HC Deb 16 December 1959 vol 615 cc1447-8
Mr. J. Harvey

On a point of order. May I seek your guidance, Mr. Speaker, on the position in which a Member of this House finds himself if, through accepting an official invitation to a dinner in his constituency, he becomes the subject of certain insinuations reported in the Press and arising out of legal proceedings which he wishes most emphatically and urgently to deny?

Mr. Speaker

While saying nothing as to sympathy with an hon. Member so placed, unless the matter raises some point of order or a breach of Privilege, it would not be right to allow the House to be used as a place in which to produce a public statement in denial.

Mr. C. Pannell

Further to that point of order. While no one would wish that any hon. Member here should be able to abuse the privilege of the House, will you bear in mind, Mr. Speaker, that hon. Members of this House are in a public position and that, consequently, in the sort of position in which the hon. Member for Walthamstow, East (Mr. J. Harvey) finds himself it is shocking that he should be subject to all this publicity and not be allowed in any way to make a public statement here to defend himself or to indicate that he is willing and ready to answer any charges and rebut them?

Mr. Speaker

The difficulty is that it not even suggested that this gives rise to a breach of Privilege. In those circumstances, I could not find a way of making any opportunity, within the rules of the House, for allowing the kind of statement that the hon. Member would desire to make. That is the difficulty. I am far from feeling no sympathy. I say nothing about that.

Mr. Gaitskell

Further to that point of order. Would it not be possible for the hon. Gentleman, for whom we all have much sympathy, to make a personal statement in the House, Mr. Speaker? That is frequently done. It would clear up the matter.

Mr. Speaker

I understand the difficulty about that is that there must be something to do with some matter arising from or connected with the House in a personal statement. The difficulty about this matter, so far as I know, is that that could not be said with regard to it. I only hope that what has been said here today may indirectly have been of assistance.

Mr. J. Harvey

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. While I have no wish to labour the point this afternoon in view of what you have said, I should like to make it clear that I was at this dinner in my capacity as a Member of Parliament and was invited to it in that capacity.