HC Deb 02 December 1971 vol 827 cc657-9
Mr. Raphael Tuck

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On 22nd November I tabled a Question to the Home Secretary asking him if he would make illegal the pernicious practice known as pyramid selling. Since tabling that Question I have received numbers of tragic letters from people who have been conned out of their savings—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member was kind enough to give me notice of a point of order. He must not go into the merits. This is purely a point of order.

Mr. Tuck

I will not go into the merits, Mr. Speaker. I want to bring to the Minister's attention the fact that these people have been conned out of their savings by the promoters of these schemes—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman cannot do that on a point of order.

Mr. Tuck

—and to ask him whether he will take action. Two days later the Home Office transferred the Question, as it was undoubtedly entitled to do, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, but I received no word that the Question had been transferred. The Question is now No. 62 today and has no prospect of being reached, and I am placed in the embarrassing position that I can neither bring these matters to the attention of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry nor ask him to take action. Where do I go from here?

The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Reginald Maudling)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I understood that the hon. Gentleman was informed. If the message did not reach him, I am sorry. Perhaps we could go somewhere else and examine why the message did not reach him.

Mr. R. C. Mitchell

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I want to raise with you a matter regarding Written Questions. The facts are these. On Wednesday, 24th November, I tabled a Written Question to the Secretary of State for the Environment for answer on Monday, 29th November. I received a little note on Monday, 29th November, telling me that the Question had not been overlooked. On Monday the 29th, the very day that my Question was due to be answered, an hon. Member opposite tabled an almost identical Question for Oral Answer today. I still have not received an answer to my Question. Could you, Mr. Speaker, make inquiries about this case, which looks very much like sharp practice?

Mr. Speaker

The question of transfers of Questions is not for the Chair, but I will certainly look into the hon. Member's complaint.