HC Deb 20 May 1976 vol 911 c1730
Mr. Speaker

Yesterday the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Hooson) suggested to me that it was a convention of the House that an advocate does not personally raise or discuss in this House any matter which concerns a case in which he has been directly involved."—[Official Report, 19th May 1976, Vol. 911, c. 1429.] I promised to give a considered ruling today.

The resolution of the House deprecating advocacy by Members of cases in which they have been concerned professionally for a fee must still be regarded as standing and indeed it was cited with approval by the Select Committee on Members' Interests of 1969 –70. It is, however, quite clear from the context of the debate at the time that the resolution was directed at civil cases and to cases involving Private Bills in particular.

In 1893 Mr. Speaker Peel was asked about a case involving the criminal law and he replied that after a criminal case had been decided there might be information at the disposal of a Member engaged in the case which could usefully be supplied for the conduct of the debate. Those were almost exactly the words used by the hon. Member for Tiverton (Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop) and I agree with him. I therefore intend to follow Mr. Speaker Peel's ruling until the House directs me otherwise.