Pedants' Corner

Last updated: 19 August 2003 - correction to Item 1 page 48 below

This is the cosy little retreat for those of us who like nothing better than spotting  blemishes and, in a spirit of mutual righteousness, sharing them with our friends.  Our critics would have it that we are merely providing a vaguely useful service, pointing out significant mistakes which they hadn't yet spotted, but were just about to.

As yet the list is minuscule but we are confident that this little acorn will grow into an oak mighty enough to refurbish even the roof beams of Westminster Hall.  Until then do pay us a visit in Pedants' Corner from time to time and see what new treasures we have unearthed.

If you feel drawn to the Pedants' Corner Club, use the website's Feedback facility to tell us about wrong information you've spotted.  Just one rule:  it must concern topics which are of interest and relevance to MPs' staff.  Thanks to those of you who have already contributed the items below;  at some point we may include a roll of honour of our kind informants.

1.  List of Ministerial Responsibilities - October 2002 edition - "The Yellow Un".

• page 28:  The Minister of State (Europe) is Dr Denis [one 'n'] MacShane MP

• page 47:  The Rt Hon Dr John Reid's Private Secretary's email address needs updating.  It should read:  PSjreid@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk 

• page 48:  The website [not the email...] address of the Cabinet Office is: www.privy-council.gov.uk (NB hyphen)

• page 53:  Alistair Darling's email address mis-spells his first name.  It should, of course, be:  alistair.darling@dft.gsi.gov.uk 

• page 86:  The Chief Executive of the Pension Service is not Alex Cleveland Esq but Ms Alexis Cleveland and The Pension Service is singular -  no ‘s’ at the end of Pension

• page 87:  The correct Email address for the Director General of the Prison Service should be prisons.dg@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk  - NOT as printed.

• page 106:  . The Lord Grocott is now Rt Hon. so his title should be The Rt Hon The Lord Grocott.

You can see the October 2002 version of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities online at: http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/central/2002/lmr09.pdf  or there's an alternative website with many useful resources at: http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/elmr/minister.nsf

2.  Dod's Parliamentary Companion 2003.

• for the late Baroness Young [on p. 757], includes the following: 'President, Association of Conservative Peers 1995 - '.   Enquiries to the Association reveal that the true situation is as follows:  'Chairman 1995-2000, President 2000 -'.

3.  Using correct postal addresses for Ministers.

• following a heart-felt plea from someone who works in the constituency office of a Minister and is sick of having to forward letters addressed to her boss AS A MINISTER (rather than as an MP), we offer you our idiot's guide on correct addressing.  Click here for details.

4.Oppenheim's International Law 9th Edition Volume 1: Peace Parts 2 to 4, edited by Sir Robert Jennings and Sir Arthur Watts [Longman, 1992] 

• contains, on page 737, a section headed 'Rights conferred by treaty'. It quotes Paragraph 1 of 'the 1982 Convention', but there is a mistake in part of what is quoted, ie, '(d) the warship is without nationality' should, in fact, read '(d) the ship is without nationality'.  [Now, there's one for the connoisseur. Ed.]