§ Sir Lionel HealdOn a point of order. May I seek your guidance, Mr. Speaker, in relation to Question No. 50, which stands in my name?—
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any notice was given to the Metropolitan Police of an intention to transport a consignment of gold, valued at £750.000, across North London on 1st May; whether he will now take steps to secure that the police will always have a proper opportunity of providing protection in similar circumstances; and whether he will make a statement.May I, first, ask you to confirm that the Home Secretary has not requested you to allow him to make a statement at the end of Questions about this matter? I seek your guidance on a matter of principle, because this is a very urgent and serious matter of much public interest. I made inquiries and was told that the Home Secretary did not think that it was right to make a statement about it and would give only a Written Answer.I should like your guidance as to circumstances in which there are matters to which the Home Secretary thinks that he should not refer in a statement. When he says that an oral statement is not desirable, although he is prepared to give 743 a Written Answer, this seems to be a serious matter.
§ Mr. SpeakerI cannot in any way be responsible for a Minister's conversation, or what he is reported to have conveyed to the right hon. and learned Gentleman. As for whether a Question should be written or oral, I have no power to compel a Minister, at the end of Oral Questions, to answer a Question which has not been reached. I have had no such request.
It would be in order for the Home Secretary to rise at this point and answer the right hon. and learned Gentleman's Question if he so desires, but I have no power to compel him to do so.