Points of Order (Hansard, 29 November 1995)

§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I want to raise a point of principle about ministerial statements. It may be within your recollection that, an hour ago, the Secretary of State for Social Security was asked a specific question about tax and long-term care benefits. In reply, he said he could not give the figure for which he was asked, because that was a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
My point of order is this, and it results directly from the Secretary of State's statement. In the eighth part of that statement, he said that benefits from long-term care insurance would be tax free. Should not Ministers who make undertakings in their opening remarks be responsible for the explanation and putting on the financial tag, rather than leaving it to another Minister and saying that they will write about it at some time in the future? That is a matter of principle.

§ Madam Speaker
It is not for me to comment on ministerial statements—[Interruption.] I am being prompted by Ministers to give the figure. It is not for me, as Speaker, to give the figures. Ministers are responsible for the comments they make at the Dispatch Box. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman may well pursue the matter with the Minister and get the correct reply recorded in Hansard.

§ Mr. Nick Hawkins (Blackpool, South)
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will be aware of the serious events that took place in the Committee Corridor late yesterday afternoon. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson), who is a cricketing friend of mine and has apologised to me, was one of the sponsors of a meeting in Committee Room 14. At the conclusion of that meeting, when those attending were not accompanied by any hon. Member, they refused to leave, thus preventing another meeting taking place, which I and some of my hon. Friends were planning to attend.
The Serjeant at Arms had to be informed, and a large number of police officers summoned. Hon. Members on both sides of the House were prevented from passing and re-passing the Committee Room on their way to and from other meetings in that Corridor. Worst of all, those attending the meeting, who were socialist militants, insisted on continuing, and not only to obstruct the business of this House, but to chant socialist slogans in a most offensive way. That exploded for ever the myth of new Labour.
I know that the hon. Member for Nottingham, South has written to you to apologise, and to indicate his stance on the matter. What steps will you take to ensure that hon. Members are aware that they never allow those they have invited into this place to remain in Committee Rooms unaccompanied by any hon. Member?

§ Mr. Alan Simpson (Nottingham, South)
Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) for raising this matter, and giving me the opportunity to repeat the apology that I made to you in writing last night, to hon. Members who booked the subsequent meetings, which were disrupted, and to the many hon. Members with whom I spoke in the corridors during what seemed to he a large part of yesterday evening.
1244 I owe the House an apology and an explanation. The meeting was booked—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. No explanation is necessary. It is perfectly legitimate for hon. Members to book rooms in this House for a meeting. What disturbs the House and me is that the hon. Member responsible for those lobbyists did not see them off the premises. That is the point, and I think that the hon. Gentleman is giving some explanation and making an apology.

§ Mr. Simpson
Although I had made assiduous efforts to ensure that everyone came in properly, my error in failing to make the exit equally uneventful was seriously misjudged. I was the last to speak at the meeting, and left it only to inform the police and staff on the Corridor that I had been told that those attending were about to depart. My mistake was that I went down to the Lobby to pick up a full copy of the Budget briefing papers.
Only when I was then informed by the Serjeant at Arms that the meeting had not disbanded did I realise that I had not discharged my responsibilities fully and properly, and for that I apologise to the House in the way that I apologised to you last night.

§ Madam Speaker
That matter was brought to my attention at the time. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) and I have exchanged correspondence. He is left in no doubt as to what I feel about that neglect of duty yesterday. The matter is now closed.

§ Mr. Peter Luff (Worcester)
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
Sit down. The hon. Member for Nottingham, South has apologised to the House and to me. I am sure that there are lessons to be drawn from that incident, and that it will not happen again.

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien (North Warwickshire)
May I draw to your attention an incident in my constituency, on which I wish to raise a point of order, Madam Speaker? Coleshill high school in my constituency received an Office of Standards in Education report from the schools inspector. An attempt was made to withdraw the report a couple of days later, apparently because of some of the contents.
A second report was filed which had had some of the contents of the first report deleted. What was deleted was criticism of the Government.

§ Madam Speaker
Order. What is my responsibility in the matter?

§ Mr. O'Brien
I am just coming to exactly that point. The situation raises serious questions about the way in which such reports are prepared and about the whole process. Is it not exactly the sort of—

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman must come to my responsibility in the matter of this report.

§ Mr. O'Brien
Is it not exactly the sort of incident on which you should insist that the Secretary of State for Education and Employment should make an urgent statement, because it raises such profound issues?

§ Madam Speaker
I have no authority or influence over Ministers making statements. The hon. Gentleman has not raised a point of order; he has wasted the House's time. If a statement is to be made by a Minister, it is always on 1245 the annunciator—as today's three statements were—by 1 o'clock on the day that it is being made. Can we proceed with our business, or are there other bogus points of order?

§ Mr. Luff
On a point of order, Madam Speaker. This is not a bogus point of order. I am sure that the whole House will appreciate the apology offered by the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson)—

Hon. Members
Bogus!

§ Madam Speaker
Order. Allow me to deal with this. The hon. Gentleman will resume his seat for a moment.

§ Mr. Luff
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
He will resume his seat. If he has a different point of order, I will of course hear it, but the other matter is now closed.

§ Mr. Luff
My understanding is that the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) had also booked that Room, and I hope that you will draw his attention to what you have said about the other matter, and clarify to all hon. Members the fact that, when they make bookings, as the right hon. Member for Chesterfield also did, they have a responsibility—

§ Madam Speaker
Order.