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4 f : . In March, 1962, the Minister and his wife stayed the week-capt at Cliveden with Lord Astor. On this occasion they met Stephen Ward: He came to a luncheon party at the house. He had some conversation wit in Minister and his wife on portraits and so forth and | feft about half a an r luncheon. |; TAR NGG See Ua SP ester t er Pe taba 305. “On this week-end, during a walk - ‘in the grounds, ‘Lora Astor pointed out to the Minister a cottage, called Ferry Cottage, on the estate which, he suggested, the Minister might care to take on lease from the National Trust, At that time the cottage was dérelict, with no lavatory or kitchen. ‘The Minister thought it might be made into a suitable place for himself and his family for holidays: and over the next year he took steps io et a lease of it.and do it up, They got builders to do work on it. During that year, 1962, he and his wife and ‘family went to ‘the cottage three or four times to see its progress and they had picnics outside; but they did not stay. On one of the occasions the Minister happened to pass Stephen Ward with three girls and said good-day to them, but had no conversation with them. In February, 1963, the Minister and his wife moved in some furniture, preparatory to moving in. On 3rd March,.1963, they went with the children and had a picnic in the snow outside. They never slept there. 306. Stephen Ward's cottage was about 400 yards away from Ferry Cottage for which the Minister was negotiating. In March, 1963, the Minister ee Pa ey aA heard reports which made him decide not to go on , with the negotiations, He terminated them at the beginning of April, 1963. 307. That is the whole of any conversation or connection whatever which the Minister had with Stephen Ward, and neither the Minister nor his wife has ever been in Ward’s cottage at Cliveden, nor his house in London. 308. Out of that wholly innocent incident the rumour about this Minister has arisen. There is not a shred of evidence to support it. (iii) The Borrowed Car 309. In March, i963, there was a rumour that another Minister had ient Mr. Profumo his car knowingly for the very purpose that Mr. Profumo might take Christine Keeler for drives in it. This in turn got elaborated into a rumour that the Minister himself had taken Christine for drives ia it in Richmond Park. When printed in the French newspaper the rumour got to the most extravagant lengths. “La prochaine vedette sera certainement .. . qui a fourni 4 Miss Keeler les somptueuses voitures avec lesquelles elle se rendait en compagnie de Profumo a ‘d’honorables parties de campagne’. Selon les personoes bien informées .. . aurait été lorganisateur des orgies qui se déroulaient dans le pavillon de chasse du Dr. Ward. Ti n’était pas seulement ie spectateur passif des spectacies et des démonsiraiions dé nudimmie dans la piscine de Ward dont Profumo ¢iait particulitrement friand.” ihe next victim would certainly be Mr... . who provided Miss Keeleg: luxurious motor cars in which she went in company with Pr ‘country week-ends’, | According to well-informed persons, Mr. . the organiser of the orgies which took place in Dr. Ward's country catings. He was not only a passive spectator of these sights and of the displays of nudism Ne hich took place in Ward's swimming pool, of which Profumo was particulaply ford.) te 105