HC Deb 27 May 1971 vol 818 cc587-9
Mr. James Johnson

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You were kind enough to allow me to put a question to the Leader of the House yesterday about the need for a statement on the Humber Bridge. With his usual courtesy, the right hon. Gentleman told me: However, I shall make investigations. If he asks me tomorrow during Business Questions I shall give him the best answer that I can".— [OFFICIAL REPORT, 26th May, 1971; Vol. 818, c. 388.] Later—and you have in your possession, Mr. Speaker, the Answers to two Questions which I have given you—I was told that I had better look to find the answer to my Question in Written Answers to Questions asked by the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Jeffrey Archer) and the hon. Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall). If the Minister, who is an efficient right hon. Gentleman, had stood up at Question Time and said in answer to me, "If you look later in the day you will find the answer you want," he would have been termed, in slang, a "Charlie".

While I do not wish to accuse anybody of arrogance, the Minister showed, to put it lightly, a certain insensitivity towards the etiquette of the House and hon. Members who represent Kingston upon Hull.

I hope that the Leader of the House will convey to his colleague the deep feelings which exist on this issue, and particularly about the cavalier way in which the Secretary of State for the Environment dismissed our Questions in a most unsatisfactory fashion. We feel very keenly about this.

Mr. McNamara

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker, I rise simply to support what my hon. Friend said. An important point is at issue here, and that is why my hon. Friend tabled his Question for Oral Answer last Thursday. I tabled my Question for Oral Answer last Monday, within the time allowed by Standing Orders. The other two Questions went down the day before and were, therefore, printed on the Order Paper with an asterisk.

While I accept that it is practice on occasions for Oral Questions to receive Written Answers, in this instance, although the Minister referred us to Written Answers, it seems possible that our Question could have been reached as Oral Questions because there have been occasions when we have gone past Question No. 50. I agree with what my hon. Friend said about our having received cavalier treatment in this matter. The Leader of the House will be aware of the depth of feeling on this issue.

Mr. Whitelaw

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I may be allowed to reply. I wish to make it perfectly clear that I did not know yesterday—I am sure that both hon. Gentlemen appreciate this—that these Questions were being answered. If I had known, I would have said so at once. However, I immediately made inquiries and discovered the position; and I understand that the hon. Gentlemen were then quickly informed. I assure them that I appreciate their feelings on this matter and that I will convey them to my right hon. Friend.

Mr. Speaker

As the matter was raised as a point of order, perhaps I should say that it is not a matter for the Chair. The Chair may have its own views about it, and these may be conveyed privately, but it is not a matter which requires a Ruling by me in the House.

Mr. James Johnson

May I add a couple of sentences, Mr. Speaker? Would it not be better if the Leader of the House, acting on behalf of his Front Bench and as a guardian of the institutions of the House—it would certainly be better received by my hon. Friends—were to say that this is not the sort of behaviour one expects of a Minister and that it is just not good enough to say to me, "Look later in the day, at half-past four or five o'clock, at the Answers to two inspired Questions," planted the night before by his colleague in the Cabinet?

It is not good enough. He should forget who his colleagues are and say that this is not the way to do things. Knowing the right hon. Gentleman fairly well, I beg of him to do this now out of natural courtesy towards hon. Members.

Mr. Whitelaw

I do not wish to prolong this matter, and I quite accept what the two hon. Gentlemen say. But I think that they ask me to go a little further than I wish to at this stage. I am entitled to look into all the circumstances and to choose my own methods of protecting all Members of the House, which is my duty.

Mr. McNamara

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I inform the right hon. Gentleman that I have written to his hon. Friend the Minister of State, asking him if he would be good enough further to consider the Answer which he gave the week before. When I asked him to let me know when he might make a statement so that I could put down a Question at the proper time, I had no reply from the Minister concerned.