.

Not that I recall, no.

Sure.

I think it was -- again, from recollection, it was that he put the general case for it being allowed, whenever it was to happen.

My recollection is that it was discussed in general terms. I think it was five days or so before the formal announcement. I certainly have no recollection of him making any suggestion that the announcement was imminent, but in general terms, I am quite sure it was discussed.

This was the early days of the coalition. He gave an impression of being quite positive about the coalition. He was a very charming individual, but it was a general discussion and I don't have any recollection about other matters that were discussed beyond that.

Well, I'm afraid it is a fairly vague recollection, but about half an hour. It wasn't a long meeting.

That's right, yes.

Yes. He asked to meet with me and I consulted one or two people and felt it was appropriate to meet with him. I met with journalists in that job and occasionally with people -- other representatives of the media, so I felt it was appropriate to meet with him. But ...

No.

That is all correct.

Yes, I am.

Norman Peter Lamb. I should just correct you: I am not a member of the Privy Council, it is just "Honourable". I don't mind the promotion, but ...