§ 47. Sir W. DAVISONasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that the executive committee of the National Union of Railwaymen has instructed six Members of Parliament, whose election expenses had been paid by the union, to oppose and vote against the Government irrespective of the views of themselves or their constituents; and whether he will take legislative steps to prohibit interference with the actions of Members in this House by any association or body of persons?
§ Mr. CHARLETONI desire to ask your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, as to whether it is in order for an hon. Member to refer to other hon. Members in a question and to make statements which are not true. As one of the hon. Members referred to in the question, I desire to say that I have received no instructions from my executive committee to vote against this Government, nor have the other four or five hon. Members to whom reference is made.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid that I can only give a general answer on principle, not on detail.
§ Mr. CHARLETONI want a Ruling on the point. There are matters in this question which are not true. [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SPEAKERAs a rule, an hon. Member asking a question, makes himself responsible for the truth, or otherwise, of what is in the question.
§ Mr. CHARLETONWould it not be in better form if the hon. Member making these statements communicated with the hon. Members concerned and tried to verify the statements before he makes them?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member cannot ask me to give him an opinion on a matter of form.
§ Mr. R. A. TAYLORIs it not usual for an hon. Member to apologise when a mistake of this kind has been made?
Mr. MACLEANIs it not customary in this House when statements are likely to be made regarding the bona fides of hon. Members that the hon. Member who intends to make them notifies the Members 516 concerned? May I ask whether the hon. Member in whose name the question stands intimated to the hon. Members concerned that he intended to raise this question?
§ Sir W. DAVISONI take full responsibility for the question. If it is not accurate in essence—[Interruption]—it is true in substance, and I wish to have an answer from the Prime Minister. [HON. MEMBERS: "Withdraw!"]
§ Mr. THORNEMay I ask whether it is not a fact that time and again, when hon. Members have taken questions to the Clerks at the Table, that a question sometimes is not allowed unless the Minister in question is responsible?
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is quite true that we never allow questions where the Minister is not responsible —
§ Mr. THORNEWhy was this question allowed?
§ Mr. THURTLEIn view of the admission already made by the hon. Member for Kensington South (Sir W. Davison)—
§ Sir W. DAVISONI made no admission —
§ Mr. THURTLEMay we not leave him to the judgment of the House? [HON. MEMBERS: "Withdraw!"]
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer to the question of the hon. Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison) is that this is not a matter for legislation.