§ Mr. Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I should like to raise a matter that affects the rights of the House of Commons and the attitude of the Government towards those rights.
On Saturday, the press reported the success of my hon. Friend the Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) before the European Commission of Human Rights in Strasbourg. I know that hon. Members will wish to congratulate my hon. Friend on her vindication after a long struggle Newspapers reporting the outcome of my hon. Friend's action were categorically clear about what the effect of that would be. The Guardian headline read:
Change in law to follow Harman win in Strasbourg.The Daily Telegraph stated:Contempt law change forced on Ministers.Therefore, the press imply that a change in the law is to be brought before Parliament.That being so, one would have thought that after the Government's almost six-year-long pursuit of my hon. Friend had failed, they would come before the House to make a statement about the outcome of the proceedings before the European Commission. Even more importantly, if the Government have now decided that the law of contempt is to be changed, the only place in which the law can be changed is Parliament, in the House of Commons and the other place.
Therefore, I put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that the Government are treating the House in an extremely contemptuous manner by not coming before us at the earliest possible moment and letting us into the secret which the European Commission of Human Rights has announced to the world about what the Government intend to do in Parliament but which the Government do not think fit for Parliament to know.
§ Mr. SpeakerNone of that is a matter for me. The Leader of the House will have heard what has been said.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylor (Southend, East)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I apologise for not giving notice before, but information has just come to hand. As always, the selection of amendments for tonight's debate has been fairly—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman should raise his point of order with the Chairman of Ways and Means at the time. I am not responsible, as the hon. Gentleman knows, for the selection of amendments for the Committee stage of a Bill. The hon. Gentleman is a little premature in raising that point of order.