HC Deb 04 August 1965 vol 717 cc1695-7
Mr. Soames

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the fact that I understand the Secretary of State for Defence is holding a Press conference at this moment to impart to the Press a progress report on the Defence Review, may I ask you whether there has been any request by the Secretary of State to make a statement to the House?

Mr. Speaker

I have received no such request.

Mr. Soames

Further to that point of order. May I seek your guidance? It seems to us a grave discourtesy to the House inasmuch as presumably the right hon. Gentleman has not summoned a Press conference without wishing to impart some information to the Press. We know that he has not imparted it to this House. I wonder whether, therefore, you could make a request to him to come to the House to impart the information to the House?

Mr. Speaker

That does not give rise to a point of order.

Mr. A. Royle

On a point of order. Is it not a contempt of this House for the Secretary of State for Defence to give a private Press conference in the Ministry of Defence this afternoon and to refuse to let the House know his ideas on the reorganisation of defence?

Mr. Speaker

The point is this. The word "contempt" has a magic and technical meaning. Should the hon. Member wish to make a complaint of breach of privilege, it should be done at another time and I would then consider it on its merits.

Mr. Sydney Silverman

On the presumed point of order which has been raised, is it not a presumed contempt of the House to use alleged points of order to give vent to an obvious political grievance? Is not that a contempt?

Mr. Speaker

I do not think it is a contempt in any sense. I have repeatedly pointed out that it is a form of cheating which is to be deprecated.

Mr. Kershaw

Further to that point of order—

Mr. Speaker

We must have a point of order if there is one, but I do not think there has been one up to now.

Mr. Kershaw

In that case, I shall err no more than anyone else, Mr. Speaker. In view of the business tomorrow, for which debates on the Adjournment have been fixed, would it be in order for the Secretary of State to make a statement on the Adjournment? I understand that those debates are by informal agreement and that he could ask for them to be set aside in order to give what information he has to the House.

Mr. Speaker

The position is that if the Minister asked leave to make a statement he would get it, because I have no power to refuse it. There is nothing else I can do about it.

I give no encouragement about tomorrow, but I take the opportunity of saying that after having worked out a provisional timetable with the greatest possible care I find that thereafter there will be a Royal Commission containing over 70 Bills and one Church of England Measure imposed upon it.