§ Mr. SpeakerI think that the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) wanted to raise a point of order.
§ Mr. LubbockOn a point of order. Mr. Speaker. May I raise the question of the protection available to an hon. Member against whom an allegation is made in the middle of putting Questions?
I was putting a Question a few minutes ago when the hon. Member for Peterborough (Sir Harmar Nicholls), raising a point of order, cast a series of reflections on my integrity by denying that accurate information was contained in one of my Questions. I am not sure which one he was referring to; it was either Question No. 39 or No. 40.
1505 The facts are that it has been revealed that the United States Air Force is transporting in transport aircraft chemical and biological warfare weapons across United States territory, and that the Prime Minister of Canada, M. Trudeau, has instituted inquiries into whether these weapons are being transported across Canadian territory—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Member must put his point of order briefly.
§ Mr. LubbockI was asking the Minister whether the Government would give information about the use of American transport aircraft to transport these weapons across British territory, and about the stocks of weapons held in this country. The Minister has given answers. I was making no statement, but asking whether these things were happening. I was asking him for information. Therefore, I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, to request the hon. Member for Peterborough to withdraw his snide insinuations and to give me an apology.
§ Sir Harmar Nichollsrose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I think that I can deal with the point of order without the help of the hon. Member for Peterborough (Sir Harmar Nicholls).
If an hon. Member attacked another hon. Member's integrity that would be something of which the Chair would probably have to take notice, but the hon. Member for Peterborough suggested that the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) was inaccurate. This is not an unusual charge—[Laughter.] Order—between two Members of the House. I think that the hon. Member for Orpington is being unduly sensitive.
On the general issue which was raised during Question Time, I hope that points of order, if possible, will not be raised during Question Time, as I am anxious to protect the rights of hon. Members who have Questions on the Order Paper.
On this issue itself, an hon. Member is responsible for the accuracy of the statements which he puts in his Questions. He obviously does so in good faith. From time to time hon. Members are inaccurate. This is not the most accurate place in the world. We must recognise that.
§ Mr. LubbockBut, Mr. Speaker, my Questions contained no inaccuracies; there was no statement of fact.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Member must be seized of the point I make. I am not responsible for the accuracy or inaccuracy of hon. Members' Questions. An hon. Member has the right, in a free place, to suggest to another hon. Member that he is being inaccurate. I am not the judge of that.
§ Mr. BrooksOn a point of order. I have deferred this point of order until the end of Question Time. It will be observed that Question No. 7, and the more recently taken Question No. 48, both deal with the multi-rôle combat aircraft, and it will also be observed that Question No. 67, in my own name, is addressed to the Minister of Technology, but is on almost precisely the same lines.
This Question of mine was tabled originally to the Minister of Defence, and was then transferred to the Minister of Technology. I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, what recourse a Member of the House has against what appears to be a completely arbitrary and anomalous decision on the part of the Department?
§ Mr. SpeakerI cannot prevent Ministers from transferring Questions from one Minister to another. It is a matter of the judgment of the Ministers. It is a matter which the hon. Member could have taken up with them. If he has lost a favourable place on the Question Paper because of the transfer, I am sorry, but I can do nothing about it.