HC Deb 16 November 1977 vol 939 cc573-5
Mr. Ridley

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to raise a matter of considerable importance on the transfer of Questions by the Prime Minister. I hope that you will bear with me for a minute or two, Mr. Speaker, because there are two substantive matters for you in what I have to say.

On 8th November I tabled a Question to the Prime Minister, for answer on 22nd November, which asked him why the Gracious Speech contained no proposals for rent derestriction of furnished houses. I did that because I had in my possession a Press Notice of the Daily Express headed: Steel's Ten Commandments—my price or out you go. One of the 10 commandments was that there should be housing grants for first-time buyers and a derestriction of furnished houses. It is a matter of considerable substance and importance that the Prime Minister should say why he is not meeting one of the conditions that the Liberal Party has made. He should be prepared to answer that Question.

My second point, which relates to the first, is that the Question was tabled on 8th November and I was informed yesterday after Question Time—15th November—that it had been transferred to the Secretary of State for the Environment.

I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the Select Committee on Procedure and its report for Session 1966–67, in which it states: It has been constantly emphasised by the Chair that the transference of Questions is the responsibility of Ministers. But your Committee recommend that Ministers should as a general rule, not later than two sitting days after the appearance of a Question on the Notice Paper, inform the Member who has given notice of it of the fact that it is to be transferred and to which Minister. The Select Committee in Session 1969–70 followed that up by stating: Your Committee request the Leader of the House to acquaint Departments of the importance which they attach to notice of transfers being given within two sitting days"— that is, of a Question being tabled. It is clear to me, Mr. Speaker, that the officials who deal with Prime Minister's Questions regarded my important Question as a substantive one that the Prime Minister should deal with himself. However, at a later date, when the right hon. Gentleman realised the unpleasant implications of what I was seeking to question him about, he unilaterally decided to transfer it. That was done seven days after it had been tabled. I regard that as a matter that should be brought to the attention of the House. I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, will provide for us a remedy against the abuse of the power of transfer, in terms of both substance and time, that is exemplified by this incident.

Mr. Speaker

I am aware of the Select Committee's recommendations, but the Committee in no way recommended that I should have control over the transfer of Questions by Ministers. The matters raised by the hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) are for the Prime Minister and not for me.

Later—

Mr. Tebbit

Further to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley), I am not sure whether the Prime Minister is making life rather confusing and difficult over Prime Minister's Questions or whether it is the rest of the House that is wrong in its approach to the Prime Minister, but certainly things are not working as they should. For example, the other day I found that a Question to the Prime Minister asking him to call a meeting of his Ministers had been transferred to another Minister, which raises some laughable thoughts about the way in which the Government are run.

In the previous Session this issue was referred to the Select Committee on Procedure. The Committee made a report, which obviously did not work out well in practice. It might not be a bad idea if we refer the matter again to the Select Committee on Procedure to see whether it can come up with a better answer—one that satisfies either the Prime Minister or the House, perhaps even both.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman has made a constructive suggestion that will have been heard by those responsible for the Committee.