HC Deb 12 March 1973 vol 852 cc896-7
Mr. Jeffrey Archer

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to raise a matter on Question No. 18 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall).

Mr. Speaker

I should very much prefer points of order on Questions to be raised immediately at the end of Question time. However, I call the hon. Member to raise his point of order.

Mr. Archer

I apologise for that, Mr. Speaker, but as the statement was so important I thought that it would be wise to wait.

I asked my right hon. Friend the Minister for Posts and Telecommunications whether he was allowed to see the IBA film which had been confiscated from Anglia Television. It is well known that 57 members of the House have applied to see the film, and we have not raised as a point of order the fact that we have not been allowed to see it. In his reply the Minister said that it was up to the IBA to decide whether he should see the film, and the point of order for you, Mr. Speaker—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I think that I can help the hon. Member straight away. This is nothing to do with the Standing Orders of the House.

Mr. James Johnson

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. As it is—

Mr. Speaker

Order. With respect to the hon. Member, I have ruled that this is not a matter of order. There is nothing in the Standing Order to deal with a situation of this sort.