Longleat refused to comment but said it would issue a statement clarifying its position on Friday.

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Mr Hoon disregarded both this and Mr Howard's advice that he should write to the committee after his evidence clarifying the position.

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Earlier in the summer, his campaign spent several days clarifying his position after he said in a speech that Jerusalem should not be divided.

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Mr Swinney, thanks ever so much for clarifying the position.

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The government's amendment clarifying the legal position was passed without a vote.

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Still, that was clearly not Robert Chote's motivation in "clarifying" the OBR's position.

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