§ Mr. AshtonOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I draw your attention to the answer to Question No. Q3, in which the Prime Minister intimated that he would not answer any more questions on the working of the Central Policy Review Staff? Over the last three years he has consistently narrowed the field in which he will accept Questions and on many occasions he has changed the practice of answering Questions. Is this one more step towards restricting the activities of back benchers in asking him Questions on this part of the Cabinet Secretariat?
§ Mr. SpeakerI will read the OFFICIAL REPORT and consider the hon. Member's question to see whether it has anything to do with me.
§ The Prime MinisterFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I did not say that I refused to answer Questions about the CPRS; I said that I would not announce in advance appointments of a particular kind.
§ Mr. MolloyOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. There are back benchers on both sides who now know full well that there is a sense of frustration with the Clerks in the Table Office, who, when we table Questions, particularly to the Prime Minister, have to dig out all sorts of reasons why they cannot accept a Question that a Member puts down, because of the connivance of the staff at 10 Downing Street, probably on the instruction of the Prime Minister, to shield the right hon. Gentleman because he has not the courage to face the Questions that hon. Members wish to put down.
§ Mr. SpeakerI said that I would examine the answer to see whether there was anything in this matter to do with me. I do not think that the situation is helped by that kind of insinuation.